Improve your Brightspace course

There are many ways to optimise your Brightspace learning environment and it can be difficult to figure out where to start. To help you, we created the Brightspace Matrix: an online tool that breaks these considerations down into five dimensions and offers clear advice on how to make improvements based on a self-analysis.

Why it is useful

A clear and consistently structured digital learning environment is beneficial to the learning experience of your students. That is why the Brightspace matrix interactive rubric is based on student and lecturer input and on educational research. You can use this tool to evaluate the setup of your Brightspace course. The output provides you practical tips for improving the structure, consistency, and clarity of your Brightspace environment.

The dimensions of the matrix

The matrix is divided in different dimensions, each presented on a tab, ranging from essentials for the course home page to advanced improvements:

• Course homepage: how can announcements and the calendar be used to make the course homepage more welcoming to students?
• Course information: what information should be included in the course information section?
• Content: how should the content of the course be structured?
• Miscellaneous topics: what elements need to be present in discussion forums and assessments?
• Advanced improvements: if time and expertise are not an issue, what would the finishing touches for a Brightspace course be?

We recommend you take a look at the Create a course structure page, before considering these improvements.

Relevant resources

• Brightspace Matrix:  The Brightspace analysis tool is further described on this page.
• Brightspace workshop: A Brightspace workshop is available to guide you through the basics for using Brightspace. In addition, the advanced track offers guidance for using and applying the Brightspace Matrix.
• Create a course structure:  A good foundation is beneficial for making further improvements. This page guides you through the conceptual design of your course structure

How to get help

Do you need help using the matrix or implementing changes in your Brightspace courses? Reach out to the educational advisors at your faculty or contact Teaching Support for 1-on-1 guidance.