UAlbany will be adopting Desire2Learn’s Brightspace as our new Learning Management System in 2023. This page will be updated regularly and will contain the most current information about Brightspace and the migration process. Be sure to check this page frequently!
We invite you to view the recording of the information session held on April 28 and review the session slides for additional information. Please note that you will be asked to log in with your UAlbany credentials to view these resources.
If you have other questions or concerns that you would like to share with the project team, please feel free to email us at Brightspace@albany.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between D2L and Brightspace?
Desire2Learn (D2L) is the name of the company. Brightspace is the name of the Learning Management System.
I’ve seen announcements from SUNY regarding the Digital Learning Environment (DLE). Is this the same thing as Brightspace?
Brightspace is the Learning Management System (LMS), which is the foundation of a larger unified DLE that SUNY is seeking to build. A coordinated integration of an LMS, related tools, and architecture comprise a DLE.
What is the timeline for moving to Brightspace?
UAlbany is part of Cohort 3 of SUNY’s transition to Brightspace. This means that the planning phase begins in Fall 2022, we will be piloting courses in Brightspace in Spring 2023, and all courses will be offered in Brightspace starting in Summer 2023. We will update this page with more details as they become available.
When will my Blackboard courses no longer be available?
ITS plans to decommission Blackboard in Fall 2023.
I am interested in being part of the pilot in Spring 2023. What should I do?
We will share additional information about the pilot process in Fall 2022.
Will I be able to copy my prior courses from Blackboard into Brightspace?
The short answer to this question is yes: there are course migration tools that will allow you to copy content from your previous courses into Brightspace. However, we are still learning about the functionality of course migration from Blackboard, so we ask for patience as we work to ensure that migrations can work as smoothly as possible.
What resources will be available to help instructors learn how to use Brightspace?
There will be multiple opportunities to learn the Brightspace system offered in a variety of modalities. This page will be updated as details about these opportunities become available. We also encourage you to join us for an information session in Zoom on Thursday, April 28, from 12:00-12:30 pm.
What Blackboard features will be available in Brightspace?
Most of the features that are commonly used in Blackboard will be available in Brightspace, including the following:
- Announcements
- Grades
- Content - files, pages, links
- Discussions
- Folders/Modules
- Tests
This list of Brightspace Core Features includes additional details.
Will I be able to use third-party tools (like VoiceThread, Perusall, publisher packages, etc.)?
Yes, there will be the opportunity to integrate some additional tools within the Brightspace platform. More detailed information will be forthcoming.