Calendar

The Brightspace Calendar widget is a staple of the default homepage. It is where students can go to view due dates for assessments, check class-times, and view scheduled events, depending on how much an instructor chooses to utilize it. There also exists a Calendar tool, which can be accessed to view due dates and events across user-specific Brightspace sites.

Accessing the Calendar

Calendar Widget

On the default course homepage, the Calendar widget is located just below the announcements widget. Students and instructors can navigate the calendar to view various dates and events. There is also a drop-down “Upcoming events” menu, which provides a list of events happening in the near future. Clicking “Calendar” in the top left of the widget will open the Calendar Tool.

Calendar Tool

The Calendar tool, where adding/editing events in the calendar take place, can be accessed in three different ways:

1. Click “Calendar” in the top left of the Calendar widget on the course homepage.

2. On the course navbar, click Course Tools → Calendar

3. On the course navbar, click Course Tools → Course Admin → Calendar

Filtering Calendars

By default, the Calendar Tool shows all events and due dates across every site the user is a part of. While this can be a helpful way of viewing important dates across a range of courses at once, it can also be overwhelming. Calendars can be filtered or chosen individually by selecting the All Calendars link near the centre of the page under the printer icon.

Create Event

The Create Event function allows instructors to edit and place new events on their course calendar. Content from the course Content area can be embedded into the event. Units/Lessons/Folders that are selected to be placed into an event will also show links to the various content items within them.

To create an event:

1. Access the calendar tool, then click the Create Event button.

2. The first option in the Create Event area is to add content from the course Content area. This will attach the content as a link to the ensuing created event.

3. Choose a title and description for the event.

4. Select attendees. The event will only appear on student’s calendars who have been chosen as attendees. Attendees can be selected by group or section.

5. Choose when the event will occur. It can be set to run All Day, or from certain times across days. The event can also have a recurrence of the event added to it, or can have restrictions placed upon it.

6. Add an optional location, it is not required.

7. Click the Create button on the bottom left of the page to finish creating the event.

Set Dates

Set Dates replicates settings available when editing a content item. From the Set Dates area, instructors can change the title, description, due date, end date, and start date of various content items without having to edit the content item in the Content area. Set Dates does not put anything on the course calendar.

1. Access the calendar tool, then click the Set Dates button. All content within the course Content area will appear in a list.

2. Choose which content to appear on the calendar. Click Add.

3. Instructors are given the option to change the title and add a description, as well as apply due/start/end dates, or edit ones that are already present.

4. Click Save to apply the changes to the content item.

Tasks

The Tasks function in the Brightspace calendar allows users to create a checklist that exists only within the calendar area.

1. Access the calendar tool, then click the Add a Task under Tasks in the bottom-right of the calendar.

2. Insert a name for the task and press the Enter key.

3. To add details such as notes on the task or a due date, click the side-arrow next to the name of the task.

4. Select a due date, then click the Save Due Date on the right of the due date.

5. Add any notes on the task in the text box that says “Add a note…”

6. Click the Tasks link above the name of the task to return to the task list.