TLC Blog Posts

This month the changes to Brightspace are not as dramatic as last month but the interface improvements continue. All changes described below will take effect June 16, 2021. First, there is a new format painter in the text editor. This addition makes it easier to make text formatting match. Along…

Do you use quizzes in Brightspace? Are you looking for a way to prevent students from browsing websites or using other applications during a Brightspace quiz? If so, we have a tool for your students. LockDown Browser is a special application that runs on a student’s computer that locks them…

Over the break between spring and summer semesters, we unified accounts on Panopto — or rather we tried to unify the accounts. The good news is that you have access to all your content. The bad news is it may not be easy to find. When we first implemented Brightspace…

A formative assessment is a low- or no-stakes assessment that provides extensive feedback on incorrectly answered questions. It also provides positive reinforcement on correctly answered questions. Formative assessments both measure how well a student is learning during instruction and give the student useful feedback to improve learning outcomes. By contrast,…

Ice Breakers give students the chance to express their knowledge of themselves. They are the first foray into an active and engaged class community. Ice breakers are fun, person-focused, and have the purpose of requiring learners to find something in common with the learning community. Whether you are teaching an…

One of the benefits of a flexible grading tool is that you can grade almost any way that you want. One of the problems with a flexible grading tool is that it is complex and sometimes confusing. The Brightspace grade book complexity, while allowing instructors to grade in a manner…

As part of our migration from Blackboard to Brightspace we plan to turn off access to Blackboard on June 1 so that we can ensure we get the most up-to-date course archives and to pull data from the system that we want to retain. If you have a student in…

This summer will bring a few changes to the digital learning environment at Wentworth. Our recent shift in learning management systems has changed how often we will see changes in our environments. Brightspace is a SaaS (Software as a Service) deployment and updates every month. We review the announced changes…

As the summer semester quickly comes into view with the promise of colorful flowers, beach days, glowing sunsets, and the transition back into the classroom, many might feel that it’s time to pack up the online learning system and move back to the trusty paper and pen. Let’s not be…