Photograph by David Rozenblyum, Brooklyn College
- SUMMER SEMESTER, 2025 -
Brightspace is a cloud-based learning management system (LMS) that runs blended and fully online courses. It comprises three integrated platforms: learning environment, learning repository, and portfolio. It was developed by D2L and designed to provide the tools necessary for content creation, assignment submissions, communication, and assessment by combining a collaborative and interactive virtual learning environment.
Brightspace provides a user-friendly interface and robust analytics tools, improving both teaching efficiency and student engagement. Its flexibility supports diverse learning environments and integrates smoothly with various educational resources. Please watch the introductory video below to learn more about its advantages.
April Bedford, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Yasmin Ali, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs
Emir Ganic, AVP for Information Technology Services& CIO
Richard Pietras, Media Relations Manager
Karen Stern-Gabbay, Director Roberta S. Matthews CTL
Mariya Gluzman, Instructional designer and Adjunct Professor
Carlos A. Cruz, LMS System Administrator and Instructional Designer
Brooklyn College has been assigned to Transition Group Four, which is tasked with preparing for the transition in Spring 2025. This group will finalize their preparations and begin implementing changes starting in Summer 2025. This timeline has been established to ensure a structured approach for a smooth transition to the new system.
BROOKLYN COLLEGE'S TRANSITION STRUCTURE
The Brooklyn College's transition is structured in six phases. The first and second phases are dedicated to training the trainers. Phases three to five, Recognition, Adjustment, and Deployment, are focused on instructors. In the Recognition phase, instructors will learn where to find the class content and the assessments transferred from Blackboard, copy course sites that did not transfer to Brightspace, and create a practice site. In the Adjustment phase, instructors will review the previous content created in the Brightspace environment and proceed with the necessary adjustments or adaptations. Once everything is ready, they will learn to Deployment the updated content into the course shell created for the course delivery. The sixth and final phase, Development, combines specific features and advanced tools to help instructors revisit previous learning areas and extend their Brightspace knowledge.
A series of focused workshops are scheduled, and specific documentation for each phase is included in this AIT support site to facilitate the self-paced transition. To navigate to each phase, press the links below.
RECOGNITION Phase ADJUSTMENT Phase DEPLOYMENT Phase
DEVELOPMENT Phase
To access Brightspace, use the following URL to log in: https://brightspace.cuny.edu . You’ll need your CUNY login credentials. Once logged in, navigate to the My Courses widget and select the Brightspace class.
Please do not access Brightspace through the CUNY portal. Our college is not officially in Brightspace, and we have received reports of error messages when accessing it through the portal.
* The content presented in these videos may not reflect the settings of the Brooklyn College Brightspace environment; however, all essential functions are part of the Course Navbar.
The series of Brightspace workshops for the Course Adjustment phase just concluded on April 8. Please stay tuned for further Brightspace workshops and announcements!
APRIL 23, 2025
Brightspace Crash Course for Students
Bye-bye Blackboard! Brooklyn College is transitioning to a new learning management system, Brightspace starting in Summer 1. Get a jump start! Join us for a brief tour of the platform, where we'll highlight key features and point out important differences from Blackboard. We'll conclude with a Q&A session, ensuring you feel confident navigating Brightspace for your summer and fall courses.
We'd like encourage you to review the Brooklyn College Brightspace for Students guide and the CUNY Transition website for FAQs, best practices, the D2L YouTube Playlist for learners, and additional documentation about the transition.
Thank you!
APRIL 1, 2025
Attention Brooklyn College Students!
We are excited to announce that Brightspace will replace Blackboard as the new CUNY-wide Learning Management System starting this summer. While there are some similarities between the two platforms we strongly recommend that you prepare for this transition in advance to save yourself the additional stress and avoid overwhelming the Brooklyn College Support Services.
All 2025 Brooklyn College summer courses will be taught in Brightspace. While you will not be able to enroll in any BC course in Brightspace until Summer I begins, you can already access this new learning environment at https://brightspace.cuny.edu and take the Brightspace Orientation for BC Students. Students who complete the orientation training will receive a certificate that they can share with their instructors as proof of their readiness.
We encourage you to review the Brooklyn College Brightspace for Students guide and the CUNY Transition website for FAQs, best practices, the D2L YouTube Playlist for learners, and additional documentation about the transition. You may notice some variations in the Navigation bar from the version created for Brooklyn College; however, the functions will remain the same.
Stay tuned for further announcements regarding the Brooklyn College Brightspace training schedule and workshops.
Thank you!
FEBRUARY 6, 2025
Brooklyn College Spring 2025 Brightspace Workshop Schedule (February 18 - April 8)
On behalf of Carlos Cruz…
Academic Information Technology, in collaboration with the Provost's Office for Faculty and Administration and the Center for Teaching and Learning, presents the first Brooklyn College Brightspace Practical Workshops Series.
This workshop series will focus on the “Course Adjustment” phase of the transition. Focus on problem-solving by area rather than function, covering topics such as Assessments, Content, Grades, and Interactive Tools. Each session will introduce at least one of the new outstanding Brightspace functions.
We will address a variety of scenarios and provide solutions. The adjustment phase will include many resources on the Transition website for anyone wishing to review the instructions provided during training.
Each seminar will consist of a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute question and answer session. Presentations will be held from Mondays to Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Additionally, every Friday, instructors can join a Q&A session for an informal discussion on Brightspace-related questions. See below for the schedule and Zoom links.
LMS System Administrator and Instructional Designer
Brooklyn College
Email: Carlosa@brooklyn.cuny.edu
Brightspace Practical Workshops Series
All sessions 1:00–2:00 p.m.
