The table below provides key terms used throughout D2L Brightspace with the matching definition. If the terminology you are looking for is not in the table below, please check the glossary created by D2L Brightspace within the Brightspace Community for additional definitions.
| Brightspace Terminology | Description | cuLearn Equivalent (if any) |
| Add Participants | Located within Classlist, Add participants is used to enrol users in the course. Visit Enrolling Users to a Course . |
Enrol users |
| Assignment | Creates a link where learners can upload, link, or type submissions. Visit Creating Assignments. |
Assignment |
| Class Progress | A visual dashboard to track student’s individual progress and class progress toward course goals and assessments. Visit Viewing Class Progress. | N/A |
| Classlist | Classlist provides an overview of all the users enrolled in the course. Classlist can be used to email users, to add new users (such as TAs), and to set course level accommodations. | Participants |
| Content Module | Weekly or thematically created modules to place content in. Content modules appear in the Table of Contents area of the course. Visit Adding Modules and Submodules. | Topic Blocks |
| Content Sub-module | Submodules organize content within Modules. Visit Adding Modules and Submodules. | N/A |
| Content Topic | Content topics refer to any content and activities (i.e. assignments, files, webpages, videos, etc.) placed within the modules and submodules. | Add a Resource/Activity |
| Context Menu | Accessed by the downward facing chevron content items in the course, the Context Menu gives access to more settings for the particular content item. | Similar to: Edit > Edit Settings |
| Course Shell | The official course site/on-line classroom where students, instructors and TAs collaborate for shared learning. Course shells are created by ITS and students/instructors are added via Banner registration. | Course Shell |
| Course Template | A file that can imported into a course to automatically setup specific course elements, such as modules, discussion forums, quizzes. Visit Course Setup. | Course Template |
| Create a File | A content building option available under the Upload/Create button in Brightspace modules/submodules; Used to build course web (HTML) pages. Create a file creates a link to a new page in the course where content items, such as images, videos, text, and templates can be added. Visit Adding Files | Add a resource > Page |
| Discussion Thread | Threads are the name for posts made to a Discussion Forum. Visit Creating Discussion Forums. | Discussion Post |
| Discussion/Discussion Topic | Activity used for asynchronous, text-based communications within a course. A discussion board where class topics are created and discussed. Visit Creating Discussion Forums. | Add an Activity > Forum |
| External Learning Tools | Creates a link to third party integrations such as ARES, Mediaspace, Zoom, Poll Everywhere, and BigBlueButton. External Learning Tools is accessed via the Add Existing Content button in a module/submodule. Visit Adding Existing Activities to Modules. | Similar to: Add Activity> External Tool |
| Forum | A heading or category to organize Discussions. Discussions must always be created in a Forum. Visit Creating Discussion Forums. | N/A (cuLearn didn’t have a higher level category for Forums) |
| Grades | The Grades tool allows instructors and TAs to enter and manage grades in courses. When entering the Grades tool, the default view will be the Manage Grades page – the page for setting up and administering grades. Visit Setting Up Grades. | Grader Report |
| Groups | Used to divide a class into smaller clusters of students. Students can belong to multiple groups within a course and can see all the same content that other learners in the course can see. Each group can be setup with its own discussion forum, assignments, and group lockers to share work. Groups can be graded as a team or individually. Visit Creating Groups and Group Lockers |
Groups |
| HTML Editor | A tool used to create course content pages in Brightspace. The HTML editor builds course web pages with formatting features such as text, headings, bullets, images, file uploads, links and templates. The HTML editor is found throughout the Brightspace. Visit Using the HTML Editor. | Atto Editor/TinyMCE Editor |
| HTML Template | Pre-structured page design or set of design elements that can be added via Create a File in the Upload/Create menu. HTML templates allow users to add unique elements such as tabs, accordions, custom layouts, and call out boxes. Visit Using HTML Templates | N/A |
| Learner | A role assigned to students in a course. Learner is the default role of all students in a course. The Learner is able to view all content and to participate in course activities. Visit Roles and Permissions. | Student |
| Groups Locker | A shared storage space for uploading and distributing files between group members within the same group; Any member of the group can edit/modify the files. Visit Set up a Group Locker | N/A |
| Manage Dates | A tool to view, bulk edit, and bulk offset the date availability and calendar status of all content topics and modules in a course. Visit Bulk edit dates in Manage Dates. | N/A |
| Quiz | A graded assessment tool for testing. Quizzes feature a range of automatically and manually graded question types. Quiz questions are first set-up in the Question Library and then pulled into the quiz too. Visit Using the Question Library and Creating Quizzes. | Quiz |
| Quiz: Question Library | A repository for storing and managing quiz or survey questions in Brightspace. Questions that are stored in the Question Library can be easily imported into a Brightspace quiz or survey. Visit Using the Question Library. | Quiz: Question Bank |
| Question Library: Section | An organizing feature of the Question Library that creates categories of questions. Sections in the Question Library might be setup to group questions of related content or of related difficulty. | Quiz: Category |
| Question Library: Pool | Question pools allow you to create quizzes with randomized questions. Question pools can be used to give students unique sets of questions during an online test. | No direct term; roughly corresponds to Quiz: Subcategories |
| Release Conditions | Allows content to be made available based on specific parameters. For example, instructors can set release conditions to grant access based on grades, group, date, and completion of other course components. Visit Creating Release Conditions. | Restrictions |
| Rubrics | Rubrics are grading grids that use rows of grading criteria broken into achievement levels/columns. Rubrics can be built separately in the Course Admin panel and then attached to activities, or a rubric can be created within the assessment directly.
Visit Creating Rubrics. |
Rubrics |
| Sandbox | A course development space where users can setup content, and test course activities, assessments, design and layout. | Sandbox/Dev Course |
| Self-enrollment Group Tool | Self-enrollment group allows students to enroll into groups in a course by clicking on Choose Group. Visit Set up self-enrollment in groups and Enrollment Type Options | Group self-selection activity |
| Self Assessments | An ungraded quizzing tool that can be used for formative assessment and content reviews. Visit Creating Self Assessments | Similar to the Quiz tool (when used in the ungraded form) |
| Special Access | Allows user overrides and student accommodations, such as extra time on tests or extra attempts. Special access can be granted at the quiz level or at the class level which cascades to all quizzes in the course.
Visit Special Access in Quizzes (Quiz Overrides). See also Grant Quiz Accommodations from the Classlist. |
User Overrides |
| Survey | A non-graded feedback tool which allows instructors to gather anonymous and non-anonymous feedback from students. Surveys might be used to do midterm feedback or to gather student responses on a topic. Visit Set up a Survey. | Feedback |
| View as Learner | Allows user to change their role in the course temporarily to see the course from another role’s perspective.
To view as learner, click your name in the mini navbar. Beside View as instructor, click Change. Click on Learner. |
Switch role to Student |
| Widget | Widgets appear on homepages and are sections of content that provide information and links to tools, courses, and personal settings. Common widgets on the homepage include the Visual Table of Contents, Announcements widget, and Help widget. Instructors can customize which widgets appear on their homepage. Visit Changing Your Course Banner and Customizing Your Homepage. | N/A |
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