Blackboard to Brightspace: Comparing Features and Tools

Many of the features in Blackboard are available in Brightspace. This chart provides a comprehensive list of what features under Blackboard crossover into Brightspace. 

In Blackboard In Brightspace
Achievements  Awards 
Activity Stream  Update Alerts 
Adaptive Release  Release Conditions
Content Collection  Manage Files 
Content Folder (inside a Content Area)  Content Sub-Module (inside a Content Module) 
Content Item (inside a Content Area or Folder)  Content Topic (inside a Content Module or Sub-Module) 
Content Menu Navbar 
Course Content Area Table of Contents, Contents tab on Navbar, Modules and Sub-Modules 
Date Management  Manage Dates 
Due Dates   Due Dates (within assessments) 
Discussion Board
  • Discussions 
  • Discussion Forum (Category – no posts can be made at this level). Forums are not gradable – only the topics within the forums are gradable. This does not exist in Blackboard. The use of forums is meant to help organize categories for discussion and then broken down into topics. 
Discussion Forum  Discussion Topic (within a forum) is the equivalent. This is normally where the “question” or “gradable” component lives as the topic is associated with a grade item. 
Discussion Thread (within a forum)  Discussion thread (within a topic) where your participants can post and reply 
Student Preview  View as Student (Change role) 
Email Email Tool, Email from Classlist  
Enrollment Add Participants in Classlist 
Global Notifications Notifications
Grades (global)  Quick Eval 
Grade User Attempt  Evaluate Submission 
Grade Center Grades Tool 
Inline Grading   Brightspace Assignment Grader
Institutional Homepage UB Learns Landing Page  
Journals 

Private Discussions 

 

Please Note: No journal tool is available. Use discussions with single user groups. 
Learning Modules  Module and Sub-Modules 
Messages  Instant Messages 
Modules  Widgets on Course Homepages 
Questions Pools  Question Library 
Random Bock of Questions Random Selection 
Retention Center/Reports  Class Progress 
SafeAssign Turnitin 
Sign up list Self-Enrollment Setting for Groups
Tests 
 Quizzes 
Test Availability Exceptions 
 Special Access 
To Do (module on dashboard) Course Schedule and Work to do Widget 
Tools (global) 
 Tools (link on UB Learns Homepage)
Ultra Base Navigation Menu 
 Lower Navbar 
Users   Classlist 
Return to Getting Started with Brightspace