Brightspace Announcements
Langara Supported Tool
Assess
Collaborate
Communicate
Create
Deliver
Engage
Reflect
Description
The Announcements tool is a communication tool for instructors to share course-related information with students. Instructors can post timely information reminding students that an assignment is due, post quiz or exam schedules, announce that course content (for example, notes from the latest class lecture) is available, or announce that the class is canceled.
To access the Announcements Tool, go to your Brightspace course homepage and select New Announcement from the drop-down menu on the Announcements widget.
What learning goals can it support?
Communicate | Deliver | Engage
Where can I find support?
This tool is centrally supported by EdTech. Detailed help available on our Brightspace Instructor Help website. If you require further support, please contact us.
Tool at a Glance
The Announcements tool is a communication tool for instructors to share course-related information with students.
Categories
• Communicate
• Deliver
• Engage
Related Tools
• Padlet (L.)
Tool Website
Scale 3/5
The Announcements Tool can scaled to accommodate any size class but lacks flexibility to allow tailored announcements to class sub-groups
Ease of Use 5/5
The Announcements Tool has a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate and personalize
Technicality 5/5
Help support and documentation is readily available. See the Announcements section on Ed Tech’s Brightspace Help page or contact Ed Tech.
Hypermediality 5/5
The Announcements Tool allows users to communication through different channels (textual, video, audio) and allows for non-sequential, flexible engagement with material.
WCAG 2.0 Compliant 5/5
The Announcements Tool meets accessibility guidelines.
User-focused Participation 5/5
The Announcements Tool is designed to address the needs of diverse users, their various literacies, and capabilities, thereby widening opportunities for participation in learning.
Required Equipment 5/5
Proper use of the Announcements tool does not require specialized equipment.
Brightspace Integration 5/5
The Announcement Tools is native to Brightspace
Operating Systems 5/5
Users can effectively utilize the Announcements Tool with any standard, up-to-date operating system (i.e. Windows, OSX, etc.)
Web Browsers 5/5
Users can effectively utilize the Announcements Tool with any standard, up-to-date web browser (i.e. Safari, Google Chrome, Firefox, Explorer etc.)
Additional Tech
Requirements 5/5
Users do not need to download additional software or browser extensions
Mobile Operating Systems 5/5
Announcements are available on mobile devices. Pulse app notifications for an activity feed of course notifications.
Mobile Functionality 5/5
There is little to no functional difference with the Announcements Tool when accessed on mobile systems. Announcements can be viewed, created, and edited.
Offline Access 0/5
The platform cannot be used in any capacity offline.
Collaboration 2/5
The Announcements Tool has the capacity to support a community of learning through asynchronous posts. Unlike the Forums tool, Announcements cannot be responded to and are therefore unidirectional rather than collaborative. Students do not have the ability to create or edit announcements.
User Accountability 5/5
Announcements can only be made by instructors or administrators (Global Announcements).
Diffusion 4/5
Students are familiar with Announcements as the widget is integral to most course homepages and students receive announcement notifications.
Facilitation 3/5
In needed, the Announcements Tool can support instructor presence and help meet learning outcomes and teaching outcomes.
Customization 3/5
Limited aspects of the Announcements Tool can be customized to suit the content and learning outcomes.
Not applicable with this tool.
Not applicable with this tool.
Privacy & Security
This tool complies with Langara’s risk and privacy assessment requirements.
Rubric
The EdTech Toolbox Evaluations are made available under the terms of the CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Feedback
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Updates
Last update:
September 19, 2021.