D2L Brightspace is a cloud-based, learning management system. One of the many excellent features of Brightspace is that it updates near the start of each month with new features and improvements. Updates occur automatically with no system downtime.
The monthly update process is called Continuous Delivery. Regular software updates allow for new features, settings, and configurations to be applied to Brightspace without any system outage.
Updates help ensure that any needed security patches are applied and new features are available to the campus. Carleton is on the Wave 3 update schedule. Visit the D2L 2024 Wave Schedule to see when Carleton’s next update will be. Significant changes to Carleton’s instance of Brightspace are also announced monthly via the TLS Newsletter. Subscribe to receive monthly updates.
NOTE: In addition to the Continuous Release notes, D2L Brightspace provides a Known Issues List to share problems found in the learning management system. Known issues are problems that have been identified by Brightspace users and confirmed by D2L product staff. In many cases, these issues are the basis of future product developments.
Brightspace Quarterly Updates: Winter 2025 Updates
On December 23, 2024, we will be introducing a few enhancements to Brightspace to support inclusive teaching practices and streamline your workflow:
Pronoun Sync: Students’ pronouns from Carleton Central will now sync directly with Brightspace. If students would like their instructors to see them, they will have to turn them on in Brightspace.
Demo Learners: Instructors will be able to impersonate three demo learners to test course content and activities in their Sandboxes—no requests required! Would you like them enrolled in your courses as well? Request your demo learner to be enrolled into your course.
Semester Name Change: Semester tabs in Brightspace will now match Carleton Central term codes (e.g., Winter 2025 will now be 2025.10 Winter), ensuring logical order with the most recent terms first.
Grade Import Validation Tool: Say goodbye to vague errors! This new tool highlights specific issues in your grade imports, making fixes faster and easier.
Restore Groups and Categories: A new Recycle Bin option is available in the Groups tool, enabling instructors to restore individual groups or entire categories. When you restore groups, existing enrolments are also reinstated. Any activities linked to the restored groups, such as discussions or assignments, can then be individually restored through their respective restore pages. More information is available in D2L’s community pages: Groups – Restore groups and categories.
Brightspace Quarterly Updates: Summer 2025 Updates
New Course Deactivation Service
Starting May 15, 2024, Teaching and Learning Services (TLS) is introducing a new automated course deactivation service for Brightspace courses. This initiative is designed to streamline the management of course environments and ensure a clutter-free and up-to-date learning platform for both instructors and students.
Service Rollout
- Initial Deactivation: On May 15, we will deactivate all Brightspace courses that began before Fall 2023. This process will clear the platform of older course contents that may no longer be relevant or in use.
- Annual Deactivation: Each May, TLS will systematically deactivate Brightspace courses from the previous academic year. For example, in May 2025, we will deactivate courses from Fall 2023, Winter 2024, and Summer 2024 sessions.
Benefits
We believe this new service will enhance the Brightspace experience by making it more manageable and user-friendly for everyone involved.
- Simplicity: Instructors no longer need to remember to manually deactivate their old courses—TLS will handle it for you.
- Clarity: Students will benefit from a more organized and less confusing course list, helping them to focus on their current studies without the clutter of past courses.
Reactivation Option
If you need to access or reuse any of the deactivated courses, you can easily reactivate them through your instructor dashboard. This flexibility allows you to maintain control over your course content while benefiting from an optimized learning environment.
If you have any questions or need assistance with managing your courses, please don’t hesitate to reach out to TLS for support via the TLS Support Portal.
D2L Release Notes
All changes to D2L Brightspace are documented and explained in the Brightspace Community site and indicated month by month: All Release Notes
Note that the Brightspace Community site includes every product and tool available within D2L’s product options. Carleton’s instance of Brightspace may not include all products indicated on the Community site. If you have specific questions about Carleton’s Brightspace instance, please connect with the Digital Learning team via the TLS Jira portal: tlssupport.carleton.ca.