We all have our preferences when it comes to communicating our expectations to students. At a minimum, designing a clear and detailed syllabus that includes weekly topics, assignments, and key due dates provides students with a roadmap for the course. However, Brightspace enables multiple communication strategies and with a few minor adjustments to learning materials, as well as strategically timed announcements and outreach, instructors can create multiple means for students to understand course expectations. By using a few of the following tools and functions, you can remind students of important deadlines and facilitate a student experience that mitigates some of the challenges they may face when juggling personal and academic responsibilities. Some of these strategies can be set up prior to the start of the course and timed for future release to students. Such automation can lighten the workload for instructors during a busy semester.
Due Dates for Learning Materials
Setting a due date for the learning materials in your course is a great way to ensure students know when they should access particular content and submit work. In addition, when you attach a due date to many of the items in your Brightspace course, it will populate in the student’s Work To Do widget on the course home page, offering an immediate visual cue for what work they should prioritize.
Student view of a course home page.
Notice the quiz, survey, and assignment listed with due dates. Students can click on each item to be immediately directed to that learning material.
You can attach due dates to the following items in Brightspace:
- Assignments
- Checklists
- Content
- Discussions
- Surveys
- Quizzes
As an example, you can set the due date for a unit of content by clicking Options, then Edit.
Find the Add Due Date option below the Name of the content.
In an assignment, the Due Date options are next to the Grade out of options. Consider setting a time that will encourage healthy habits among students. By setting a time that is earlier in the evenin, you can discourage late night, last minute scrambling to finish work.
Look ahead to a future blog post on How to send reminders with targeted emails and automated Announcements
For more about Brightspace, creating content, and more, see our useful guides:
- Getting Started with Brightspace Guide
- Assignments in Brightspace Guide
- Discussions in Brightspace Guide
- Quizzes in Brightspace Guide
We are happy to support you through individual consultations to help you throughout the semester, so please contact your department liaison for all of your educational technology needs.