D2L Brightspace For Instructors

Welcome! This page is your starting point for teaching with D2L Brightspace, SIU’s official learning management system. Whether you’re teaching in-person, hybrid, or fully online, D2L Brightspace gives you tools to share course materials, communicate with students, collect assignments, manage grades, and support student success.

You don’t need to be teaching online to benefit from D2L Brightspace—many instructors teaching in-person courses to post syllabi, track attendance, share PowerPoints, or streamline grading.

The sections below will help you get started, improve your workflow, and explore what Brightspace can do for you.

Getting Started With D2L Brightspace

What is D2L Brightspace? Brightspace is a flexible digital platform that allows instructors to share course materials, host discussions, collect assignments, administer quizzes, and post grades.
Log in: Go to brightspace.siu.edu and log in with your SIU credentials.
Where are my courses? Your Brightspace courses are automatically created each semester based on Student Information System (Banner) enrollment data. You’ll see courses appear as tiles on your homepage once the term is near. If you don’t see your course listed or need to combine multiple sections of a course into a single D2L space, contact the CTE.
Navigation Tips: Use the minibar and navigation bar within specific courses to access features such as Content, Assignments, Quizzes, and Grades.

Basic Course Setup

D2L supports teaching in all formats. Here are some core tasks:

Upload your syllabus and course calendar
Add weekly modules with lecture slides, readings, and links
Post announcements to update students quickly
Set up a D2L calendar to track important dates

You can customize the layout and pacing of content to match your in-person, hybrid, or online class needs.

Assignments and Quizzes

Assignments: Create folders for students to submit files digitally. Enable plagiarism detection using CopyLeaks if needed.
Quizzes: Build quizzes using a variety of question types. Set time limits, randomize questions, and enable auto-grading.
In-Class Support: Even if you collect work in class, use D2L to post instructions, rubrics, and feedback.

Gradebook Setup

Build a custom gradebook that matches your syllabus
Use points, weights, or formulas to match your grading scheme
Attach assignments and quizzes directly to grade items
Release grades and feedback to students as you go

D2L's gradebook helps reduce manual tracking and improves transparency.

Media & External Tools

Bongo: Collect student video assignments with built-in peer/instructor feedback tools
CopyLeaks: Check originality and AI-generated content
Course Merchant: Set up non-credit course enrollment (if applicable)

Communication Tools

Announcements: Post updates and reminders
Email: Message individuals or your entire class
Discussion Boards: Facilitate class conversations or reflection activities
Microsoft Teams Integration: Use Teams for virtual office hours, breakout discussions, or messaging

End-of-Term Tasks

Back up your course content
Finalize and submit grades through D2L
Copy content to your next semester’s course space
Unpublish or deactivate old courses as needed

Stay Updated with D2L Brightspace Enhancements

As an instructor, keeping up with platform updates means staying ahead in your teaching.
The D2L Brightspace Community regularly publishes release notes highlighting new features, improvements, and helpful changes designed to enhance your course delivery.

💡 Why follow the page?
– Learn about new tools and capabilities
– Stay informed on interface or workflow changes
– Discover tips to improve your teaching experience

🔗 Visit the D2L Brightspace Community website

Make sure you're always in the loop!

Support and Training

Use the MyCourses Virtual Assistant inside D2L for instant help, 24/7

Contact CTE for one-on-one consultations or custom support

Email: teach@siu.edu | Phone: 618-453-2258

D2L Brightspace For Instructors