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Why Web Accessibility Matters
What is Web Accessibility? Most people are aware of web accessibility and the inextricable role that it plays in online learning. Simply put web accessibility ensures that our courses and tools are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. But web accessibility also benefits people without…
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Upcoming Community Event: New Content Experience Updates!
D2L is continuing to expand the options available in their different experiences, and they have exciting new updates to the New Content Experience! Note: Not sure which content experience you are using? Refer to this resource for the ins and outs of each of the content experiences. Join the Community Event on November 22…
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How Text-Generating Software Still Needs Human Guidance
ChatGPT and other text-generating software have undoubtedly appeared on your radar in some form to support your teaching practice. Perhaps you’ve heard about how quickly it can help you create a rubric for your course or how it can help you brainstorm topics for classroom discussion. Text-generating software may speed up…
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Needs Assessment – “A Compass for Effective Design"
Needs Assessment – “A Compass for Effective Design”As an instructional designer, you will no doubt be familiar with systematic approaches to design such as ADDIE or SAM and you'll also know that analysis is a critical first step in the design cycle as prescribed by these models. This article is all about the work that…
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Curious About Creator+?
If you are thinking about designing and developing your courses in Brightspace, then you might have heard about Creator+, D2L’s new authoring tool. Creator+ customers have the ability to easily create engaging content and activities right in the HTML editor. Curious to learn more? Check out the Creator+ Community Group for…
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Small changes would improve UX
I am adding a Discussion Forum in a widget and have "Render in iFrame" checked. This is what I see: So my question is: Why do we need that right arrow in a circle and the nav bar on the bottom? There is nothing over to the right to navigate to. It would be far better from a UX point of view if this iframe were responsive…
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End with a Bang!
As instructional designers and instructors, we put a lot of thought into the content of our courses. We think about the best format for the content, how to assess it, and how to make it engaging. But after learners have gone through all of our carefully crafted content, what do they do next? Often, we prioritize the…
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Share results of a survey/poll with participants
I'd like to create a poll where students can view the results automatically after they take it. Is this possible?
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Conducting Peer Evaluations in Brightspace
Has anyone used Brightspace tool(s) to successfully conduct peer evaluations? This would exclude any third-party integrations. Thanks.
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Use case examples using the D2L Learning Objectives tool
Hi Everyone, We are in the very early stages of exploring how we could leverage the learning outcomes tool for students to track their own achievement and progress against our institution's graduate learning outcomes. I would love to see if/how others are using this at a degree or programmatic assessment level please? Is…
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Generating Ideas: Bringing Design Thinking Best Practices into Instructional Design
For the past few months, I have been reflecting on how, as Instructional Designers, we can apply Design Thinking practices to support our work. For those needing a refresher, Design Thinking facilitates human-centered design, meaning designers design to address the core needs of the individuals they are creating for. There…
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This Halloween, Treat Yourself to a Brightspace Guided Training Q&A
Are you new to Brightspace? Do you have specific questions about getting started in Brightspace? Join the Community team during this session to share your questions and learn about helpful resources available on the Brightspace Community. This webinar will take place on Oct 31, 2023 at 11:00 AM EST. If you're interested,…
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Tips for Chunking Content
Broadly speaking, “chunking” is the strategy of dividing content into smaller, easily digestible pieces. This helps to lighten a learner’s cognitive load because they can store the information in these chunks instead of as individual pieces of information. But it isn’t as simple as just divvying up the content into smaller…
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The Power of Pre-Assessments
In the ever-evolving world of online education, instructors continually seek ways to enhance their teaching methods and engage students more effectively. One such strategy is having learners complete a pre-assessment at the beginning of a unit or course. Pre-assessments offer a range of benefits for both instructors and…
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Needs Assessment Template
Hi all, I am wondering if you have a go-to needs assessment template that you find useful? Or if you have created your own needs assessment template, what are some of the most important points you have included in it? Thanks!
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AI can do a lot for instructional designers. Here’s what it can’t do.
In the past year, I’ve used ChatGPT to do some degree of instructional design work. I’m not alone, as one American study reports that roughly 57% of workers have tried ChatGPT and 16% use it regularly at work. To see the potential of AI tools like ChatGPT, I developed a Brightspace course entirely with generative AI. I…
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Common Course Recommendations: Use Headings!
As instructional designers, we view a lot of courses. One of the most common recommendations that I find myself making to clients is a simple one–use headings! Quite often, we see headings that are “created” by changing the font size, making the text bold, or changing the font colour. While this might make it look like a…
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Defining the Problem: Bringing Design Thinking Best Practices into Instructional Design
In a previous post, I wrote about how, as Instructional Designers, we can apply Design Thinking practices to support our work. For those needing a refresher, Design Thinking facilitates human-centered design, meaning designers design to address the core needs of the individuals they are creating for. There are five stages…
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Looking for the most seamless Discussion experience
I am looking for the most seamless way to link to/open discussion forums in a course. This video shows me exploring different workflows. You may find it useful: The video also identifies some hiccups in the platform that developers may want to resolve. These include: • Redundant inclusion of titles on Forum page • Font…
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Preparing for Back to School with ConvosWithCommunity
It's hard to believe summer is drawing to a close! As we begin to turn our attention towards the start of a new school year and Pumpkin Spice lattes, you may be wondering what resources have been added to Community over the past few months, and how you may use them to set yourself up for success. Community is offering an…
