What are Community Groups?
Welcome! Community Groups are a more private space where professionals and specialists come to connect, share ideas and support each other. That includes you! 😀
Note: To join Groups, you must be a registered member of the Brightspace Community.
Connect with the New Single Sign On Registration
Before connecting with Community Groups, lets check:
😃 - I have created my Community Account!
🤨 - I'm not sure how to join a Group
- Navigate to Groups
- Review the list of existing Groups and click Join
That's it! Super Easy!
Note: If a Group membership requires approval, the Group Leader will review and respond in a timely manner.
🙄 - I still need help
Why Join a Community Group?
If you are looking for answers in a niche area to expand your skills or help you within your role, this is the place to be! Find effective practices, build connections and collaborate with special interest groups & projects.
Within a group, you'll find several features which can help you navigate and interact.
Announcements are a great way for group leaders to share important information with group members that the group leader doesn't want to be buried or overlooked.
Discussions allow a place to share information and resources, pose questions, and encourage your colleagues and peers. Social groups allow for having discussions outside the larger Community Discussion forum, which allows for a more private space.
Curious to learn how to create a new discussion post?
Events are a great way to connect in a live setting with other group members. This space fosters collaboration and connection. Look out for events happening in your groups!
What is Difference Between Community-Wide and Group Specific Events?
Community wide events are ones that all community members can see and join. To access a list of upcoming events, select the Events tab on the community navbar.
From here, you will find a list of all upcoming events.
You also have the option to change the View from 'upcoming events' to all, past events, or my events.
📝 Note: To receive notifications for what community wide events are happening each week, bookmark our Community Events discussion.
Group specific events are ones that only members of that group can see and join. You can find them in the Upcoming Events section of your group.
Who Can Access Community Groups?
The short answer is, it depends. Community group owners choose to classify their group in one of the following ways:
Public- anyone can see the group and its content. Anyone can join.
Private- Anyone can see the group, but only members can see its content. People must apply or be invited to join.
Secret- Only members can see the group and view its content. People must be invited to join.
*If you are unsure of how a group is classified and curious, reach out to the group owner or a Community Team member.
Accessibility Considerations for Groups
Alternative Text Tags- are important to include any time you upload an image to a group, event, or discussion. Alt tags allow a text description of what the image is, ensuring that all content is accessible for everyone.
How Can I Add an Alt Tag?
1. Upload your image using the Upload Image icon.
2. Click on the image and a navbar will appear.
3. Click on the Alt Text icon
4. Add a description for the image and click Save
Descriptive Links- the link text should clearly indicate where the link goes to or what will happen when it is clicked.
Example: “We would recommend you checking out our ‘3 Keys to More Accessible Written Communication’ course hosted in the Brightspace Community.”
How Can I Add a Descriptive Link?
1. Highlight the text you want to become the descriptive link.
2. Click on the link icon.
3. Add the link URL and press Enter.
*Your text should now appear in a different colour and be a clickable link.
