Release Notes

June 2025/20.25.06

Preview Release Notes

Video: Release Highlights

Release Highlights for June 2025/20.25.06 will be available on 5 June 2025.

General Announcements

Due to a global UI update, collapsible panels in Brightspace now have a consistent appearance across all tools. Users will notice a minor change in the appearance of collapsible panels in tools that were previously using an outdated design, such as Course Builder, Import/Export/Copy Components, and LOR. The only exception is ePortfolio, where collapsible panels still appear with the outdated design and the Pages panel is no longer collapsible.
To support upcoming API functionality for My CPD Records, this release introduces the My CPD Records > View Other Users' CPD Records (API Only) permission. Administrators can see the permission in Brightspace, however it is non-functional until the related API routes are launched, which is currently planned for the July 2025/20.25.07 release.
In this release, the Brightspace Editor is updated from TinyMCE version 7.2.1 to 7.7.0 for all production instances. This follows the April 2025/20.25.04 release, when the update was applied only to test-type instances. The update introduces no functional changes, and it includes TinyMCE defect fixes. We recommend that clients review their edited HTML course content within the Brightspace editor to ensure it functions as expected.

To view the change log for this release note landing page, go to Change History at the bottom of this page.

Awards – Replacement strings for award issuer on certificates | New

Administrators and instructors can now personalize certificates and certificate templates in the Awards tool using new replacement strings. The {IssuerFirstName} and {IssuerLastName} strings insert the first and last name of the user who manually issues a certificate to a learner.

These replacement strings only apply to certificates that are manually issued. In cases where a certificate using these replacement strings is conditionally released, the issuer name areas of the certificate appear blank.

Notes:

The replacement strings use preferred names if they are configured at the organization level.
If the issuer updates their name, the name that displays on the certificate reflects the current name setting at the time of issuance. Previously issued certificates do not update.
Depending on the certificate template, the inserted text may extend beyond the text box borders. Administrators and instructors may need to adjust the template layout to ensure issuer names appear correctly.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators who may need to adjust and edit certificate templates.
Slight impact to instructors who can now add replacement strings for the issuer names to certificates.
Slight impact to learners who can see issuer names on certificates.

Availability:

This feature is available to all Brightspace Core clients.

To enable:

This functionality is automatically enabled for all users.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Brightspace API – Bulk retrieval of grade values by user, org unit, or parent org unit | New

To improve data access efficiency and grade reporting workflows, developers can now retrieve grade values in bulk for an individual user, a specific org unit, or all course offerings under a parent org unit (for example, a semester).

This enhancement includes the addition of UserId and OrgUnitId to the Grade.GradeValue object when using the new bulk grade value APIs.

Previously, these fields were only present in select unstable API versions.

The API returns an ObjectListPage JSON structure containing computable grade values for all requested scenarios.

Endpoint Usage

Retrieve grade values for a user. Returns values across all courses the specified user is enrolled in.
GET /d2l/api/le/(version)/grades/values/(userId)
Query Parameters:
- modifiedSince – Filter values modified after a given UTC datetime. Defaults to 24 hours; maximum range is 1 year.
- pageSize – Defines the number of grade value records to include in the object list page response. Default and max: 200.
Retrieve grade values for a specific org unit. Returns values for all users enrolled in the given org unit.
GET /d2l/api/le/(version)/(orgUnitId)/grades/values/
Query Parameters:
- GradeObjectTypeId – Filter by grade object type (numeric, formula, final calculated, etc.). Defaults to all.
- modifiedSince – Filter values modified after a given UTC datetime. Defaults to 24 hours; maximum range is 1 year.
- pageSize – Defines the number of grade value records to include in the object list page response. Default and max: 200.
Retrieve grade values for descendant org units.
Returns values for users in all course offerings under a parent org unit (for example, a semester).
GET /d2l/api/le/(version)/(orgUnitId)/grades/values/descendants/
Query Parameters:
- courseStartDate, courseEndDate – Filter by course offering date range.
- includeInactiveCourses – Whether to include inactive offerings. Defaults to false.
- GradeObjectTypeId – Filter by grade object type (numeric, formula, final calculated, etc.). Defaults to all.
- modifiedSince – Filter values modified after a given UTC datetime. Defaults to 24 hours; maximum range is 1 year.
- pageSize – Defines the number of grade value records to include in the object list page response. Default and max: 200.

