Welcoming and Organized Learning Management System

The Learning Management System (LMS), currently D2L Brightspace, is often the first experience a learner has with a course, so it is imperative that the course space is clear, well-organized, and welcoming. Algonquin College learners have repeatedly identified the need for consistent and well-organized course spaces so that they can easily plan for the term ahead and focus on the course content and assessments. An easy-to-navigate and intuitive course space will also save faculty time in the form of answering student questions about how to locate course content.

Questions to Guide Development:

  • Is the course clear and organized in a way that learners can easily navigate?
  • Is the Course Section Information document uploaded to the Course Information module?
  • Is course content clearly labelled, whether by week or by module, and consistent with the Course Section Information?
  • Is there a welcoming announcement, document, and/or video introducing learners to the course expectations and navigation?
  • If the course is hybrid, are the learning activity(ies) for the hybrid hour(s) clearly identified? Do learners have opportunities for interaction with course content within the Brightspace course (e.g., H5P) and/or with each other?
  • Is course content represented in multiple formats (e.g., alternatives to text)? Are there audio recordings, videos, or images used to engage learners?
  • Are external resources (websites, articles, chapters, videos, images, etc.) following Fair Dealing Guidelines and Copyright Guidelines?
  • Are external resources (websites, articles, chapters, videos, images, etc.) AODA compliant and accessible to all?
  • Are the Grades set-up and correctly associated with the Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, and/or Rubrics? Do all assessments include due dates (which automatically populate the student calendar)? Are all assessments available within the weekly content or module in which they are due?
  • If there are 3rd party assessment tools (e.g., H5P quizzes, Pearson MyLab, or other external tools), have they been linked in the Content section and populated with a due date (if applicable)?
  • Does the Brightspace course abide by Algonquin College policy AA42 Learning Management System?

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