Brightspace Data Hub

Mohamad.B.2651

Hello Brightspace Community,

I am conducting a retrospective learning analytics study and would appreciate clarification on which Brightspace Data Sets (BDS) can be exported for research use. I am only interested in de-identified, historical data (no live course access or content).

Specifically, I would like to confirm the dataset names for the following:

1. User activity/event logs
   • Timestamped records showing when users interact with tools
   • Fields such as user ID, course ID, timestamp, and tool/event type
2. Assignment (Dropbox) submissions
   • Submission events with timestamps
   • User ID, course ID, and Dropbox/assignment ID
3. Gradebook data (as a submission proxy)
   • Grade item results with timestamps
   • User ID, course ID, grade item ID, and date updated
4. Discussion activity (metadata only)
   • Posts/replies/read events with timestamps
   • No message content required
5. Content access or completion data
   • Content views or completion events by user and time
6. Course metadata
   • Course start/end dates and basic enrollment information

I would also appreciate confirmation on:

• Whether these are accessed via Brightspace Data Hub (BDS)
• Any limitations on historical data availability

I do not need student/instructor names, discussion text, or submitted files—only IDs, timestamps, and event types.

Thank you very much for your guidance.

Ajith.J.824

Hi @Mohamad.B.2651,

Thank you for the question.

Yes, you can make use of the Brightspace Data Sets (BDS) and the Advanced Data Sets (ADS) for your retrospective learning analytics study. You can rely on the Full Data Sets, which are generated weekly in most cases, and provide historical, de‑identified records suitable for research.

Below are the relevant datasets you may want to explore, along with links to the corresponding documentation where you can review field definitions and additional details.

1. User activity/event logs
Brightspace does not provide a single “event log” dataset for all tools, but several datasets capture timestamped user interactions.
Relevant Data Sets: Learner Usage (ADS), Instructor Usage (ADS)
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4539-list-of-advanced-data-sets#instructor-usage

2. Assignment (Dropbox) submissions
Relevant Data Sets: Assignment Submissions, Assignment Submission Details
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4767-assignments-data-sets

3. Gradebook data
Relevant Data Sets: Grade Results
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4527-grades-data-sets#grade-results

4. Discussion activity
Relevant Data Sets: Discussion Forums, Discussion Topics, Discussion Posts
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4525-discussions-data-sets

5. Content access or completion data
Relevant Data Sets: Content Objects, Content User Progress
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4713-content-data-sets

6. Course metadata
Relevant Data Sets: Course Offering Enrollments (ADS)
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4539-list-of-advanced-data-sets#course-offering-enrollments

I hope this helps!