To facilitate student learning, instructors must consider many factors during their course design process. In addition to discipline specific pedagogy, the modality of the learning environment, the makeup of the student cohort, and their institutional context, instructors must design their learning materials with the student experience in mind. Whether teaching online or in-person, the quality of an instructor’s course in the Learning Management System, in our case Brightspace, can go a long way to communicate clear expectations for the course and empower student learning.
One’s Brightspace course can often get quite crowded by the end of a semester, as faculty provide more learning materials, assignments, and instructions. One way to prevent student confusion and guide them through an intentional learning path is through the use of Release Conditions to restrict materials for particular groups and sections of students and to hide materials until students need to interact with them. For some example uses of Release Conditions, view our How to Use Release Conditions in Brightspace video. You can see Faculty Examples of Release Condition Use as well as other recommended uses for Release Conditions in our Release condition guide.
Looking for other ways to empower students to succeed in your course? View our Due Dates in Brightspace and Clear Communication in Brightspace posts for more ideas and strategies. The Arts & Science Office of Teaching Excellence and Innovation are always looking to partner with faculty as they design and refine their courses or look for educational technology that could support the learning goals they have set for students. Use the Liaison Finder to find your department’s educational technology specialist to set up a consultation.