Faculty Quick Start Guide
Continuing Instruction and Assessment While Away from Campus
This page provides faculty with options to quickly use D2L-Brightspace to deliver instruction and assessment remotely. These instructions provide a quick start guide and are not meant to be inclusive of all options and features of D2L-Brightspace.
The Guide to Online Teaching provides three options that are accessed via your respective D2L account. Once you log in to D2L, these courses are listed under the title, “Guide to Online Teaching in D2L.”
Providing Instruction
(The following hyperlinks offer step-by-step video instructions.)
In the event of a campus closure, instruction can be delivered through D2L-Brightspace.
- For username and password help
- Locate and Pin your courses.
- Upload your course syllabus per course.
Through D2L-Brightspace, lectures can be prerecorded and uploaded using the software in D2L or via YouTube; free software media tools are available.
To conduct live interactions between faculty and students, you will need meeting software:
SSU Webex— This is the primary user option and features video conferencing, online meetings, screen share, webinars, Web conferencing and cloud calling.
Skype meeting – Use as a secondary option. Add in to Outlook (one drawback to Skype is problems viewing pdfs and PowerPoints on Apple mobile devices; to remedy, email presentations in advance).
Microsoft Teams app—Third option. It goes across all platforms as well as webmail (small learning curve).
Recorded lectures can consist of:
- Instructors using webcams and microphones to record themselves.
- Instructors using screen capture to record the contents of their computer desktop (a PowerPoint, OneNote, Excel, web browser, etc.) while also recording audio. (This is sometimes referred to as voice-over.)
- A combination of the options above.
Lecture Recording
Review the following knowledge-based articles for instructions on how to record and deliver lectures using D2L-Brightspace, Skype and Microsoft Teams to get started.
Publish a Lecture in D2L-Brightspace
Assessment
Assessment can be delivered through D2L-Brightspace. There are two recommended assessment options:
- Assignments- The D2L-Brightspace Assignment tool allows for submission and grading of files, such as Word documents, Excel files, and PowerPoint files.
- Quizzes- The D2L-Brightspace Quiz tool allows for the creation of quizzes, tests, or exams that consist of a variety of question types. Many of the question types can be automatically graded. Questions can also be graded manually. For the purposes of incident response, multiple choice, true/false, and written response are the question types recommended. Written response REQUIRES an instructor to manually grade responses.
Using the Assignment or Quiz Features of D2L-Brightspace
Review the following knowledge based articles for instructions on using the assignment or quiz features of D2L-Brightspace.
Assignments
Create an Assignment
Grade an Assignment
Quizzes
Create a Quiz/Test/Exam with new questions
Set Quiz Restrictions
Grade a Quiz
Instructional Software
To prepare your laptop, desktop, or mobile device to deliver instruction online, the following applications should be installed.
- Adobe Suite
- Microsoft Office Suite
- Microsoft Teams– Assists with capturing and recording lectures from your computer. A tool for student and Faculty group-based online collaboration.
- Camtasia - a Screen Recorder and Video Editor that runs on Macintosh or Windows, and includes access to an extensive collection of customizable video templates, device frames, intros, motion graphics, and themes that can be quickly edited in Camtasia
Recommended for Live Sessions, if necessary.
- Webex– Conduct online meetings.
- Webex Teams– Tool for student group-based online collaboration.
- Microsoft Teams - Video Conferencing. Cloud Phone System. Instant Messaging. Types: Video Calling, Instant Messaging, Shared Workspaces.
Course Software Access
The Virtual Computer Lab is also available to off-campus users to access certain course software remotely.
Software Downloads
Software available through campus license can be found at the software download page.
Additional Resources
eCore Support for building classes
Association of Colleges and University Educators Toolkit
https://acue.org/online-teaching-toolkit/
Keep Ga Teach
https://www.usg.edu/keep_teaching_usg
Getting Help
Password Resets
For password resets for students, go to eLearning information.
D2L Help Desk
Email –millerp@savannahstate.edu
After Hours Support
For after-hours, support is available 24\7.The D2L Help Center can address issues related to D2L-Brightspace.