This feature implements the following PIE items:

D10240 (Retrieve all grade values for all students in a course offering)
D2071 (Retrieve all grade values for all students in a course offering)
D7548 (Retrieve grade values for categories in a course offering)
D8402 (Retrieve grade category points and weighted values for all students)
D9886 (Retrieve all grade values filtered by grade object type)

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to developers using Brightspace APIs to retrieve grade data efficiently.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients using the Brightspace Developer Platform. The enhancements apply to all clients and replace earlier incomplete API implementations.

To enable:

This feature is automatically enabled for all clients using the Brightspace Developer Platform.
To retrieve grade values for descendant org units, the calling user must have the Grades > Retrieve Grade Values for Course Offering Descendants (API Only) permission for the org unit.
To retrieve grade values for a specific org unit, the user must have the existing Grades > See user grade values (API Only) permission.
To retrieve grade values for a specific user, the caller must be enrolled in matching org units with the Grades > See user grade values (API Only) permission.

Course Completion Tracking – Copy Course Completion Tracking settings between courses | New

This feature is part of the Manager Dashboard and Learning Groups add-on solution that must be purchased separately.

This feature is already available to all clients who have Brightspace Core for Corporate and the Upskilling for EDU add-on package.

For more information, contact your D2L Client Sales Executive or Account Manager.

Administrators can now copy the Completion Tracking settings when duplicating courses using the Copy Course Bulk tool or while using the Copy Course Components tool with course offerings.

On the Copy Course Components page, users can access these settings and view current components by clicking the Show the current course components drop-down menu.

Copy Course Components page with Completion Tracking as an optional item to copy.

Figure: Copy the Completion Tracking settings in the Import/Export/Copy Components tool.

In the Copy Course Bulk tool, the Completion Tracking settings are included on the Copy Course Bulk tab.

Copy Course Bulk tab showing Completion Tracking.

Figure: Copy the Completion Tracking settings in the Copy Course Bulk tool.

Note: Because Course Completion Tracking is a course-offering-level tool, it does not appear when copied from a parent template. Templates do not include course-offering-level tools.

Previously, users could not copy the Completion Tracking settings.

This feature implements the following PIE items:

D11807 (Reset course status/progress on a per user and/or per module basis)
D6197 (Re-issue of completion certificate and reset of course progress for the same course offering)

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators who can now copy the Completion Tracking settings from an existing course offering.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients that have Course Completion Tracking enabled via the Manager Dashboard and Learning Groups add-on solution. Existing clients who have either Brightspace Core for Corporate or the Upskilling add-on solution have this feature automatically enabled for them. The solution must be purchased separately for clients without these packages.

To enable:

This feature is enabled automatically for clients running Manager Dashboard and Learning Groups.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Courses – New enhanced and accessible experience in production environments | New

The new Courses tool was made available in test and development environments of Brightspace as of the February 2025/20.25.02 release to prepare users for a future release of Courses to production environments. To support user transitions to the new Courses tool, the Course Management tool is still available in production environments as of the June 2025/20.25.06 release.

The new Courses tool is now available in production environments and offers a streamlined and accessible experience for creating, copying, and searching for courses and course templates. The new Courses tool uses a consistent layout and workflows that align with Classlist, Quizzes, and Users for faster course management.

Administrators can search for courses using modern filters, create courses by completing required fields such as Name and Code, and navigate directly to a course homepage or Course Admin page. This release also introduces updated configuration variables to ensure the Courses tool offers similar functionality to the legacy Course Management tool.

Previously, administrators relied on the Course Management tool, which offered limited search options and a less consistent experience.

This is the bullhorn icon used for warnings.

Important: The Course Management tool is scheduled to be removed in the February 2026/20.26.02 release. Refer to Updates to Course Management for more information.

An image of the legacy Course Management tool before the June release update.

Figure: The Course Management tool provides a legacy experience.

The Courses page with the Courses tab and Templates tab. A button is labeled as Create Course, and there is a list of courses.

Figure: The new Courses tool provides improved course and course template creation, enhances search, filtering, and adds support for bulk actions.

This feature implements the following Product Idea Exchange (PIE) items:

D892 (Create Course Offering should not load all templates)
D2237 (Course Management and Course Offering Information Start and End Dates should be consistent)
D2829 (Semester Order: Manually Creating Courses)
D2880 (Course Management Search functionality needs improvement)
D4108 (Expanded Search Options in Course Management)
D4221 (Provide option to list more than 10 courses at a time in the Admin>>Course Management page list)
D4342 (Redevelop Course Management)
D8156 (Alphabetize Create Course Offering Semester List)

Technical Details

Impact:

Moderate impact to administrators who have a new and enhanced experience when searching for, creating, and managing courses and course templates.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients.

