Division of Information Technology

Brightspace

D2L Brightspace has been selected as the new digital learning environment (DLE) for all SUNY schools.  

With Brightspace, you’ll be able to add content like before but also gauge student progress and learning with several Brightspace tools.

Register for SUNY Brightspace Training DoIT's Brightspace Highlights

Brightspace Timeline

Summer 2022

Use Blackboard

Register for SUNY Training

Fall 2022

Use Brightspace or Blackboard

  • Faculty choose whether to use Brightspace or Blackboard
    Provost's office will send additional information
  • Students enrolled in your course will be put in both your Blackboard course shell and Brightspace course shell. Faculty will choose whether they would like to use Blackboard or Brightspace. An announcement will be posted letting the students know which platform is being used. You can not use both, since this will cause confusion for the students.

Spring 2023

Most Classes use Brightspace

  • Faculty use Brightspace by Spring 2023
  • Blackboard will remain available through December 2023

How do I prepare my course for fall 2022?

There are several steps you can take now to prepare your Blackboard courses for the upcoming migration to Brightspace:

1. Delete any content in your Blackboard course that you do not need to move over.

2. Remove any references to Blackboard in your content.

3. Check all links and fix any that are broken.

4. Delete any unused grade columns.

5. Wikis, Blogs and Journals do not migrate. Please copy any content you may need into a document (Word, Google Docs, etc.) then delete them from Blackboard.

*Content adapted from SUNY Broome.

Resources

Faculty Training Options

There are several ways for you to learn Brightspace, including live hands-on training, demonstrations and recorded training:

  • SUNY Training Provided Training
  • DoIT Provided Training
  • Brightspace Provided Training
View Training Options

Brightspace Community

Join the Brightspace Community* to get help and suggestions from other Brightspace users, and then search topics, suggest ideas, and register for Brightspace-provided guided training.

*The Brightspace Community does not use NetID, so you need to set up your account/password for access

Launch Brightspace Community

Learn More

SUNY Project Site

The key question on everyone’s mind is timing—for training, for planning, for when the transition to SUNY’s new digital learning environment starts on your campus. It is the selection of your campus cohort that drives the timeline for your institution. Each cohort undergoes a three-phase process expected to take between 11-13 months.

Visit the SUNY DLE Project Site

Fireside Chat

SUNY offers weekly online Brightspace Fireside chat sessions, an informal opportunity to learn about and discuss the benefits and features of the Brightspace learning environment. Sign into your SUNY account to register. 

View Fireside Chat Recordings

FAQs

 Have a question? Let us know!

3rd Party Tools

How will integrations (e.g., McGraw-Hill and other publishers) work in Brightspace?
How will Scantrons work in Brightspace?

Access

How do I make my Brightspace Course available or unavailable to students?
How do I view my Brightspace Course in student view?

Adding Content to a Brightspace Course

Can I merge two courses (or sections) into one course in Brightspace?
Can I use course copy in Brightspace to copy one course into another?

Communication Tools

Why can't I send email or chat through Brightspace?
Will non-courses be able to use Brightspace (e.g., like Blackboard Communities/orgs)?

Content from Blackboard

Can I access Blackboard courses/content after I move to Brightspace?
I need a different course from Blackboard moved into Brightspace. Can I do that?
Will what were Blackboard Communities and Orgs be available in Brightspace? How do I request my Community/Org be moved?

Gradable Acitivites

What question types can I use for quizzes in Brightspace?

Grading

Can I export/import grades from Brightspace to work on them offline (in Excel)?
Can I grade assignments in Brightspace with inline annotations?
Can I grade Brightspace content on a tablet (e.g., with a stylus?)
Can I grade merged sections of a course in Brightspace by section (like Smart Views in Blackboard)?
How do I use grade schemes in Brightspace?

Working with Users/Groups

How do I add users to my Brightspace Course (and who can I add)?

Training

Where can I get training for Brightspace (D2L)?

Additional Information

Files & Links

Adding Brightspace Course to BB Course List

Getting Help

The Division of Information Technology provides support on all of our services. If you require assistance please submit a support ticket through the IT Service Management system.

Submit A Quick Ticket

Please Contact

SBU Brightspace Pilot support team

Brightspace Support via SUNY Helpdesk