Brightspace Course Creation

Overview

1. Blank courses are created automatically from information in Banner

2. Principal instructors are automatically enrolled.

3. Faculty then select and copy specific content, tests, assignments, etc., from archived or prior versions of the course.

4. Course merges are done after course shells have been created.

Course Creation

• Automation creates courses in Brightspace based on course records in Banner.

• Course creation for Spring and Summer is activated around six weeks before the start of the semester to give faculty time to import and update their course materials.  Course creation for Fall must be turned on in late June to accomodate the College of Medicine's unique schedule for 3rd and 4th year courses.

• Faculty who wish to work earlier on an upcoming course may either:

  • Build course materials in their own personal sandbox course and then import into the real course once it becomes available.

  • Submit a ticket to request that the upcoming course site be created earlier. 

• When requesting a special course creation event, include the course subject code, course number, title, section and CRN (if known). For example, "NRBS 6010: Adv Care of Cancer Patients, section 01, CRN = 4321"

• You can create a ticketed request by using the Submit a Ticket button at https://services.downstate.edu or by sending an email to help@downstate.edu.

Course Creation Scheduled Dates:

• Spring 2025 (25SP) semester courses: Monday, December 9, 2024
• Summer 2025 (25SU) semester courses: Monday, April 7, 2025
• Fall 2025 (25FA) semester courses: Monday June 23, 2024

Course Templates

• Courses have layouts and folders — modules — arranged according to your college or school standard instructional design template. Follow the instructional design as laid out via the template; for example, place the syllabus in the appropriate folder.

• A scan for new courses - ones never given before - is done after course creation has started.   The standard template with blank "starter" modules will be copied into these courses.

• Do not keep all content in a single folder; follow the modular design and arrange by week, subject, unit or other organizing principal.

Course Copying

• Faculty are responsible for importing items into their course from a prior version of the course.

  • Learn how to copy content from another course

• Do not import/keep unused materials from prior years/versions.

  • This can bloat course size, breaking the automatic daily backup of your course and leaving you vulnerable if there is an accidental deletion or crash.

  • Old course sites will remain available; can always retrieve/examine old content from the original.