Here at D2L, we believe in enabling our clients to have access to the tools they know and love right from within Brightspace. Whether that be through open standards like LTI, or with deep integrations, your Brightspace should serve as a hub for all your favorite tools. One of the most popular tools we find our clients using is Google. With so many products and APIs, D2L has built a series of robust deep and standards-based integrations to help you get the most out of all-things Google!
Google Apps / G Suite / Google Workspace
Help your learners get more out of their Google Workspace™ account by enabling access to their tools inside Brightspace. This product is a deep integration with G Suite tools for:
This integration offers two widgets for users who want to see their emails, events, and files. Both offer similar functionality with one offering a glancing view and the other offering more details.
Summary Widget
The summary widget is more compact than the tabbed widget, so it's ideal for pages with limited available screen space. You may want to place the tabbed widget on the organization's homepage and the summary widget on a course homepage.
Figure: Use the summary widget when you have lots of applications but little screen space.
Tabbed Widget
The tabbed widget offers users a detailed view into their Gmail, Calendar, and Drive in various tabs. Users can page through the contents in their Google account and launch into the apps right from the widget.
Figure: Access a detailed view of your Google applications with the tabbed widget.
In addition, learners can submit Google documents to an assignment or ePortfolio using a Google Drive™ file selector. This integration can be configured to auto-provision new users automatically or strictly operate for users it already recognizes.
Availability: Available to all customers. This integration requires your Brightspace administrator to complete the setup and requires an institution Google Workspace License.
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Google Meet
Google Meet™ is an integration that comes built into the Google Apps/G Suite integration. Once that integration is enabled, Google Meet can be enabled with the Can create Google Meet video meetings permission.
Use the Google Meet integration to create and insert meetings in all places within Brightspace where Quicklinks are supported, like Activity Feed, Announcements, Calendar, Email, Discussions, and more.
Figure: Click Insert Quicklink to access and add a Google Meet link to your activity.
Availability: Available to all customers. Requires Google Apps integration.
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Google Drive File Picker
The Google Drive File Picker is a deep integration for Google Drive™. From either the Lessons content experience or Activity Feed, users can browse their drive and return any files as links in Brightspace.
To access the integration from within Content, click Add Existing > Google Drive.
Figure: In Content, click Add Existing > Google Drive to access the Google Drive File Picker.
You can find the File Picker in Activity Feed by clicking Attach > Attach from Google Drive to Existing Activity.
Figure: Click the Attach from Google Drive icon to add a file to Activity Feed.
Availability: Available to all customers. Integration must be enabled by an administrator.
Google LTI (Assignments and Drive)
Google integrates with all major LMS' over LTI 1.1 (CIM) and 1.3 to offer Google Assignments™ and Google File Embed™.
- Google Assignments™: A connection to Google's assignment tool. Users submit assignments directly to Google through an LTI link. Instructors can assess, grade (with a rubric), and see a plagiarism score for learner submissions. Integrates as a Quicklink remote plugin.
- Google File Embed™: An LTI workflow to select files from a user's drive and add a link back to it in Brightspace. Integrates as a Quicklink and Insert Stuff remote plugin.
Availability: Available to all customers.
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YouTube
The Brightspace YouTube search integration allows users to search and discover videos in YouTube™. Users can browse videos and return them to Brightspace as an embedded video link. YouTube integrates into the Insert Stuff framework, meaning you can access and embed YouTube videos anywhere in Brightspace using the Brightspace Editor.
Figure: In Brightspace Editor, click Insert Stuff > YouTube.
Figure: Use the YouTube integration to embed a video in your course activities.
Clients interested in using this integration need to configure a YouTube API key and add it to their Brightspace instance configuration variable browser. Once configured, you can specify the safe search level and immediately start using the integration.
Availability: Available to all customers.
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Google Calendar Widget
The Google Calendar™ widget provides users with easier access to Google Calendar in Brightspace. This integration enables administrators to view, edit, and add new events into calendars from within Brightspace. You can also launch to a full-screen view of calendars.
Figure: Use the Google Calendar widget to add your calendar to Brightspace.
Availability: The Google Calendar™ widget is a custom integration that requires an additional purchase. Please contact your Client Sales Executive if you are interested in learning more.
Google Analytics / Google Tag Manager
Google Analytics™ and Google Tag Manager™ provide you with a better way to understand how your users are interacting with Brightspace. This integration enables institutions to install web tracking to measure user interactions or behaviors across your instance.
Figure: Use Google Analytics to track user progress and engagement within your course.
Availability: Available to all customers.
Summary
With Google integrations, you can extend your institution’s productivity directly within Brightspace through Gmail, Assignments, Drive, and more. There is a tool for everyone to learn their best. Are you interested in seeing more Google products you love getting integrated into Brightspace? Head over to our Product Idea Exchange and let us know what you would like to see next.
If you are interested in becoming a Google Product Expert for Google Assignments and Brightspace, go to Google’s Product Expert Program to learn more and sign up.
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