When will I have access to Brightspace?
Access to Brightspace will occur in two waves:
First Wave: Spring 2024 Pilot Participants and Champions.
- Selection: Faculty and support staff selected in October 2023 for our Spring pilot, as well as Champions elected by their Deans.
- Course Availability: Only those piloting a course in Spring 2024 will have a course available in Brightspace.
- Current Status: This cohort has access to Brightspace.
Second Wave: All-Access Rollout
- Eligibility: Faculty, staff, and students not included in the Spring 2024 Pilot and Champions group.
- Course Availability: Courses will transition to Brightspace starting with those taught in Summer 2024.
- Details: The specific date for all-access availability will be announced shortly.
Stay tuned!
What type of training and support will be available?
Comprehensive training and robust support will be available to accommodate all levels of Brightspace users:
Training Programs:
- For Faculty & TAs: We will offer foundational as well as advanced training sessions.
- For Students & Staff: Orientation sessions and resources tailored to their use of Brightspace.
- Modes of Training: These will include one-on-one support sessions, a library of asynchronous resources, live training webinars, and more.
Support Services:
- 24/7 Helpline: Around-the-clock assistance for any immediate issues or questions.
- Extended Resources: Additional support details will be released soon.
Current Resources:
For insights from our current Brightspace Champions and Pilot participants, we invite faculty and staff to connect with a champion within your school or unit for firsthand information and assistance.
Stay Updated: To access the members of our champion team, please click here.
The Brightspace at USC program team is committed to ensure the level of support during this transition aligns with the high standards set by our current Blackboard support team.
What are some key features of Brightspace?
- Enhanced User Experience: Improved user experience with an updated and streamlined look and feel.
- Simplified Course Creation: Ready-made templates for faculty and instructional designers to quickly build high-quality content that is accessible and mobile friendly.
- Mobile Compatibility: Mobile app experience that mirrors Brightspace’s desktop version.
- Interactive Content Tools: Easily add user-friendly, accessible, interactive textual and multimedia elements to your course. No coding required.
- Accessible Learning: The platform provides accessible learning to meet the needs of all users, including those using assistive technology devices.
- Advanced Analytics: Robust analytics tools to help drive learning outcomes, student engagement, and assessment design with built reports and visual dashboards.
What is an LTI or integrated third-party tool and when will they be available in Brightspace?
Learning tools interoperability (LTIs) refer to a third-party tool that can be directly integrated with a learning management system such as Brightspace and Blackboard. Examples of LTIs include Turnitin, Zoom, and Gradescope. There will be 36 third-party tools available in Brightspace – 30 of these tools are currently available in Blackboard, and 6 of these tools are net new. You can review the LTIs here.
If I do not see a preferred integrated third-party tool or LTI, can I request one?
You are welcome to submit a ticket through Service Now to request an academic third-party tool for consideration and review following the implementation of the 36 LTIs.
If Where will Maymester courses be taught?
All Maymester 2024 courses will be taught in Blackboard unless otherwise noted. The campus-wide transition from Blackboard to the new platform, Brightspace, will begin with Summer 2024 courses and fully launch in Fall 2024. Please note, no course changes made in your Blackboard courses after June 28, 2024 will carry over to the new platform, Brightspace.
Will I still be able to access student submission to Turnitin?
Yes, by going to Turnitin.com
Will I have to rebuild the courses I taught in Blackboard for Brightspace?
Three academic years of Blackboard courses will migrate to Brightspace. While all courses will be available in the archive, only this selection of courses will be migrated to Brightspace.
When will Blackboard become unavailable?
The USC campus will no longer have access to Blackboard after June 28, 2024.
What content will be migrated from Blackboard to Brightspace?
Only course content will be migrated. Course migrations will not include student submissions, grades, and data from prior terms.
What courses will be archived as part of the transition to Brightspace?
The Brightspace at USC Program Team is still working to select an archive vendor. However, all courses and data that live in Blackboard today will be available in the archive, there is no limit on volume.
Will Maymester courses be taught in Brightspace?
All Maymester 2024 courses will be taught in Blackboard unless otherwise noted. The campus-wide transition from Blackboard to the new platform, Brightspace, will begin with Summer 2024 courses and fully launch in Fall 2024. Please note, no course changes made in your Blackboard courses after June 28, 2024 will carry over to the new platform, Brightspace.
What will happen to my Blackboard Organization with the transition to Brightspace?
Your Blackboard Organizations will be migrated to Brightspace, however they will no longer appear as “Organizations” but rather “Courses.” All the content will remain the same, except the naming convention. Users will need to be re-enrolled manually.
What will not be migrated from Blackboard to Brightspace?
During the migration from Blackboard to Brightspace, student data, class lists, and content older than 3 years will not be transferred. Content older than 3 years will be available by ServiceNow request. Additionally, Blackboard Orgs will be converted into courses in Brightspace. Your students will not be able to see historical enrollments or courses in which they were previously enrolled.