Design in Brightspace

Customizing Your Course

In the Visual TOC on Course Home, each module has an image either from the Course Banner or, if the module's description field has an image, from the description. By adding an image to the module's description, you can customize the images in the Visual TOC.

Finding Appropriate Images

To add an image to a Module's Description, you will need to find and download your own images and then upload them to the description (there aren't any images built into Brightspace to choose from). Be sure you have the appropriate permissions to use any images before adding them to your course. 

Here are a few website that have copyright free images you can download: pexels.com, freepik.com, pixabay.com. 

Recommendations

When choosing images, here are some things to look for:

  • Images that match your course/module content
  • Images with uncomplicated visuals; avoid images with text
  • Images with content in the top left corner because the Visual TOC will only show the top left portion of larger images (The recommended size for module images is 768 pixels x 400 pixels. If your image has different dimensions it will display fully in the module, but be cropped in the visual table of contents)

Adding an Image to a Module's Description To Customize the Visual TOC Image

  1. Before starting, download the image you'd like to use to your computer
  2. In your course in Brightspace, in the Navbar, click Content
  3. On the left, select the module you'd like to add an image for
  4. With the module selected, near the top center, click Add a description... (or click to edit the existing description)
  5. In the description editor, click Insert Image 
  6. Select My Computer 
  7. Select Upload, select the image you download to your computer and select Open
    Tip: The recommended size for module images is 768 pixels x 400 pixels. If your image has different dimensions it will display fully in the module, but be cropped in the visual table of contents.
  8. Select Add
  9. Fill in the alternative text (e.g., image of multiple devices) and if the image is decorative, check the box for ☑︎ This image is decorative 
  10. Select Ok
  11. Select Update under the Module Description 
  12. To see how the image looks in the Visual TOC, near the top left click Course Home and scroll down to see the images on the modules in the Visual TOC

To add a link to your course navbar, follow these steps:

  1. Hover over your course's navbar and select the three dots that appear at the end of the bar
    Image of three dots that appear when hovering over the navbar
  2. Select Customize This Navbar (or Edit This Navbar)
    Image of the option labeled "Customize this Navbar"
  3. If you are using the default navbar for all Stony Brook courses, you will be prompted to create a copy of the navbar.  Select "Yes I'll work with a copy of the navbar".
    Image of the option labeled "Yes! I'll work with a copy of the navbar"
  4. You will then be directed to edit the copy of the navbar you created.  To add a new link to your navbar, select "Add Links".
    Image of all navbar links with the option "add links" highlighted
  5. Select the link you would like to add and select "Add"
    Image of the groups link being added to the navbar
  6. To change the order of your links, hover your mouse over the link you wish to move and drag and drop it in your desired location. 
    Image of mouse hovering over a link to be moved
  7. Select "Save and Close"
    Image of the save and close button