To enable:

This functionality is automatically enabled for all users.
This functionality is dependent on existing Manage Courses permissions which apply to both the new Courses tool and the legacy Course Management tool.

Important: Before this release, Manage Courses permissions were used to control access the Course Management tool. With this release, Manage Courses role permissions also apply to the new Courses tool to transition users ahead of the planned removal of the legacy Course Management tool.

This feature updates and renames the following configuration variables introduced in the May 2025/20.25.05 release:
- d2l.Tools.Courses.RequireDepartment ( OrgUnit ) is updated to d2l.Tools.Courses.DepartmentOptions ( OrgUnit ) with the following options:
  - Displayed and not required: Department is displayed in the course creation process. A user has the option to select a department or not.
  - Displayed and required: Department is displayed in the course creation process. A user must select a department to create a new course.
  - Not displayed and not required: Department is not displayed or available. A user does not have to select a department to create a new course.
- d2l.Tools.Courses.RequireSemester ( OrgUnit ) is updated to d2l.Tools.Courses.SemesterOptions ( OrgUnit ) with the following options:
  - Displayed and not required: Semester is displayed in the course creation process. A user has the option to select a semester or not.
  - Displayed and required: Semester is displayed in the course creation process. A user must select a semester to create a new course.
  - Not displayed and not required: Semester is not displayed or available. A user does not have to select a semester to create a new course.
- d2l.Tools.Courses.EnableAutomaticTemplateCreation ( OrgUnit ): When ON, enables auto-template creation during course creation process. When OFF, auto-template creation is not available.

Groups – Bulk enroll and unenroll users by CSV file import | New

Instructors can now bulk enroll or unenroll learners in existing groups using a comma-separated values (CSV) file in the Groups tool. This feature adds a new Import button to the Manage Groups page and an Import option in the Category drop-down menu. Clicking Import opens a guided workflow with detailed instructions for correctly formatting the CSV file. Each line in the file must represent a single action: either enrolling or unenrolling a learner from a specific group in the course. Only learners currently enrolled in the course can be modified using a CSV file.

Once uploaded, the system validates the CSV file. If the file contains no errors, the enroll or unenroll actions are performed and once completed, the import results are displayed immediately. If there are any errors found in the file, the process stops and generates a list of errors found.

Cancelling the process does not reverse completed actions. Only one import process can run at a time.

Administrators can configure the CSV file format in the Form Elements tool using the new form element BulkGroupEnroll. The following form element properties are customizable:

Username
Org Defined Id
Group Name
Group Code

Either Username or Org Defined Id, and Group Name or Group Code, are required to ensure there is enough information to complete the enrollment or unenrollment action.

The new workflow is available to roles with the Groups and Sections Management > Create/Edit/Delete Groups and Categories permission enabled.

This feature implements the following PIE items:

D8710 (Group enrollment from a file)
D7963 (Improve Group enrollments for 100+ students)
D294 (Create Groups and/or enroll students in Groups using a CSV Spreadsheet)
D6790 (Enrolling students in groups)
D11671 (Allow instructor to bulk enroll students across ALL group categories at once)

Figure: The new Import option appears on the Manage Groups page and in the Category drop-down menu.

Import pageshows the CSV upload interface for enrolling users in groups

Figure: The new Import page includes instructions to create a CSV file for enrolling and unenrolling users.

The CSV file import process appears completed with no errors on the Importing page

Figure: After uploading a file, the Import page displays the process and checks for errors in the file.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators due to the permission change and option to customize the form element for CSV files used in Groups.
Slight impact to instructors due to the added functionality for managing group enrollments by CSV file import.

Availability:

This feature is available to all Brightspace Core clients.

To enable:

This functionality is dependent on the existing Groups and Section Management > Create/Edit/Delete Groups and Categories permission. Ensure the permission is assigned to any roles that require the ability to bulk enroll and unenroll learners in Groups.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing configuration variables.

Homepage Widget Expansion Pack – Language management and configuration updates to Multi-Profile widget | New

The Multi-Profile widget is part of the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on solution that must be purchased separately. For more information, contact your D2L Client Sales Executive or Account Manager.

The Multi-Profile widget is now migrated to the native Brightspace domain to improve performance and resolve an issue with image loading when third-party cookies are blocked. This update brings several enhancements, including updated configuration options, more detailed in-widget instructions, and improved error messaging, while maintaining feature parity with the previous version.

