The Content tool provides a general course snapshot and a way to keep track of important elements from your course content.
You can access the content tool once you have clicked on the content area on the navbar or one of the content area widgets on the course homepage. The Content tool contains an overview, bookmarks, a course schedule, and a table of contents. These four course Content tools are located on your course content page.
The overview is the first page students will see when they first open the Content tool to a course. Utilize this page to introduce students to the course by providing a brief description in the HTML editor. The overview is a great place to add your course syllabus. However, the course overview is not visible for students on the Pulse app, so it is recommended you create a course orientation module in your course to ensure all students have access to the syllabus.
Please note: If you decide to leave the Overview page empty, students will not see it.
Consider encouraging students to use Bookmarks to return to important or favorite content easily and quickly. All Bookmarked items populate in the Bookmarks section on the content page. The number beside the Bookmarks link indicates how many Bookmarks you have for that course.
Please note: All Bookmarks are personalized and will not appear for others to view.
Use the couse schedule to help yourself and your students improve planning and organization. All items with a date of availability or due date such as assignments, quizzes and topics will populate in the course schedule. Adding dates to your course content and syllabus are important to help students with executive functioning skills such as planning and organization (OSCQR standard 2).
In addition to assignments, quizzes and topics, any events added to the calendar and activities you post as part of your class assignments can be accessed from the course schedule.
Note: Tthe only way to add to the course schedule is by directly adding availability dates or due dates to a course object such as an assignment or quiz. Anything added to the course calendar, such as office hours, will also populate in the Course Schedule. You cannot add dates directly into the Course Schedule.
Once the dates have been added to the content topic, it will be added to the Course Schedule using the Full Schedule view.
Note: Only items with due date will add a number to the course schedule indicating an upcoming event.
Activities that are available and need to be submitted by a specific date should also have an associated due date. Accessible activities include assignments, graded discussions, and quizzes. Using the due date function can be used to prompt additional features including the Course Schedule and other elements discussed elsewhere (see Intelligent Agents, Release Conditions). To add a due date to an activity:
Note: Discussion topics have a checkbox to add to the calendar. Select the checkbox so that the item will be added to both the calendar and course schedule.
The Table of Contents panel lists all the modules within your course and provides easy navigation to modules, submodules, and topics. It is located on the left side of the content page. Use the Table of Contents to quickly view, rearrange, or add new modules and submodules. Clicking on a listed module allows you to manage its contents with ease to the right of the Table of Contents panel.
The number appearing to the right of the Table of Contents indicates the number of topics within the course. The number listed next to a module or submodule indicates the number of topics within it. Utilize the numbers to the right of the Table of Contents, each module, and sub-module to evaluate student course load.
You also have the option to create a submodule or topic by dragging content you created on your computer into the Table of Contents.
You can find more information on how to create modules in Brightspace on the Creating Course Content and Materials webpage and how to design your Brightspace course here.
It is important to keep in mind that Ally Course Report, an integrated accessibility checker, may not provide an accessibility score for attached materials.