Creating Course Content in Brightspace

Similar to your macrolevel organization (course-wide structure) the microlevel organization (the modules and their content and activities) of your course should have a logical, consistent and uncluttered layout. The following guide provides you with the steps to create a module and its content, import or copy materials.

Similar to your macrolevel organization (course-wide structure) the microlevel organization (the modules and their content and activities) of your course should have a logical, consistent and uncluttered layout. Within your course, modules can be organized chronologically (e.g., “Week 1”, “Module 1”), by unit (e.g., “Atomic Mass”) or by theme (e.g., “Sound”). A module must be created before you can begin creating content (“topics”) or adding in Brightspace. Submodules can also be created to further categorize content. 

On this page:

Accessibility Considerations While Creating Content

As you begin working with content in Brightspace, keep in mind that these items must comply with accessibility and inclusion requirements. To learn more about how this can be accomplished, please visit the SUNY OSCQR Standards pages Content & Activities  and Design & Layout

Brightspace also utilizes Anthology Ally to review all digital content added to a course and provides a meter gauge as an indicator. As the instructor of a course, you should review these indicators to learn more about whether your content needs to be improved for accessibility concerns.

Please note: the meter indicators are not visible to students, however, students will be able to select a more preferable option for how to access content by selecting the arrow next to the course item in question. Visit Brightspace's guide on improving the accessibility of course content using Anthology Ally

Create Course Content

A well-designed module informs the students of the learning outcomes, breaks the content into manageable chunks, identifies what activities students need to complete and the deadlines by which to finish them. You can apply motivational strategies to your module design and activities that keep students engaged throughout your course. Likewise, instructor presence is an important component of online course design and should be considered during your course development, regardless of whether your class meets in-person or not. Brightspace has automated communication tools you can employ to bring efficiency to your online presence.

When creating content in Brightspace, link topics to the course schedule, by adding the dates and times to the content you build. This step further organizes your course and helps students know when content is or will become available.

Creating a Module

  1. On the navbar, click Content.
  2. In the Table of Contents panel, click in the Add a module field, enter the name of your new module and then press Enter.

To add a sub-module, navigate to a module,  click the Add a sub-module field in the content column on the right (you may need to scroll down the page), enter the name of your new sub-module and then press Enter

Creating a Topic

Caution when naming web pages (created using Creat a FIle)

When using  Upload/Create > Add a File, Brightspace creates a web page and stores it in the Manage Files area of the course.

Due to the way that Brightspace stores web pages in Manage Files, instructors must refrain from using names for web pages. Naming a new web page with an existing name, even in a different module, will overwrite the older version of the web page.

For example, instead of creating a web page in each module called Readings, name them Reading 1, Readings 2, etc.

  1. On the navbar, click Content.
  2. In the Table of Contents panel, click on the module in which you want to create a new topic.
  3. Select Upload/Create. From the drop-down menu, do one of the following:
    • To add existing files from your computer, click Upload Files.
    • To add a video or audio topic, click Video or Audio.
    • To add a new file (web page), click Create a File.
    • To add a link, click Create a Link.
      • Note: It is recommended that all links open as an external resource to prevent unexpected security conflicts. 
    • To add existing files from Manage Files, click Add from Manage Files.
    • To add a new checklist, click New Checklist.
    • To add a new discussion topic, click New Discussion.
    • To add a new assignment, click New Assignment.
    • To add a new quiz, click New Quiz.
  4. Follow the prompts on the screen to modify your new topic. 

Viewing Content as a Student

Instructors can use the View as Student feature to see if content in visible or hidden. Use the Preview features in the Quizzes and Assignments tools to submit sample assessments.

  • To enter View as Student, click your name in the upper-right corner and select View as Student.
  • To exit View as Student, click your name in the upper-right corner and then click the X icon.

Additional Content and Organization Resources