Brightspace: Navigation

Information:

Student’s should explore Brightspace and develop a comfort with navigating through content prior to starting course work. This article describes how to navigate through the various areas of the course using the different menus. 

Details:

1. Minibar Menu
   
   1. First, the Michigan Virtual logo icon (top left) will return users to the Brightspace landing page. This page will show your course(s) and all system-related announcements.
   2. Next, tap the Select A Course (waffle, grid) icon to quickly access your course(s).
   3. Then tap Message Alerts (envelope) icon to view any messages that have been sent to you.
   4. Now select the Subscription Alerts (chat boxes) icon to view discussion board items.
   5. Next, select the Update Alerts (bell) icon to view important messages.
   6. Finally, manage settings for your account my tapping the Profile icon followed by your name.
2. Navbar
   
   1. Begin by selecting My Courses. Tapping this will display the Brightspace landing page and change your Navbar options to My Courses and Getting Help.
      • To return to your course, simply tap the course title tile within your My Courses widget and then continue to step 2.
      • The Getting Help option will open a new window and allow you to view the various contacts to engage should you need assistance with your course.
   2. Next, tap My Progress to view your current grade in this course, discussion post statuses, assignment submissions, completed quizzes, and course login history.
   3. Then, select Class Homepage to return to the class announcements and teacher feed.
   4. Now tap Lessons to view and complete the lessons in the course. As you navigate through the lesson items, a check mark will be displayed showing you which items you have viewed. This does not mean that the lesson activities have been completed.
   5. Next, select Discussions to view and participate in the Class Discussion Board. This page also allows you to adjust your subscription settings.
   6. Continue by selecting Grades to view your overall score as well as a table that contains each graded assignment and the possible points.
   7. Finally, tap Resources to display a list of links as they pertain to your course.
3. Course Quick Access Menu
   
   1. First, select Start Here to locate the welcome letter from your instructor, pacing guides, Unit 0: Student Orientation, and an introduction to the discussion boards.
   2. Next, tap Syllabus to display the full course outline and description in a new window.
   3. Then select Grades to view your overall score as well as a table that contains each graded assignment and the possible points. This is the same page displayed when tapping Grades from the Course Level Menu.
   4. Next, tap Getting Help to provide the appropriate methods to obtaining support with this course.
   5. Finally, select Policies to view all Michigan Virtual policies.
4. Announcements
   
   1. First, review the announcements posted by your course instructor.
   2. Then choose to either, dismiss or pin the post.
   3. Finally, setup Notifications for announcements by selecting the drop-down arrow to the right Announcements.
5. Teacher Feed is used by instructors to engage in conversations and push assignments through this feed.
   
6. MV Instructor Widget
   
   1. First, locate this widget on the lower right side of the page (below the Course Quick Access Menu).
   2. Next, review your instructors contact information.
   3. Then tap the Read More button to view the instructor’s full profile in a new window.
   4. Finally, close the browser tab when finished.

Last updated on April 30, 2020