Building a course in Brightspace
If you are building your course from scratch in Brightspace, our Teaching with Brightspace resource is the place to start. It is a centralized hub which includes topics such as; how to create course content (including activities and assessments), the new Classic/New Content experience, communicating with learners, online exams and grading.
Frequently asked questions
- How do Brightspace course sites get created and populated?
- How do instructors get access?
- How do I add Teaching Assistants?
- How do I add waitlisted/auditing learners?
- How do I copy content from one course to another?
- Do I need to open (activate) my course?
- What tools can I use to communicate?
- How do I schedule and add a Zoom meeting?
- How can I record and share my classes with learners?
When and how do Brightspace course sites get created and populated with learners?
Brightspace credit (CRN) course sites are created automatically (mid-May for the fall and spring terms, mid-February for the summer session). Once enrolment is open, Brightspace credit courses will automatically update with registered learners. Please see How do I get a Brightspace course? for more information.
If you are teaching two or more courses that share the same content, consider cross-listing (combining) them prior to the first day of class. More cross-listing information is available.
How do instructors get access to courses in Brightspace?
Instructors are added to Brightspace credit (CRN) courses once they are listed as the Instructor of Record in Banner by their department. If your teaching appointment has not been processed yet but your department has confirmed it, email us the confirmation and we will assist as soon as we can.
How do I add Teaching Assistants (TAs) to my course in Brightspace?
Instructors can add Teaching Assistants (TAs) with valid NetLink IDs through the Brightspace Classlist tool and assign them one of two roles: Teaching Assistant or Super Teaching Assistant.
How do I add waitlisted and/or auditing learners to my Brightspace course?
Instructors can admit waitlisted and/or auditing learners to their Brightspace course through the Instructor Services Tool. Waitlisted and/or auditing learners will be added automatically once the system processes the changes.
How do I copy content from one course site to another in Brightspace?
Do I need to open (activate) my Brightspace course for learners?
What tools can I use to communicate with my learners?
- Brightspace
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Teams
- Messages (one-on-one or group)
- Channels (open to the class or private)
- Video calls
- Zoom
How do I schedule and add a Zoom meeting to Brightspace?
We recommend that instructors manage, and encourage learners to attend, class Zoom meetings through Brightspace, as this will ensure that everyone has logged in with their UVic credentials.
If you would like to schedule a Zoom meeting outside of Brightspace (e.g., through Microsoft Outlook, your web browser), please see the University Systems Zoom help videos below.
Please note that you can sign into the Zoom desktop application using the Single Sign-On (SSO) option and your UVic credentials rather than inputting your email and password when prompted to sign in.
