Brightspace – Center for Teaching and Learning /ctl Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:50:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 /ctl/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2024/01/cropped-android-chrome-512x512-1-32x32.png Brightspace – Center for Teaching and Learning /ctl 32 32 Enhance Memory with Accessible Brightspace Templates /ctl/enhance-memory-with-accessible-brightspace-templates/ Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:50:00 +0000 /ctl/?p=5779 Reading content in Brightspace does not guarantee your learners will remember all of it. In order for it to stick, the student has to actively do something with the information they are reading.

You can prompt students to retrieve an important piece of information, explain a concept as applied in a different context, or consider how they might use a new skill in their practice. These activities take mental energy, and students are likely to just move along without doing them unless you grab their attention and make them interactive. But, how?

]]> Reading content in Brightspace does not guarantee your learners will remember all of it. In order for it to stick, the student has to actively do something with the information they are reading.

You can prompt students to retrieve an important piece of information, explain a concept as applied in a different context, or consider how they might use a new skill in their practice. These activities take mental energy, and students are likely to just move along without doing them unless you grab their attention and make them interactive. But, how?

Brightspace accessible templates to the rescue! Two simple strategies for engaging your learners in active mental processing of the content in Brightspace include using the Click n Reveal Interactions and the Flip Card Interactions. You can find these under Select a Document Template when you choose Create a File.

If you would like help using one of these templates or any others, book a meeting with an instructional designer.

Sample Click n Reveal Interaction

Ask your students a knowledge check question, apply the reading content to a new context, or reflect on personal relevance. The learner sees your response when they click the Find out button.

Screenshot of course content that uses the Click n Reveal interaction where students read and question and click a button labeled "Find Out" to see the response.


Sample Flip Card Interaction

Provide your students with virtual flashcards by adding a term on one side of the card and a definition on the other. Students reveal the definition when they hover their mouse over the card.


Brightspace orientation page showcasing the Flip Card interaction tool providing virtual flashcards for students to practice learning important terms.

]]> Grading Transparency /ctl/grading-transparency/ Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:44:54 +0000 /ctl/?p=5050 One of our 91ÌÒÉ« Academic Commitments is "A clear and fair grading system". Do your students know how their final grade is determined and can they keep track of their own progress? If you have set up your gradebook in Brightspace, there are some important settings to make your grading process transparent for your learners.

]]> One of our 91ÌÒÉ« Academic Commitments is “A clear and fair grading system”. Do your students know how their final grade is determined and can they keep track of their own progress? If you have set up your gradebook in Brightspace, there are some important settings to make your grading process transparent for your learners.

To access these, follow these steps:

  1. Go to your grade center in Brightspace
  2. Click the Settings wheel on the top right side of the screen.
  3. Click the Calculation Options tab at the top of the page.
  4. Scroll down past the Grading System section to the Final Grade ReleasedÌý²õ±ð³¦³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô.
  5. Choose whether you would like the Final Grade to be automatically calculated or whether you would like to manually adjust the Final Grade.
  6. If you would like students to be able to see their Final Grade throughout the semester, be sure to check Automatically release final grade as shown in the image below. We also recommend checking Automatically keep final grades updated.

These steps will allow your learners to keep track of their final grade throughout the semester so they can see how their assignments and efforts affect their grade. If you would like help with your grade settings, please reach out to CTL at umpi-ctl@maine.edu.

Screenshot of grade settings with automatically release final grade and automatically keep final grades updated highlighted
]]> Learner Progress /ctl/learner-progress/ Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:40:06 +0000 /ctl/?p=3636 Want a quick way to check on how your students are doing in your course? Visit the Learner Progress tool in Brightspace under the Course Resources menu.

]]> Want a quick way to check on how your students are doing in your course? Visit the Learner Progress tool in Brightspace under the Course Resources menu.

By default, this shows you how much content in the course each learner has completed, how many times they have logged into the course, and their grades. You can customize this view to see scores on Assignments or Quizzes, progress on CLOs, or Discussion participation at a glance. Click on a student to see more detail about their activity in the course.

Students can see their own Learner Progress page, which is a great way for them to keep track of how they are doing in your course. You can customize this view for them by clicking the Settings button at the top of the page.

See more details here:

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