Education
Western University to Transition to Brightspace for Learning Management
In the 2024-25 school year, Western University will complete its transition to Brightspace, a new learning management system that will officially replace Sakai.
Brightspace is provided free of charge to all Ontario kindergarten to grade 12 educators through the provincial Ministry of Education. As a result, many students may already be familiar with the platform, especially those who utilized it during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To effectively manage deadlines, students are encouraged to utilize the calendar tool available on the Brightspace homepage. This tool illustrates upcoming assignment due dates and highlights any missed submissions, ensuring students have a clear view of their responsibilities.
Within each course, students can navigate to the “communications” dropdown menu, which contains discussion forums and group settings established by the instructor. This menu also enables students to access announcements from their professors, helping them stay informed about potential class cancellations.
For optimal performance while using Brightspace, educators recommend accessing the site through Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Students who utilize Macbooks are advised to use Safari. Although Brightspace is compatible with various internet browsers, employing these recommended options minimizes potential issues.
Students can customize their account settings by clicking their name on the Brightspace homepage and selecting “account settings.” Here, they can find features to accommodate accessibility needs, such as optimizing video content for assistive technologies and increasing text size for better readability. Additionally, the option to add pronouns to their profile enhances inclusivity and allows for greater personalization.
The “grades” section in each course’s navigation bar provides students with access to their assessment scores, including notes or comments from their instructors. A notable advancement in Brightspace is the notification alert feature, which alerts students when a grade is released by their professor.
Students can complete online assessments by selecting the “assessments” dropdown menu within each course. This menu also allows users to view any awards or certificates that instructors may create to recognize student achievements.
