New Content Experience is randomly turning off for instructors?

Maureen.B.923

Twice this past week, instructors have reached out because the new Content Experience in their courses have randomly turned off.

I checked - they do not have permissions to turn it on/off. I even did a screen share, and they do not have the ability to pull up this menu in their course. I'm at a loss as to how this has happened.

brad.r.503

The issue you're encountering with the new Content Experience turning off unexpectedly in Brightspace could be due to a few different factors. Given that instructors do not have permissions to toggle this feature and you've confirmed they can't access the menu to turn it on or off, we can consider the following possibilities:

1. System Updates or Bugs: Brightspace may have undergone recent updates or there might be system bugs affecting the Content Experience feature. It's not uncommon for features to behave unexpectedly after updates as new bugs may be introduced.
2. Automatic System Reverts: Sometimes, learning management systems (LMS) have safety checks that revert to default settings if anomalies are detected. If the new Content Experience is not set as the default and the system encounters an issue, it may revert to the previous content experience.
3. Administrative Changes: Changes at the administrative level of the LMS settings could inadvertently affect course settings. An administrator may have made changes that impacted the Content Experience settings across multiple courses.
4. User Error: It's possible there's a misunderstanding or miscommunication. Instructors might be changing settings without realizing it, or another user with the appropriate permissions might be making changes.
5. Cross-Browser/Device Issues: Occasionally, settings may not properly sync across different browsers or devices, leading to inconsistent experiences.

To troubleshoot this issue, consider the following steps:

• Check for Updates and Bug Reports: Look for any recent updates to the Brightspace platform that could be related to this issue. Also, check if there are any known bugs reported by D2L or other institutions.
• Review Administrative Logs: If possible, review the administrative logs to see if any changes were made to the Content Experience settings. Brightspace might have logs that show when features are toggled on or off.
• Contact D2L Support: Reach out to D2L's technical support for assistance. They may have insights into the issue and can provide specific guidance or patch the bug if it's on their end.
• Feedback from Instructors: Collect detailed feedback from the instructors on when they notice the change happening. This could help in identifying patterns or specific actions leading to the issue.
• Document the Issue: If it happens again, document all steps taken by the instructors prior to the issue occurring. Screenshots, exact times, and descriptions can be helpful in diagnosing the problem.
• Internal Testing: If you have access to a sandbox or test environment in Brightspace, try replicating the issue there. This could help you identify what triggers the change in Content Experience settings.

In the meantime, you may also want to provide instructors with a quick guide on how to turn the new Content Experience back on, in case it happens again, to minimize disruptions to their courses.