Language management

With this update, custom language terms for the Multi-Profile widget are now managed in the WebComponents Tool Package under the homepage-widget-expansion-pack collection. Previously, custom language terms for the Multi-Profile widget were managed in the Profiles Tool Package.

The Tool Package drop-down displays the WebComponents setting and the Collection drop-down displays the homepage-widget-expansion-pack setting

Figure: In the Language Management tool, set the Tool Package and Collection to customize language terms for the Multi-Profile widget.

Widget configuration

This update includes the following widget configuration changes:

Widget configuration settings now appear in the Configure this widget drop-down menu. Previously, configuration settings were accessed from the context menu inside the widget.
Configuration pages now appear as tabs within the configuration modal instead of items within the context menu.
The previous widget setup wizard is now replaced with the in-widget configuration modal that provides navigation between tabs. A new setup screen sends the user to the configuration modal upon initial launch.

The Widget Config screen shows the configuration option tabs

Figure: Configuration options display as tabs in the widget for easier navigation, replacing the previous setup wizard.

In-Widget Instructions

This release includes enhanced messaging and instructions within the widget to guide users more effectively through the following display settings:

If no roles are selected, there is new messaging on the Create Categories page and the Update User Settings page that prompts users to navigate to the Display Roles tab and select the roles to display. Previously, if no roles were selected, the tables on these pages were empty.

Figure: A detailed message directs users from the Add roles to categories page to the Display Roles tab.

On the new Customize Heading page, detailed messaging now clarifies that the custom title is set for the entire organization during the initial setup and can only be changed at the course level afterward.

Figure: A detailed message appears on the Customize Heading page.

Error Handling Enhancements

Unique error messages now appear in the widget for permission and configuration issues, providing important insight into the causes of errors.
Images in the widget now load as expected, regardless of browser cookie settings. Previously, images would not load on Brightspace sites with vanity URLs in browsers with third-party cookies blocked.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators due to the improved widget configuration processes and new language management location.
Slight impact to instructors who can observe the improved widget customization options and in-widget messages.
Slight impact to learners due to the visual enhancements and consistent image loading in the widget.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients who have purchased the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on package.

To enable:

This functionality is automatically enabled for all users.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Homepage Widget Expansion Pack – Layout improvement in the Slim Announcements widget | New

The Slim Announcements widget is part of the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on solution that must be purchased separately. For more information, contact your D2L Client Sales Executive or Account Manager.

The Slim Announcements widget layout now displays images above associated text instead of a side-by-side format. This change ensures that both the image and text excerpt expand to the full width of the widget.

Previously, the side-by-side layout could render the image too small and the text excerpt too narrow, especially on homepages with limited width. The updated format improves readability for all users.

The Slim Announcements widget appears in a before and after format, with the new format emphasized

Figure: The Slim Announcements widget displays the previous and updated formatting style for narrow layouts.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to all users who can observe the improved widget layout.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients who have purchased the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on package.

To enable:

This functionality is automatically enabled for all users.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Homepage Widget Expansion Pack – Username masking and sorting control in the Awards Leaderboard widget | New

The Awards Leaderboard widget is part of the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on solution that must be purchased separately. For more information, contact your D2L Client Sales Executive or Account Manager.

This release introduces key updates to the Awards Leaderboard widget that enhance user privacy and sorting capabilities. Administrators can now conditionally mask student names and profile images, with configuration options for both course and organization-wide settings. Administrators also now have site-wide control of sorting behavior in the widget.

Username Masking

A new configuration variable, d2l.Custom.LCSWidgets.AwardsLeaderboard.MaskUsernames masks the usernames and profile images of learners in the Awards Leaderboard widget across all instances of the widget within the organization. This configuration variable is OFF by default. Users with the new Awards Leaderboard > See Masked User Details permission can view user details even when the masking configuration variable is enabled. Regardless of configurations, learners always see their own name and profile image, even when masking is enabled for the organization.

The Awards Leaderboard > See Masked User Details permission is available at the course offering level only.

Awards leaderboard showing both masked and unmasked user details views

Figure: The Awards Leaderboard appears with both unmasked and masked student details.

Global Sorting Control

This release also adds a new way to control the sorting behavior of the Awards Leaderboard widget across all courses, providing more consistent and centralized sorting preferences. Previously, to control the sorting behavior of the widget, users could use the widget’s Customize this widget menu to set Sort by to either Credits or Number of Awards on a course-by-course basis.

