On 28 July 2023, a new version of Brightspace (20.23.7) was released. Read more about what's new in this release below.
New interface Discussions (topics)
The online environment in which you make and edit discussion topics has been completely renewed. It now has the same look and feel as the Assignments interface. This also has consequences for the way you add restrictions (for instance Availability Dates and Release Conditions) or a grade item to a discussion topic.
Take a look at the manuals listed below to find out how to use the new Discussions interface:
New display availability dates Discussions
In the Discussions List, the availability dates are mentioned below the name of the topic or forum. Now, you have to hover your mouse over these dates to see how the forum/topic is accessible for students before the start date and after the end date. Read more in the manual How do I use Discussions?.
New interface Quiz builder
The online environment in which you make and edit quizzes has also been renewed. Now, it has the same look and feel similar to the Assignments and Discussions interface. This affects the making, editing and assessment of a quiz, the way you can add restrictions (Availability Dates, Release Conditions, Time Limit, Special Access), and how you can set up what students see when they submit a quiz.
Chat tool no longer available
The chat tool in Brightspace is no longer available. This means that you can no longer give students the opportunity to chat with each other in a course. This is also the case for the chat tool for the livestreams of weblectures.
Agree to the Terms of Use
When you log in, from now on, you have to agree to the Brightspace Terms of Use once per year. You will be shown a pop-up screen to do so.
New Brightspace role for students
A new role has been added to Brightspace: Observing Student. This role is meant for students from earlier years who still should be able to view the course content of the current year, but arre not allowed to hand in assignments. Read more about the different roles in Brightspace in this manual.
Update supported browsers
The supported browsers are updated. The minimum supported browser versions now are:
- Chrome 112+,
- Edge 112+
- Safari 16+
- Firefox 112+
If your browser version is supported by Brightspace, it means that bugs are fixed and that the functioning of Brightspace is thoroughly tested for your browser. Older browser versions are not as thoroughly tested, bugs may not be fixed and if the browser is very old it may even mean that you cannot use Brightspace.
Therefore, it is recommended to use the newest version of a supported browser to access and use Brightspace.