Quick start guide to teaching online

Step 1:
From the Brightspace home page, navigate to the Minibar and click on your name (Figure 18).

Figure 18: Name in the Minibar

Step 2:
From here, select Profile (Figure 19).

Figure 19: Drop-down menu under name

Step 3:
Next, select Change Picture (Figure 20).

Figure 20: Change Picture area in the Profile

Step 4:
This will open a pop-up window. Select My Computer to upload a profile picture from your computer (Figure 21).

Figure 21: Upload pop-up window

Step 5:
Next, drag and drop your new profile picture, or select Upload to browse for an image (Figure 22).

Figure 22: Drag and drop pop-up window

Step 6:
When the picture has been uploaded, click on the blue Add button (Figure 23).

Figure 23: Blue add button to add image

Step 7:
Underneath your new profile picture, select Tagline. Here you can enter in any relevant information that relates to you and your role. Below in the Interests/Hobbies area, you can also choose to provide any other information you might want students to have. Once completed select Save and Close to update any changes (Figure 24).

Figure 24: Tagline and Interests/Hobbies boxes in the Profile

Go into any module/unit/course that you lead. Alternatively, you could try this out in your sandbox.

Once you are on the module/unit/course homepage, you will see the slim announcements tool on the left-hand side. Scroll past this announcements widget, and you will get to the Teaching Staff widget which at first, is set up as a generic instructor profile (Figure 25).

To start editing it, click on the 3 dots in the top right-hand side corner of the widget, and select Edit.

Figure 25: Teaching Staff widget with 3 dots in the right-hand side corner

You can do so, by clicking on one of the tiles in the Visual TOC (1), or by clicking on the link to content in your Navbar (2). (Figure 33)

Figure 33: Module/unit/course homepage with Visual TOC and Content link in the Navbar

This will take you to your content area in Brightspace. To add a new content folder, simply navigate to the bottom of your list of existing folders on the left-hand side to the ‘Add a module’ text box. (Figure 34)

Figure 34: Table of contents with option to add folder (Brightspace language: module) at the bottom of the TOC

Click into this box, type in the name of your new module ('new folder') and hit ‘Enter’. You will now see that your new folder was added on the bottom of the list. (Figure 35) This folder will now also be added to the Visual TOC on the module/unit/course homepage.

Figure 35: Newly added folder in the TOC

To delete a folder from the table of contents, navigate to the folder you want to delete by selecting it from the table of contents on the left-hand side (Figure 36).

Figure 36: Content folder in the TOC

Next, navigate to the drop-down menu next to the folder title and select ‘Delete Module’ (Figure 37).

Figure 37: Drop-down menu of a content folder with the option to delete the folder (Brightspace language: module)

A pop-up window will open asking you if you want to delete the module, nested modules (submodules) and topics but keep the associated files and activities. If you have content items, or activities such as a link to a quiz or discussion topic in this folder which you would like to keep, select this first option. If you don’t want to keep the files and activities from this folder, select the second option which will permanently delete all submodules, topics and associated files and activities from the course. Click ‘Delete’. (Figure 38)

Figure 38: Delete Module pop-up window

To do this, click the waffle icon next to the folder you want to drag into another folder and drag the folder into the folder you want to move it to (Figure 39). 

Figure 39: Moveable folders in the TOC

The original folder called ‘New folder’ is now a subfolder of the ‘Learning Resources’ folder (Figure 40).

Figure 40: Newly added subfolder in the TOC

To do this, navigate to the folder you want to create a new subfolder for, and locate the ‘Add a sub-module’ text box at the bottom of the folder. Click on the box, enter the name of your subfolder and hit ‘Enter’. (Figure 41)

Figure 41: Option to add a subfolder within a folder

Your new subfolder has now been added to the folder (Figure 42).

Figure 42: Newly added subfolder

If you click on the blue Upload/Create button in any of your content folders, you will get a list of options. You can choose to upload files, videos or audios, or you can create new files and links in Brightspace as well as use other tools in Brightspace to create new learning activities such as discussions or assignments. (Figure 45)

Figure 45: Content folder with the Upload/Create drop-down menu

You can also upload files, such was Word or PDF documents, or PowerPoint presentations by dragging and dropping them into a folder or subfolder. Simply select one or more files on your computer (Figure 46), and drag them over into Brightspace (Figure 47).

