Often when we talk about accessibility in Brightspace, we focus on learners with visual impairments and the ways in which Brightspace just works with assistive technology. There are many other types of accommodations that Brightspace can help with as well. This article is meant to be a list of common accommodations that Brightspace can help deliver. This is not a complete and exhaustive list. Please feel free to comment with your own ideas below!
Accommodations
In our new Accommodations feature – instructors can set quiz time extensions and multipliers which will persist across all quizzes in a course. Additionally, they can ‘always allow right click’ a common requirement for students that use assistive technology to access their quizzes.
Adjusted Timelines
Using Special Access, instructors can allow specific groups of students extended deadlines for assignments, surveys, or quizzes. For Quizzes, instructors can allow learners more time to complete their quiz or extra attempts.
1:1 Attention
For students that might need extra attention, Instructors can setup groups 1:1 with students. This allows the instructor to setup a discussion with the student where the two can communicate privately, either via text or video. These posts can then be evaluated, if needed.
Automated Communication
Intelligent Agents send automated emails to help keep students on track or to provide additional support.
Awards
Instructors can use Awards for positive reinforcements of desired behaviour.
Checklists
Our Checklist tool allows instructors to setup checklists for students to help them keep track of what they need to complete.
Chunking
In Content, Instructors can use Release Conditions to hide content until some condition is met. This helps students by only showing them the next thing they need to do, without overwhelming them with all of the content left.
In Quizzes, instructors can specify the number of question per page to limit the number of questions a student sees at once.
Feedback
Feedback can be provided in audio, video, and/or text formats. With the rich HTML editing capabilities in evaluation, instructors can provide instructions in text or video formats for students that may need both.
Instructions
Similar to Feedback, instructions can be provided in different audio, video, and/or text formats.
Learning Outcomes
When using Learning Outcomes (a.k.a. Standards or Expectations), instructors can choose to assess learners only on specific outcomes or on differentiated outcomes.
Parental Involvement
Brightspace for Parents helps to keep parents involved and informed on their students' upcoming work, recent grades, Portfolio items, and Activity Feed posts.
Read Aloud
Brightspace integrates with ReadSpeaker to provide read-aloud capabilities for students that may struggle with reading.
Reducing Distractions
Using the new Learner Experience in Content displays in a full-screen mode with only navigation available. This helps to reduce distractions and keep the focus on the content that the student is trying to learn.
In Quizzes, instructors can prevent learners from accessing their email when they have a quiz attempt in progress.
Rubrics
Instructors can provide rubrics in alternative formats like photo or video-note based rubrics.
Self-Assessment
Self-Assessments allow students to reflect on their learning with question libraries similar to that of Quizzes. With the elimination of numeric evaluation, students can make reflective learning and course material comprehension their main priorities.
Special Access
In Special Access for assessable activities, instructors can assign activities to specific learners. Alternatively, they can also exempt specific students from activities such as Assignments, Quizzes, or Discussions. In Special Access for Quizzing, instructors can allow students additional or unlimited attempts at a quiz.
Submission Formats
Students can submit their assignments via video using Video Assignments or using Video Note to record and attach a video. Students can also add video or text to accompany their file submission assignments to help them talk about their work.
Students can also submit audio or video responses to Written Response Quiz questions when "Enable HTML Editor for learner responses" or "Enable Inserted Images and Attachments" are enabled.
Visual Schedules
Using Activity Feed, instructors can post and pin a visual schedule for students to follow, so that they know what to expect for the day ahead.