{"id":1587,"date":"2024-07-11T16:19:01","date_gmt":"2024-07-11T20:19:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1587"},"modified":"2026-02-25T14:56:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T19:56:26","slug":"semester-start-checklist","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/chapter\/semester-start-checklist\/","title":{"raw":"Semester Start Checklist","rendered":"Semester Start Checklist"},"content":{"raw":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center\">Semester Start Checklist<\/h1>\r\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\r\n<div class=\"imgcontainer right\">\r\n\r\n<img class=\"noborder alignnone wp-image-298 icon\" style=\"min-width:100px\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" \/>\r\n<div class=\"media_text\">To ensure your Brightspace course is fully prepared and ready for students at the start of semester, please complete the semester start checklist below. This checklist covers essential steps to provide a seamless learning experience for your students.<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>View your course on your phone<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Many students use their phones to access course content on Brightspace. Try viewing your course content on your own mobile device to see if any content you've created is inaccessible.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Things to consider:<\/p>\r\n\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Does your content reflow?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Is the font large enough?<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Does important information appear at the top on your course homepage?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Preview your course as a student<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Previewing your course in advance will give you a sense of what your students see when they are navigating through your course. In addition to previewing your course you can also preview quizzes, assignments and grades.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Watch this playlist <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaspace.langara.ca\/playlist\/details\/0_htxydef3\/categoryId\/71327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demonstrating how to preview Brightspace content as a student<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Add a welcome announcement<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">A detailed\u00a0welcome message or video at the beginning of the course introducing the instructor, course objectives, and what students can expect sets a warm, engaging tone and clarifies the course's purpose.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Here are instructions on <a href=\"https:\/\/community.d2l.com\/brightspace\/kb\/articles\/1705-create-a-welcome-message-using-the-announcements-widget#:~:text=Use%20the%20Announcements%20widget%20to%20create%20a%20welcome%20message%20for%20your%20students.&amp;text=From%20your%20Course%20Homepage%2C%20locate,Click%20New%20Announcement.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to create a Welcome Announcement<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Review accessibility features<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Check that your course meets accessibility standards. Use the Brightspace Accessibility Checker to determine if content pages are accessible.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Click here for more information about the <a href=\"https:\/\/community.d2l.com\/brightspace\/kb\/articles\/1382-improve-your-course-with-brightspace-accessibility-checker\">Brightspace Accessibility Checker<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Provide your contact information<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Opening avenues for communication, and providing easy access to those channels supports learner-instructor interaction, and facilitates engaging in supportive contact and interaction, a key component of social presence.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Test multimedia elements<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Ensure all videos, audio files, and interactive elements work correctly on various devices and browsers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Check all hyperlinks<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">If time permits, click all your hyperlinks to ensure they are working properly. Brightspace content that is copied from other courses can sometimes contain broken Quicklinks or broken Topics.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Verify assessment settings<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Double-check the settings for quizzes, assignments, and discussions. Ensure due dates, availability dates, and grading settings are correct.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Set your Brightspace course to Active<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Your course is not automatically available to your students. It needs to be set to Active <b>AND <\/b>the semester needs to have officially started.<\/p>\r\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Follow these <a href=\"https:\/\/iweb.langara.ca\/brightspace-instructor-help\/course-admin-other\/other-tools\/setting-your-course-to-active\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">instructions to set your course to Active<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<details class=\"checkbox\"><summary><h3>Talk to EdTech<\/h3><\/summary><\/details>\r\n<div class=\"speechleft\" style=\"margin-left: 53px;margin-bottom: -4.25em;max-width: 69%\">If you have questions about setting up your course, organizing content, using tools, or the accessibility of your course, please contact EdTech to arrange a review of your Brightspace course.<\/div>\r\n<img class=\"noborder wp-image-1866 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"290\" height=\"409\" \/>\r\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\r\n\r\n<hr \/>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Contact edtech@langara.ca for more information.<\/p>\r\n<img class=\"noborder img.chapter aligncenter wp-image-63\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0em\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-300x131.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"66\" \/>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"border: 1px #555 solid;padding: 1em;margin-top: 1em\">If you are a Langara employee, <a href=\"https:\/\/iweb.langara.ca\/edtech\/blog\/2025\/08\/28\/self-register-for-essentials-to-excellence-a-brightspace-companion-for-instructors\/\">self-register for Essentials to Excellence: A Brightspace Companion for Instructors<\/a>. This Brightspace course compliments the technical instructions found here with use cases, examples, and advice.<\/div>","rendered":"<h1 style=\"text-align: center\">Semester Start Checklist<\/h1>\n<div class=\"textbox shaded\">\n<div class=\"imgcontainer right\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"noborder alignnone wp-image-298 icon\" style=\"min-width:100px\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"100\" height=\"100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo.png 1280w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-65x65.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-225x225.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/BrightspaceLogo-350x350.