Welcome Back from the CCIT Team!
Welcome back to a new academic year! We hope you had a restful and rejuvenating summer, and we’re excited to partner with you as you prepare for another successful semester. Whether you’re teaching in person, online, or in a hybrid environment, the Center for Creative Instruction and Technology (CCIT) is here to support you with the resources, training, and guidance you need for a strong start.
Speaking of getting started, have you seen our new Instructor Hub? We built this space with one question in mind: what do you actually need at your fingertips during the semester? Drawing on what you told us in our recent needs assessment, the answer became five focus areas, from inclusive design and semester prep to teaching with Brightspace, boosting student engagement, and a collection of additional resources worth bookmarking. Whether you’re looking for a quick answer or planning ahead, the Instructor Hub is designed to meet you where you are. Take a look and see what’s waiting for you.
We also invite you to explore our About page to learn more about CCIT, the services we offer, and how we can support your teaching throughout the year. We look forward to working with you and wish you a fantastic fall semester!
Mark Your Calendars:
Professional Development Day is Coming August 18!
Summer is winding down, but our excitement for the new academic year is just heating up. Join us for a full day dedicated to enhancing your teaching toolkit. On August 18th, sessions will walk you through everything from launching your course with confidence to organizing content in ways that keep students engaged and connected. You will get a hands on look at the tools and resources that make Brightspace easier to navigate, along with fresh ideas for building interactive, meaningful learning experiences throughout the semester.
Head to the Welcome Back page for the full lineup and details on each workshop.
Small Moments, Lasting Impact
In our last newsletter, we asked faculty to share a time when they made a meaningful difference for a student. The stories that came back remind us why we do this work.
One colleague described a student who missed exams during a personal crisis, then returned, determined to finish, and went on to pass with a strong grade. Another put it simply: “Connecting with students so that I am not just their instructor I am someone who supports and respects the student as an individual.”
That spirit showed up throughout the responses: in a Department Chair who built new internship pathways, in an adjunct who watched a student light up during a hands-on group exercise, and in a former student who reached out months later just to say something from class had stayed with her.
Not every moment was dramatic. Some were as simple as a student who didn’t want class to end, or a first-time instructor reading course evaluations filled with the words “welcomed” and “supported.”
Think about these examples in practice and reflect on you own goals to continue making a lasting impact for your students this semester.
If you would like to share your experiences, please visit the Faculty Survey. We would love to hear from you.
Version 5 (v5) HTML Template Transition
CCIT has transitioned to Version 5 (v5) of our HTML page templates to streamline future updates and ensure the accessibility of course materials. Before the semester begins, double check your course pages to ensure they appear the way you’d like. Pages with outdated templates will still contain content, but visual formatting may be lost. If you need to update your templates, you can find step-by-step directions in our Updating Your HTML Templates to V.5 document and our Updating Your HTML Templates Playlist.
Similarly, double check descriptions of assignments, quizzes, and discussions if they were created using CCIT elements, since some may pull icon images from older template files. If you find a broken icon, open the image in the image editor. In the image source, replace “v.4” with “v.5” to restore the icon. You are also welcome to submit a ticket if you need support.
Enhanced Table of Contents Now Available
At the Fusion conference in Arizona this July, D2L shared many exciting Brightspace updates that CCIT will highlight throughout the year. One change involves the “New Content Experience.” After eight years, D2L acknowledged that the experience is not really “new” anymore, so it will now simply be called the “Content Experience.”
If you are already using the Content Experience in Brightspace, you will notice an enhanced Table of Contents designed to make navigating your course even easier. This update is enabled by default and creates a more streamlined experience for both instructors and students.
The enhanced Table of Contents allows users to expand and collapse modules without leaving the current page, track learner progress more easily, and organize course content using unlimited levels of modules and topics. It also provides improved keyboard navigation and accessibility, a more mobile-friendly layout, and a design that is consistent with other Brightspace tools.
You will see more information and guidance about the Content Experience from CCIT throughout the year. We encourage you to explore these enhancements and consider using the Content Experience the next time you update your course.
Brightspace Guided Training for Instructors
Whether you’re new to Brightspace or looking for a refresher, check out the Brightspace Guided Training Course for Instructors course. This course, hosted through D2L Academy, provides a self-paced, interactive guide to each Brightspace tool and feature. Complete the entire course or jump directly to the section most relevant to your needs.
To access the Guided Training Course, you’ll need to sign into your Brightspace Community account. Don’t have an account? Learn how to sign up by using the ThingLink below!