This article complements the announcement in our March 2025/20.25.03 release notes about the accessibility and usability enhancements to complex sorting in tables. It serves as a reference about this feature until full documentation becomes available in Brightspace Community on 1 May 2025.
This update maintains the existing data display in tables. Clients will notice changes to the appearance and interactive behavior of complex headers, which now offer a menu for selecting the sort order to ensure a consistent and accessible screen reader experience across Brightspace components that use tables.
Background
Before 20.25.03, tables with complex headers offered complex sorting, but it was difficult to use and had significant accessibility gaps.
- Complex headers are the topmost cells in columns that combine multiple values. The most common complex header across Brightspace is a list of users’ names, which combines first names, last names, and sometimes student ID.
- Complex sorting is when a complex header allows you to sort the table by any of the values in the column, and in either direction (ascending or descending).
Before this update, complex headers contained individual buttons for each sortable value in the column. For example, in a column of names, the header text was Last Name, First Name. You had to click Last Name to sort by last name, and click it again to toggle between ascending and descending sort. You could also click First Name to sort by first name, and click it again to toggle between ascending and descending sort.
For screen reader users, the previous experience was inconsistent across different Brightspace tools. In some tools, the screen reader read the complex header as "[column name], button" with no indication of what clicking the button would do. In other tools, the screen reader read the column name and stated what clicking the button would do (for example, "sort descending"), but didn't provide the current sort order. The screen reader offered a menu for complex sort options in some tools, but not in others.
What changed?
Since 20.25.03, complex headers only contain one button. Instead of listing the different values in the column in full, the header text is now a one- or two-word summary. Screen readers consistently announce the current sort order and provide intuitive navigation.
When you hover your cursor over a complex header, the alt text provides the current sort order.
When you click a complex header, it opens a dropdown menu that lists all available sorting options for that column.
This update also replaces the words "ascending" and "descending" with "A to Z" and “Z to A”, which are easier to scan.
This component was originally released for Mastery View in August 2024/20.24.8.
Which Brightspace tools are affected?
Tables with complex headers have been updated in the following places:
Tool | Pages | Header Text Before | Header Text After | Note |
|---|
Assignments | Submissions | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Attendance | Attendance Data | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Auditors | Audit Users | Last Name, First Name | Name | Accessed via Auditors widget. |
Blog | Blog List | Last Name, First Name | Author | The Blog Watch tab already used Author as the column header before this update. |
Classlist | Classlist Add Existing Users | Last Name, First Name | Name | |
Competencies | Competency Results, Objective Results, and Activity or Rubric Statistics | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Course content statistics | Topic Feedback SCORM Reports & Legacy SCORM Reports > Users tab | Last Name, First Name | Learner | To access in Classic Content: TOC > Related Tools > View Reports. To access in New Content Experience (Lessons): Course Options (gear) > View Reports. |
Course content statistics | Statistics > Users tab Topic/Module | Last Name, First Name | Learner | Column always displays “[last name], [first name]” even when sorting by first name, and has done so since before this update. |
Discussions | Assess Topic > Users & Assessments tabs Statistics > Users tab | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Email | Address Book | Last Name, First Name | Name | To access the address book, navigate using the sidebar or compose an email and click Address Book. |
ePortfolio | Assessments Comments Sharing > Select User pop up | Last Name, First Name | Name | |
External Learning Tools | Add Org Units dialog | Name, Code | Org Unit | |
Grades | Enter Grades | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Grades | Import Grades (errors/warnings table) | Org Defined ID, Username | User | |
Groups | Enroll Users | Last Name, First Name, Username, Org Defined ID | Learner includes Last Name, First Name.
New columns added for Username and Org Defined ID. | Username and Org Defined ID have their own columns now. |
Intelligent Agents | Agent run results | Last Name, First Name | Name | |
Quizzes | View Statistics Grade Quiz > Users & Attempts tabs | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Rubric | Individual Stats | Last Name, First Name | Learner | |
Special Access | Add User | Last Name, First Name | Learner | Includes all locations where you can add users to special access. For example: Edit Assignment > Availability > Manage Special Access > Add Users |
Survey | Statistics > Users & Attempts tabs | Last Name, First Name, ID | User | Surveys are not exclusive to learners and the column includes more than just names, so User is more fitting than Learner or Name. |
Users | Manage Auditors User Collections > Edit Collection > Enroll Collection | Last Name, First Name | Name | |
Table legend
Learner = An individual who is enrolled in a course for the purpose of learning (i.e. student).
Name = Any individual with a role in Brightspace (could include a user in Classlist where you can have individuals with different roles, such as a learner, instructor, auditor).
User = Any individual with a role in Brightspace, where the column includes more than just First Name, Last Name.
Technical details
Impact: Impact to instructors due to changes in how they sort tables with complex headers.
Availability: This feature is available to all Brightspace customers.
Enablement: This functionality is automatically enabled and doesn't depend on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.
