Annotation for Learners

Allison.T.7405

I'm relatively new to Brightspace and I see questions posted from 2023 that asked about students having the ability to annotate documents within Brightspace. Supposedly these were answered, but as of right now, it looks like my learners cannot annotate directly within the content.

Our learners have relatively low digital skills, so we would like to keep things as simple as possible for them. I am looking for a way for students to add their responses to documents, like PDFs, without having to leave Brightspace. Are there tools, even external tools that can be linked, that can make this possible? Right now, we have attempted fillable PDFs, but while students can fill them, their answers don't save.

Niccolo.C.1175

Hello Allison,

Thank you for sharing this use case.

Based on Brightspace’s documented workflows, the native annotation tools are intended for instructors/evaluators to mark up assignment submissions and provide feedback, rather than for learners to annotate documents directly within Content.

For example, the Assignments documentation states that instructors can “use built-in annotation tools to mark up submissions using highlighting, free-hand drawing, shapes, and associated commenting.”
Documentation: Assessing assignment submissions - Brightspace

The Assignments configuration documentation also describes the annotations configuration as enabling “annotation tools in Assignments for instructors to leave inline feedback.”
Documentation: Assignments configuration variables - Brightspace

For learner work, the documented Brightspace path is typically to use Assignments. The learner-facing Assignments documentation states that the Assignments tool enables learners to submit assignments in Brightspace, and that the “File or text submission” option allows learners to upload a document, submit text in the Brightspace Editor, or include a pasted link within the same submission.
Documentation: Submit and manage assignments - Brightspace

For documents added directly to Content, Brightspace documents that learners can view files inline, and that documents uploaded to Content are converted for inline viewing. That workflow is documented as viewing/downloading course content, not as saving learner-entered annotations or PDF form responses back into the Content file.
Documentation: What types of files can I use for course content? - Brightspace

So, for the specific workflow you described, I would recommend using an Assignment rather than a Content-only document. Depending on the activity, learners could submit a completed file, use a text submission, or submit a link. If the goal is specifically for learners to annotate or complete a PDF in place inside Brightspace Content and have those entries save there, that is not a native workflow documented in the Brightspace articles above.

For external tools, Brightspace does support integrations, but the right tool would depend on the workflow and licensing available at your institution. D2L also notes that partner tools may be available for additional assessment needs.
Documentation: Evaluate learner progress using Brightspace Assessment tools - Brightspace

Thank you for outlining the learner experience you are trying to support.