Frequently Asked Questions
Which LMS platforms are changing across USC?
Existing and new Blackboard courses will use Brightspace as of Summer 2024. Schools and academic units that use other LMS platforms such as Canvas will not be impacted at this time.
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: On January 16, faculty and respective staff members will receive access to the Brightspace platform.
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
When will Blackboard become unavailable?
The USC campus will no longer have access to Blackboard after June 28, 2024.
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.
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.
How will Brightspace increase collaboration amongst users?
Brightspace offers many collaboration capabilities including groups and group assignments, rich discussion boards, peer reviews, chat, polls, whiteboards, and integrations for Microsoft and Google collaborative document editing.
Who is on the Brightspace at USC Program Team?
The Brightspace at USC Program Team is made up of teaching and learning, technical and organizational change management professionals, primarily from USC and D2L Brightspace team.
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.
Will I have to rebuild the courses I taught in Blackboard for Brightspace?
Your course content will be migrated before the Summer 2024 term starts. More information on migration timelines will be available. Once your courses have been migrated, you will need to review them to ensure the content and interactive features are properly functioning. Individual training support for the migration will be available.
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