When creating written response questions, instructors can allow students to upload files in their answers and include embedded images. Students can also record audio or video responses when answering written response question types. This feature is very useful for questions that require handwritten work, calculations, or responses that would be difficult for students to type in a timely fashion.
Author: etdmadiya
Drawing on a PowerPoint Presentation
Microsoft PowerPoint has built in functionality for drawing on, marking up, or annotating slideshows. This can be beneficial when delivering lectures both in person and virtually as it adds an extra layer of interaction to the experience.
Drawing on PowerPoint [PDF]
Setting up Group Categories
Setting up Group Categories is the first step towards creating groups of students in Brightspace that can be used for group projects, discussions and more. The following document will go over the steps to set up Group Categories
Making the Groups Tool Accessible
The groups tool within Brightspace is very useful for both discussions and group assignments. It is also commonly used as a ‘sign-up’ sheet or as a way to allow students to form working groups. Making the group tool accessible to students is as critical a step as setting up the groups.
Allowing Special Access for Quizzes
Special access can be added to an existing Quiz or Assignment, providing different access conditions for a variety of reasons. Special access is commonly used for students who either missed a quiz (and are being provided a chance to take it after the due date has passed) or have been granted accommodations for time extensions. Brightspace allows the option to add one-time accommodations on individual quizzes or course wide accommodations that are automatically applied via the classlist to each quiz the student(s) write.
Setting Quiz Restrictions
Once a quiz has been created and the questions have been imported from the question library (the first of three major components of quiz creation and setup), the next important step is to set the Quiz Restrictions. The instructions below outline the steps to set the start and end time, due date, and time limit.
Customizing a Quiz
Once quiz questions have been created in the question library, as outlined in “Building Questions in the Question Library”, a quiz can be customized. Follow the steps below to create a new quiz or to edit a placeholder quiz created through ETD’s course template.
Customizing a Quiz [PDF]
Building Questions Within the Question Library
When creating a quiz from scratch for use in Brightspace, it is always recommended to first build the questions in the question library. This provides the flexibility to easily utilize the questions randomly in the quiz, in other quizzes, self-assessments, or surveys.
Best Practice for Organizing Course Files
As many have learned through experience, good organizational habits are key in keeping online courses running smoothly. To assist with course file organization, each Brightspace course comes equipped with the Manage Files tool. This tool stores all files within the course and gives a useful overview of these files. The following document will outline the best practice for using Manage Files.
Weighted vs. Points Grading and Grade Categories
The most common issue instructors have with the Brightspace gradebook is the system’s default settings. The fact that the gradebook defaults to a Points system rather than a Weighted system has caused a number of issues. We strongly advise instructors to change this setting before setting up the gradebook items. There are very few marking schemes that lend themselves well to a points-based system, it is very likely instructors will need to change the settings in the gradebook to reflect a Weighted system.