Student Success > Technology > Desire2Learn (D2L)

Desire2Learn (D2L)

​​D2L (Brightspace) maintains a number of guides for students. See the D2L Getting Started guide for links to articles for frequently asked questions and Learner FAQ for more articles on using D2L.

For issues with logging in, please contact the Help Desk.

On the D2L Homepage, courses are organized by quarter. Once an instructor has activated a course, it will be visible under the heading for the quarter. To view all courses at once, select All [A]. 

screenshot of quarter headings with a label on the link to all

 

For information on logging in, see the guide from DePaul’s Help Desk.

The Course Home is the landing page for a class in D2L. It contains widgets that provide various information. The News widget and Calendar widget are set by default, but instructors can modify the Course Home page to display other pieces of information as well.

Calendar widget

The Calendar widget displays any due dates and end dates that instructors have set up on learning activities. It may also display links to Zoom meetings. Because these dates need to be set up, not all classes use them. Be sure to check the course syllabus for official due dates on all assignments.

News widget

The News widget can be used by instructors for class announcements. Other widgets, like Activity Feed, may be used instead.

Notifications from this widget are delivered within D2L. To receive these announcements, select Your Name in D2L, then select Notifications [A]. Use the options on this page to set up text or email notifications.

screenshot of dropdown menu after selecting name with label on notifications

 

The Content section is where instructors upload files and display class content. Navigate to Content by selecting the link in the course navbar [A]. Instructors use modules and nested submodules to organize learning activities and provide readings.

screenshot of d2l course navbar with a label on link to content

 

Read more about Content from D2L in the guide on Navigating Course Content.

Discussions are class activities in which students post messages. Students can post threads and replies within discussion topics. Discussions can be found in the course navbar [A], and instructors might also link to discussions within the Content area [B].

screenshot of d2l course navbar with link to discussions
screenshot of d2l content module with a link to a discussion topic

 

For more information, view D2L’s guide on Creating Discussion threads. Use the sidebar menu on this page for more instructions for processes related to Discussions.

The Grades area displays scores for any grade items that instructors have set up. Not all instructors use the gradebook in D2L. To navigate to Grades, select the Grades link in the course navbar [A].

screenshot of d2l course navbar with label on grades link

 

See D2L’s guide on Viewing Grades for more information.

Panopto is a tool for creating or uploading videos. Instructors use Panopto for lectures. Students also have access to Panopto. It is recommended to use Panopto for submitting videos in discussions and submissions. See the Panopto Student Guide for instructions.

The Pulse app is a way for students to access D2L on a mobile device. Visit the D2L guide on the Pulse app for more information.

The Submissions area contains folders to which students can upload assignments. Submissions can be found in the course navbar [A], and instructors might also link to submissions within the Content area [B].

screenshot of d2l course navbar with link to submissions
screenshot of d2l content module with a link to a submission folder

 

Note: Documentation from D2L refers to this tool as "Assignments.”

For more information, see the guides from D2L on Submitting Assignments.

By default, students can access Quizzes by going to More [A] in the course navbar, then selecting Quizzes [B]. If an instructor has modified the course navbar, there may be a more visible link to Quizzes.

screenshot of d2l course navbar with label on more and another label on quizzes

 

Alternatively, instructors may link directly to Quizzes within a Content module [A].

screenshot of d2l content module with label on a link to a quiz

 

View D2L’s guide on Quizzes for more information.

VoiceThread is a tool within D2L that allows both instructors and students to display various media, like videos or files overlaid with audio recordings. Instructors might use VoiceThread for discussions, where students will add comments, or for presentations, where students upload VoiceThreads of their own. Be sure to check the course syllabus for information on the way VoiceThread will be used within the course. See the VoiceThread Student Guide for more instructions.

FAQ

There are a few reasons a class may not show up in D2L. If a course does not appear in D2L, select All among the academic quarter headings. Then, select View All Courses and search for the course. If registration occurred within the last 24 hours, the registration may not be processed yet. Wait 24-48 hours after registering for a course to appear in D2L.

The course also may not be active. Instructors are responsible for activating the course, so consider reaching out to the instructor of the course to see when it will be activated. Additionally, if the course has not yet started, it may not be visible in D2L. Contact the instructor to see when the course will be visible. The Help Desk can be contacted if the course cannot be found. 

To see a previous course, use the academic quarter options on the D2L homepage to navigate to the term during which that class was taken. If it is not there, the instructor may have deactivated it. 

Go to the Submissions area of D2L and locate the assignment. If the instructor has provided feedback, it will show up under the “Evaluation Status” column as a link that reads “Feedback: Unread.” Select this link to be taken to the feedback page. Feedback can appear in the “Overall Feedback” section, within the rubric (if one was used), or by selecting the View Inline Feedback link under the “Inline Feedback” column. 

If the submission folder has a textbox for assignment submissions, the video will first need to be uploaded to Panopto. See the Student Guide on Panopto for Submissions for information on accessing Panopto and submitting a video to a submission folder.

If the submission folder asks for an uploaded attachment, the video file can be attached as with any other file.

If a quiz cannot be accessed, and a “Not Authorized” or “Internal Error” message appears, this can be for one of a few reasons. The quiz may not be available because the due date has passed. The quiz may also not have been released yet, in which case the instructor can be contacted. Lastly, if the maximum number of attempts for the quiz have been reached, access may be denied.

Go to the Quizzes area of D2L and locate the quiz. If the instructor has provided feedback, it will show up under the “Evaluation Status” column as a link that reads “Feedback: On Attempt.” Select this link to be taken to the feedback page. Select the attempt to view feedback for. The quiz will open with instructor feedback visible.

For detailed instructions on accessing Panopto and uploading a video to a discussion, see the Panopto Student Guide for "If the Video is for the Whole Class."

If a discussion can be accessed but will not allow a new post, the discussion’s permissions are set so that the discussion is visible but locked for posting. Check to see when the discussion was due. If the due date has passed, reach out to the instructor for further information.

See the instructions for Lockdown Browser. 

From the D2L course navigation bar, select More. Then, select Quizzes. Locate the quiz to view feedback on, and select the On Attempt link in the "Evaluation Status" column. Select the Launch LockDown Browser button, and select Open LockDown Browser if a popup opens. Lockdown Browser will launch, and the link for Attempt 1 can be selected to view feedback.

The most common cause of this issue is related to the blocking of third party cookies and/or the use of an incognito/private browser. It is recommended to never use the Safari incognito/private browser option when viewing Panopto videos. Issues with this browser occur across all devices. Instead, access the course using either Chrome or Firefox. If issues continue to occur, it is recommended to allow https://d2l.depaul.edu to set cookies and/or to access the class not using an incognito/private browser. For more information about adjusting settings see Panopto’s guide.

Note: Use either Chrome or Firefox. Internet Explorer, Edge, and Safari will not work.

When VoiceThread is used for a discussion, you will add comments to a VoiceThread prompt. View the Student Guide for Adding a Comment to a VoiceThread Discussion for instructions on how to do this.

When VoiceThread is used for presentations, instructors will provide a common VoiceThread link. Students will upload full VoiceThread presentations to this link. View the Student Guide for Adding a Presentation to VoiceThread for instructions on how to do this.