The new org configuration variable, d2l.Custom.LCSWidgets.AwardsLeaderboard.ForceSortBy, allows administrators to override the Sort by settings at the course level for all instances of the Awards Leaderboard widget across the organization. This variable offers three options: Awards, Credits, and Not Set (the default). If Not Set is selected, the course-level sorting preferences remain unchanged. Setting either Awards or Credits overrides all course-level settings, and the Sort by option in the widget’s Customize this widget dialog becomes disabled.

The Customize widget dialog box shows the sort by options disabled

Figure: The Sort by options are disabled on the Customize Widget page when the configuration variable is set.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators who can configure the new configuration variables and permissions.
Slight impact to instructors who might view changes in the user details visibility and sorting options in the widget on their course homepages.
Slight impact to learners who can observe changes to the user details and sorting layout in the widget.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients who have purchased the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack add-on package.

To enable:

Viewing masked user details depends on the new role permission, Awards Leaderboard > See Masked User Details. Ensure the permission is assigned to any role that requires this functionality.
This functionality is dependent on the following new configuration variables:
- d2l.Custom.LCSWidgets.AwardsLeaderboard.MaskUsernames. This configuration variable is OFF by default.
- d2l.Custom.LCSWidgets.AwardsLeaderboard.ForceSortBy. This configuration variable has the default value Not Set.

Portfolio – WYSIWYG text editor for Portfolio Feedback | Updated

This update introduces a What You See Is What You Get (WYSIWYG) text editor for Portfolio feedback, to enhance instructor experience with rich text and media tools.

Previously, instructors could enter feedback only in a plain text field. The updated editor enables instructors to better communicate insights and recommendations by using formatting, multimedia, and linking features, which aligns with modern digital communication standards and improves learning outcomes.

With the updated editor, instructors can include rich text formatting (for example, bold, italic, underline) in Portfolio feedback.

They can also use the following options:

Insert Quicklink
Insert Image
Insert Stuff

Portfolio feedback panel with a plain text field.

Figure: The previous version of the Feedback editor did not include a WYSIWYG text editor.

Portfolio feedback panel with a WYSIWYG text editor .

Figure: The Feedback editor now includes the rich text editing and formatting options of the WYSIWYG text editor.

This feature implements the following PIE items:

D9582 (Add WYSIWYG editor for educator feedback in the Portfolio tool)
D5066 (Portfolio - attached feedback files)

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to instructors due to the ability to add rich text and media elements to their feedback.
Slight impact to learners who can now get clearer, better structured, and more impactful feedback on the submitted evidence.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients.

To enable:

This feature is enabled automatically.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Quizzes – IPv6 support for IP Restrictions | New

IPv6 addresses can now be used as IP restrictions in Quizzes, improving access for institutions and learners on IPv6-only networks.

Instructors can now restrict quiz access based on either IPv4 or IPv6 address ranges. This provides more flexibility and better network compatibility when securing quizzes.

IP Restrictions dialog with IP range fields and Add or Cancel buttons.

Figure: Navigate to the Availability Dates & Conditions section when creating or editing a quiz, and click Manage Restrictions to add IPv6 IP addresses in the IP Range Start and IP Range End fields.

For additional guidance, click the ? (question mark) icon next to IP Restrictions.

Information dialog explaining how to enter valid IP ranges for quiz access.

Figure: Clicking the ? (question mark) icon opens the Information: IP Restrictions dialog.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators and instructors who can now enter both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses within the IP Restrictions dialog.

Availability:

This feature is available to all clients.

To enable:

This feature is enabled automatically.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Student Success System – Preparedness domain EOL | Removed

Student Success System is part of the Performance+ package. For more information, contact your D2L Client Sales Executive or Account Manager.

The Preparedness domain was a beta feature introduced with the initial release of the Student Success System (S3) in 2012. The Preparedness domain allowed organizations to import user data from their Student Information System (SIS), including admission scores, overall performance, and demographics. Administrators could incorporate this data in their model generation and predictions, and instructors could see each learner's predicted success level in the Preparedness domain on their Learner Dashboard.

We determined that the Preparedness domain was not suitable to include in predictive models and disabled the SIS import process. However, some organizations that participated in the original beta program still have it configured.

With this release, the Preparedness domain is fully removed. Organizations that were in the original beta program no longer have access to the Student Success System > See Student SIS Data permission and can no longer see Preparedness on Learner Dashboards.

Technical Details

Impact:

Slight impact to administrators and instructors due to the removal of a beta feature.

Availability:

This feature is removed for all Performance+ package users.

To enable:

This functionality is automatically removed for all Performance+ users.
This functionality is not dependent on any new or existing permissions or configuration variables.

Change History

15-May-2025 Preview Release Notes published.