Figure 36: Selected files in a folder on your computer

Figure 47: Brightspace content folder with the Drag and drop files box

You will now see that your file(s) has been added to the content folder in Brightspace. (Figure 48)

Figure 48: Brightspace content folder with the newly added files

If you click on the grey Existing Activities button in any of your content folders, you will get a list of options for existing activities that you can link into the table of contents, such as assignments, discussion topics, or links to external learning tools.

This is useful for signposting activities you might have created within a certain tool prior to adding it to the content area.

Figure 49: Brightspace content folder with the Existing Activities drop-down menu

You can move around content items by using the waffle icon next to the content item (Figure 50). This way you can reorder items within a (sub) folder, as well as move items between folders.

Figure 50: Brightspace waffle icon for moving around content

To add a description to a (sub) folder, simply click on the ‘Add a description…’ text below the (sub) folder title (Figure 51), enter your description and click ‘Update’ (Figure 52).

Figure 51: Add a description option for a Brightspace content folder

Figure 52: Description editor

Just as you can add descriptions to content (sub) folders, you can do the same for all types of content topics. You can either select an individual content item to edit by clicking on the drop-down menu next to the content topic and then selecting ‘Edit Properties In-place’ (Figure 53), or you can bulk edit descriptions, start/end dates and the draft/published status for all content topics in any given (sub) folder by selecting the ‘Bulk edit’ function below the (sub) folder description area (Figure 54).

Figure 53: Content item drop-down menu with option to Edit Properties In-place

Figure 54: Bulk Edit option in the content folder

You will now be able to add a description of individual or multiple content topics. Editing descriptions of content items works the same way as it did for content (sub) folders (refer to information above). Once you are done, click on Update button for the descriptions you are changing, and if you are in ‘Bulk Edit’ mode, also select ‘Done Editing’ at the top of your screen once you are done.  (Figure 55; screenshot of bulk editing function)

Figure 55: Description editor

Adding a video note to a content (sub) folder or item is done via the description function. To open the description editor, for a content (sub) folder, click on the Add a description field below the folder title. (Figure 56) To open the description editor for a content item, click on the Edit Properties In-place link in the drop-down menu next to the content item (Figure 57), and then the Add a description field.

Figure 56: Add a description option for a Brightspace content folder

Figure 57: Content item drop-down menu with option to Edit Properties In-place

Once the description editor opens, click on the Insert Stuff button in the far left-hand side corner. (Figure 58)

Figure 58: Insert Stuff button in the Brightspace description editor

A pop-up window will open. From the menu, select Add Video Note. (Figure 59)

Figure 59: Insert Stuff menu with Add Video Note option

You can now either record a video of yourself using your webcam, or you can upload a short video clip.

To start the recording, click on the blue New Recording button.

The maximum length of a Brightspace video note is 3 minutes. (Figure 60)

Figure 60: Video Note recording window

When you are done recording, click on the blue Next button at the bottom of the pop-up window. (Figure 61)

Figure 61: Next button at the bottom of the pop-up window

You will now be able to give your Video Note a title and provide a description.

You should also select the Audio Language and check the box next to Automatically generate captions from audio. This will mean that when students watch your Video Note, they will see it with captions.

When you are done, click on Next again. (Figure 62)

Figure 62: Screen where you can add tite, description and captions

You will now be able to see a preview of your Video Note.

Initially, you will see a screen informing you that the video note is currently being transformed. (Figure 63)

Figure 63: Video Note Preview window

Click the Refresh Preview button at the top of the screen after a while and you will be able to see a preview of your video.

When you are happy with your video, click Insert. (Figure 64)

Figure 64: Video Note Preview window with transformed video

You will now see your Video Note inserted into the description editor.

If you would like, you can now also add some text to the description.