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 100px) 100vw, 100px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"media_text\">To ensure your Brightspace course is fully prepared and ready for students at the start of semester, please complete the semester start checklist below. This checklist covers essential steps to provide a seamless learning experience for your students.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>View your course on your phone<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Many students use their phones to access course content on Brightspace. Try viewing your course content on your own mobile device to see if any content you&#8217;ve created is inaccessible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Things to consider:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none\">\n<ul>\n<li>Does your content reflow?<\/li>\n<li>Is the font large enough?<\/li>\n<li>Does important information appear at the top on your course homepage?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Preview your course as a student<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Previewing your course in advance will give you a sense of what your students see when they are navigating through your course. In addition to previewing your course you can also preview quizzes, assignments and grades.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Watch this playlist <a href=\"https:\/\/mediaspace.langara.ca\/playlist\/details\/0_htxydef3\/categoryId\/71327\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">demonstrating how to preview Brightspace content as a student<\/a>.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Add a welcome announcement<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">A detailed\u00a0welcome message or video at the beginning of the course introducing the instructor, course objectives, and what students can expect sets a warm, engaging tone and clarifies the course&#8217;s purpose.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Here are instructions on <a href=\"https:\/\/community.d2l.com\/brightspace\/kb\/articles\/1705-create-a-welcome-message-using-the-announcements-widget#:~:text=Use%20the%20Announcements%20widget%20to%20create%20a%20welcome%20message%20for%20your%20students.&amp;text=From%20your%20Course%20Homepage%2C%20locate,Click%20New%20Announcement.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how to create a Welcome Announcement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Review accessibility features<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Check that your course meets accessibility standards. Use the Brightspace Accessibility Checker to determine if content pages are accessible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Click here for more information about the <a href=\"https:\/\/community.d2l.com\/brightspace\/kb\/articles\/1382-improve-your-course-with-brightspace-accessibility-checker\">Brightspace Accessibility Checker<\/a>.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Provide your contact information<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Opening avenues for communication, and providing easy access to those channels supports learner-instructor interaction, and facilitates engaging in supportive contact and interaction, a key component of social presence.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Test multimedia elements<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Ensure all videos, audio files, and interactive elements work correctly on various devices and browsers.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Check all hyperlinks<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">If time permits, click all your hyperlinks to ensure they are working properly. Brightspace content that is copied from other courses can sometimes contain broken Quicklinks or broken Topics.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Verify assessment settings<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Double-check the settings for quizzes, assignments, and discussions. Ensure due dates, availability dates, and grading settings are correct.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Set your Brightspace course to Active<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Your course is not automatically available to your students. It needs to be set to Active <b>AND <\/b>the semester needs to have officially started.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 53px\">Follow these <a href=\"https:\/\/iweb.langara.ca\/brightspace-instructor-help\/course-admin-other\/other-tools\/setting-your-course-to-active\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">instructions to set your course to Active<\/a>.<\/p>\n<details class=\"checkbox\">\n<summary>\n<h3>Talk to EdTech<\/h3>\n<\/summary>\n<\/details>\n<div class=\"speechleft\" style=\"margin-left: 53px;margin-bottom: -4.25em;max-width: 69%\">If you have questions about setting up your course, organizing content, using tools, or the accessibility of your course, please contact EdTech to arrange a review of your Brightspace course.<\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"noborder wp-image-1866 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"290\" height=\"409\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552.png 476w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552-213x300.png 213w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552-65x92.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552-225x318.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/07\/specialist-question-e1722287168552-350x494.png 350w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">Contact edtech@langara.ca for more information.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"noborder img.chapter aligncenter wp-image-63\" style=\"margin-bottom: 0em\" src=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-300x131.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"66\" srcset=\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-768x336.png 768w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-65x28.png 65w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-225x99.png 225w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh-350x153.png 350w, https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2149\/2024\/01\/edtech-transparent-rgb-black-394pxh.png 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 1px #555 solid;padding: 1em;margin-top: 1em\">If you are a Langara employee, <a href=\"https:\/\/iweb.langara.ca\/edtech\/blog\/2025\/08\/28\/self-register-for-essentials-to-excellence-a-brightspace-companion-for-instructors\/\">self-register for Essentials to Excellence: A Brightspace Companion for Instructors<\/a>. This Brightspace course compliments the technical instructions found here with use cases, examples, and advice.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":2227,"menu_order":3,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1587","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":3,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2227"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3375,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1587\/revisions\/3375"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/3"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1587\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1587"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1587"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/langaraquickguides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}