Learn how to effectively manage communication tools in Brightspace, including announcements and messages, to enhance student engagement and streamline course updates.
Passcode: 772797
Passcode: 822409
Passcode: 175758
Passcode: 452002
This workshop introduces the Bulk Edit feature and the Upload and Create section, allowing users to efficiently manage multiple items. Participants will learn to edit modules, topics, and dates simultaneously, saving time and effort.
Passcode: 690976
Passcode: 409114
Passcode: 794124
Passcode: 363183
Explore how to incorporate existing activities into modules and sub-modules while linking them to assignments, quizzes, and discussions. This session also covers integrating key learning tools (LTIs) such as book publishers, Turnitin, and Zoom.
Passcode: 387689
Passcode: 061854
Passcode: 284490
Passcode: 974473
Discover how to use the Bulk Edit tool to modify assignment titles, dates, and categories, as well as how to manage quizzes by adjusting names, categories, and attempt limits. This session also includes accessing the Quiz Library, reordering content, and utilizing Lockdown Browser.
Passcode: 505077
Passcode: 939624
Passcode: 459329
Passcode: 197825
Learn how to efficiently manage discussions, threads, and topics, as well as adjust blogs and groups within Brightspace. This session ensures a seamless transition from Blackboard while improving the organization of interactive course elements.
Passcode: 270173
Passcode: 623509
Passcode: 787545
Passcode: 709671
Understand how to configure grade settings, review, and manage grade assignments, and organize assessments effectively. Explore best practices for grading essay questions and familiarize yourself with Brooklyn College’s grading schemes.
Passcode: 752853
Passcode: 605030
Passcode: 300013
Passcode: 943593
Use the CUNY Demo Student and Learner features to view the course as a student. Evaluate accessibility by reviewing course content, navigation, and functionality to ensure a smooth student experience before making the course available.
Passcode: 671588
Passcode: 604434
Passcode: 813205
Passcode: 451547
Join us for this open, informal session to discuss any questions you have about Brightspace.
Passcode: 266680
Passcode: 493558
Passcode: 292383
Passcode: 339098
Passcode: 712414
Passcode: 552490
DECEMBER 11, 2024
Dear Faculty,
The first series of Brightspace workshops is about to conclude. Thanks for your participation. If you could not attend them, you can access the resources available in the Brooklyn College Workshops Resources section under the RECOGNITION Phase tab on the Brooklyn College Transition website.
We recommend visiting your Brightspace courses at Brightspace.cuny.edu. If the last four years of your classes do not appear in Brightspace, please notify us as soon as possible so we can forward this information to CUNY.
The second series of Brightspace workshops will begin in January. It will focus on practical solutions for adapting content and assessments transferred from your Blackboard course sites.
Please stay tuned for further announcements regarding the January workshop series!
For additional questions, please get in touch with Carlos A. Cruz.
Carlos A. Cruz LMS System Administrator and Instructional Designer Brooklyn College Carlosa@brooklyn.cuny.eduNOVEMBER 11, 2024
Dear Faculty,
Academic Information Technology (AIT), in collaboration with the Provost's Office for Faculty and Administration and the Center for Teaching and Learning (CLT), presents the first Brooklyn College Brightspace Practical Workshops Series.
This workshop series will focus on the “Course Recognition” phase of the transition. Instructors will learn how to navigate the primary interface, locate class content and assessments transferred from Blackboard, save Blackboard course sites that did not transfer to Brightspace, create a practice site, and import content into Brightspace.
Each seminar will consist of a 30-minute presentation followed by a 30-minute question and answer session. Presentations will be held from Mondays to Thursdays from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Additionally, every other Friday, instructors can join a Q&A session for an informal discussion on Brightspace-related questions. See below for the schedule and Zoom links.
LMS System Administrator and Instructional Designer
Brooklyn College
Email: Carlosa@brookllyn.cuny.edu
Brightspace Practical Workshops Series (Fall 2024)
All sessions 1:00–2:00 p.m.
• Monday, November 18
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 919509
• Tuesday, November 26 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 773309
• Wednesday, December 4 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 170473
If you have a class that you wish to save for the future and it was not included in the four-year transfer to Brightspace, we will demonstrate how to export and save your Blackboard content to your computer desktop for future use in Brightspace.
• Tuesday, November 19
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 801663
• Wednesday, November 27 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 924224
• Wednesday, December 11 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 863844
• Wednesday, November 20
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 796398
• Monday, December 2 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 51338
• Thursday, November 21
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 598576
• Tuesday, December 3 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 612326
• Thursday, December 12 (repeated session)
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 166451
• Friday, November 22
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 872680
• Friday, December 13
Zoom Invite LinkPasscode: 895170
Attention, Brooklyn College Faculty!
We are pleased to announce that Brightspace is now available for your use. You can access courses taught within the last four years at https://brightspace.cuny.edu.
We recommend verifying the courses on Brightspace and downloading any classes created in Blackboard more than four years ago to your computer desktop.
Please take the time to review the Brooklyn College and the CUNY Transition websites for FAQs, best practices, and additional documentation about the transition phases. Stay tuned for further announcements regarding the Brooklyn College training schedule, and consider signing up for the CUNY workshops for faculty and the Ask Me Anything sessions.
We will also provide guidance on handling Brightspace-related questions from students soon.
For further questions, please feel free to contact Carlos A. Cruz.
Learning Manager System Administrator and Instructional Designer
Email: Carlosa@brookllyn.cuny.edu
Library 3rd floor, room 381
Brooklyn College
Brightspace Basics
Content
Discussions
Gradebook
Assessments 