Click on the blue Update button to save your changes. (Figure 65)

Figure 65: Video Note in the description editor

You will now see your Video Note (and any other content of the description) under the content folder title. (Figure 66)

If you had done this for a content item, you would now see the Video Note (and any other content of the description) under the content item name.

Figure 66: Video Note under the folder title

You can also add a video note to a file you create in Brightspace.

To do so, click on the blue Upload/Create button, and select Create a File from the drop-down menu. (Figure 67)

Next, a text editor will open which looks exactly the same as the description editor. Continue by selecting the Insert Stuff button and follow the instructions above.

Figure 67: Upload/Create button with Create a File option

Figure 78: Upload/Create button with Create a Link option

A pop-up window will open where you will need to enter a title for the link/video as well as the URL of the YouTube video.

We would also recommend that you check the box next to Open External Resource. This way, the video will open in a new tab for students.

When you are done, click on the blue Create button. (Figure 79)

Figure 79: New Link pop-up window

You will now see the video link in your content folder. (Figure 80)

Figure 80: New link in the content folder

To start embedding a YouTube video on a Brightspace page, select the blue Upload/Create button in the content area and click on Create a File. (Figure 81)

Figure 81: Upload/Create button with Create a File option

Enter a title for the file and click on the Insert Stuff button in the top left-hand side corner of the text editor. (Figure 82)

Figure 82: Text editor with Insert Stuff button

From the menu, select YouTube. (Figure 83)

Figure 83: Insert Stuff menu with link to the YouTube integration

This will open the YouTube integration.

Type the title of the video you are searching for into the search box and click on Search.

You will now see the results of your search.

Click on the video you would like to insert and click on the blue Next button at the bottom of the pop-up window. (Figure 84)

Figure 84: YouTube Integration homepage

You will now be able to see the properties of your video as well as a preview.

Click on the blue Insert button at the bottom of the screen to insert the video into the text editor. (Figure 85)

Figure 85: YouTube properties and preview page

Once you have inserted the video into the text editor, click on the blue Save and Close button at the bottom of the screen. (Figure 86)

Figure 86: YouTube video embedded in the text editor

You will now see the page you created. (Figure 87)

The benefit of embedding a video into Brightspace like this is that students can click on it right away and will not have to be taken into a new tab.

Figure 87: Brightspace file/page with an embedded YouTube video

You will now also be able to see the new file with the video in your content folder. (Figure 88)

Figure 88: Link to Brightspace page with embedded link in a content folder

Once you have created your own annotated videos or videos with quiz questions, it is really easy to get these videos into Brightspace.

Simply, select Create a File from the Upload/Create drop-down menu in the content area. (Figure 89)

Figure 89: Upload/Create button with Create a File option

Enter a title for the file and click on the Insert Stuff button in the top left-hand side corner of the text editor. (Figure 90)

Figure 90: Text editor with Insert Stuff button

Figure 91: Insert Stuff menu with link to the ClickView integration

This will open the ClickView integration.

From the top menu, select Workspace where you will see all your edited videos.

Select the video you would like to use, and choose a size from the Add drop-down menu on the right-hand side.

Click the blue Next button at the bottom of the pop-up window. (Figure 92)

Figure 92: ClickView Integration homepage

You will now see a preview of the ClickView video you will add to your page.

Click on the blue Insert button at the bottom of the page to insert the video into the text editor. (Figure 93)

Figure 93: ClickView preview page

Once you have inserted the video into the text editor, click on the blue Save and Close button at the bottom of the screen. (Figure 94)

The ClickView video will now display just like an embedded YouTube video.

Figure 94: ClickView video embedded in the text editor

Inside the IA tool, click on Settings in the top right-hand corner. (Figure 128)

Figure 128: IA homepage with settings link in the top right-hand side corner

By default, any email send via the IA tool uses the systems default which can be seen first thing in the IA settings.

If you would like to customise the name and reply-to address students see, select the box next to Set custom values for this course and enter the name and email address you would like students to see if they get an automated email.

When you are done, save these settings. (Figure 129)

Figure 129: IA settings page with option to customise the email address students see when they receive an IA email