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 use D2L Brightspace to post syllabi, track attendance, share PowerPoints, or streamline grading.

We recommend that ALL Instructors complete the D2L Brightspace LinkedIn Lerning Course

LinkedIn Learning D2L Brightspace Training Course

Along with the LinkedIn Learning training course, 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 SIUC's D2L Brightspace page 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 D2L Brightspace homepage once the term is near. If you do not see your course(s) 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 other content into your course.
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.
Rubrics for In-Class Support: Even if you collect work in class, use D2L to post instructions, graded items, 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 live lecture video capture, breakout discussions, or messaging.

End-of-Term Tasks

Back up your course content with Common Cartridge.
Finalize and submit grades through D2L.
Copy content to your next semester’s course space.
Unpublish or deactivate old courses as needed.
D2L Brioghtspace Policies and Procedures Manual.

Additional Help and Support

If you cannot find the help that you need or have additoinal questions, please contact the SIU D2L Brightspace Support Team at 1-888-877-3281 or from the D2L Brighspace Login window, select the Live Chat option at the bottom of the page. Still need help? You can also Submit a Tikit.

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