Assignments, Tests and Discussions

As part of your classes, your instructor may create assignments for you to complete in Brightspace that will help you master the course material and demonstrate your understanding. Assignments can take many different forms, such as discussion posts, research papers, problem sets, quizzes, and exams. Your grades on these assignments will help you to gauge your course progress. More importantly, each of these items, including the instructor’s feedback, and sometimes use of rubrics (a table that shows you exactly what the instructor was looking for and how your grade was derived) will help you to understand where you can grow as a student. 

The nature of assignments in college classes in Brightspace can vary depending on the course and the instructor. 

Here are some examples of common assignments in college classes in Brightspace: 

• Essays: Essays allow students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic and their ability to communicate their ideas effectively. 
• Research papers: Research papers require students to gather information from a variety of sources and to synthesize it into a coherent and well-argued essay. 
• Problem sets: Problem sets help students to practice and apply the skills that they are learning in class. 
• Quizzes and exams: Quizzes and exams assess students’ knowledge of the course material. 

In addition to these traditional types of assignments, instructors may also assign students to complete projects, presentations, and other creative work. 

It is also important to note that your instructor may have specific requirements for submitting assignments in Brightspace. Be sure to read the assignment instructions carefully before you start working on the assignment.   

To submit an assignment in Brightspace, students need to follow these steps: 

1. Go to the Activities & Assessments page in your course. 
2. Click on the Assignment that you want to submit. 
3. Scroll down to the Submit Files section. 
4. Click on the Add a File button and select the file that you want to submit. 
5. You can also add comments to your submission, if desired. 
6. Click on the Submit button. 
7. Brightspace supports a variety of file types, including documents, presentations, spreadsheets, images, and videos. You can also submit multiple files at once.
   

Once you have submitted your assignment, you will see a confirmation page. You will also receive an email confirmation, if you have enabled email notifications. It is a good idea to save your receipt to ensure that you get credit for your work. 

Tips 

Here are some additional tips for submitting assignments in Brightspace: 

• Make sure that you have attached the correct file to your submission. 
• Review your submission before submitting it to make sure that it is complete and error-free. 
• Allow enough time for your file to upload, especially if you are submitting a large file. 
• If you have any problems submitting your assignment, contact your instructor for assistance. 

Discussion Forums 

Online discussion forums are another type of assignment that your instructor may request. Discussion forums, just like in-person discussions, are a way to engage with their classmates and instructor, and to learn from each other. When posting to an online discussion forum in Brightspace, it is important to be respectful and thoughtful.  

To post to an online thread in Brightspace, follow these steps: 

1. Go to the Discussions page in your course. 
2. Click on the thread where you’d like to make your post. Note that a thread is a set of posts on a related issue. 
3. Click on the Reply button. 
4. Enter your reply in the text box. You can also attach files to your reply, if needed by clicking the Add a File button on the toolbar. If you want to include another student in your post: @username will notify them to read your post. 
5. When you are finished, click on the Post button 

To reply to another student’s post: 

1. Go to the Discussions page in your course. 
2. Click on the thread that contains the post. 
3. Click on the Reply button next to the post. 
4. Enter your reply in the text box. 
5. You can also attach files to your reply, if needed. 
6. Click on the Post button to submit your reply. 

Tips for Discussion Posts and Replies 

It is also important to note that your instructor may have specific requirements for posting to online discussion forums in Brightspace. Be sure to read the course syllabus carefully before you start participating in the forums. 

• Read the discussion prompt carefully. Make sure that you understand what you are being asked to discuss. 
• Be mindful of your tone. It can be difficult to convey tone in writing, so it is important to be careful not to come across as rude or aggressive. 
• Avoid making one-sentence posts or simply agreeing with other students. 
• Be respectful of other students’ opinions, even if you disagree with them. 
• Proofread your posts before submitting them. 

Quizzes and Tests 

1. To navigate to your test material, open your course. 
2. Click Quiz on the navigation bar at the top of the page. A list of test material available to you will be displayed. Note that the last column will indicate how many times you are allowed to take the test. 
3. Click on the test name to open it. Make sure to read the directions before you start.
   Brightspace will autosave your answers as you move through the test. If there are multiple pages, make sure you click Next to proceed to the next page. 
4. When you are done, click Submit. Note that a summary will be displayed. Click Done to finish your quiz. 

Quizzes in BrightSpace 

Understanding Due Dates and End Dates 

A due date is the submission deadline of an assignment in your course. This date is specific to assignments only. 

End dates are also attached to assignments. The end date is the final date an assignment can be submitted, regardless of the due date. Once the end date of the assignment is past, you are no longer able to submit, no matter what the assignment’s due date is. 

You can check these dates and date settings on the Assignment List page. If you hover your mouse, a tooltip includes the information about start and end dates, along with the settings which includes any restrictions on these dates.  

Figure: The Assignment page with activity dates and date settings. 

Submit an Assignment 

The Assignments tool enables you to submit assignments in Brightspace, eliminating the need to print, hand-in, or email your work to instructors. 

Note: Your instructor controls what file types and extensions are permitted for an assignment submission. Before submitting your assignment, confirm on the assignment submission page in the section Allowed File Extensions what file types can be submitted. 

Figure: Review the permitted file extensions on your assignment submission page. 

How to Submit an Assignment 

1. From the navbar, click Assignments. 
2. On the Assignments page, click on the assignment you want to submit. 

Selecting an assignment for submission

Follow the assignment instructions, and do one of the following:

• Type your assignment directly in the Text Submission field, if available. When you finish your written response, click Submit. Note: you should not write or paste your assignment text into the comments box as the system will prevent submission in this way.
• To browse for the file you want to submit, click Add a File. Select the files from your local computer or storage device, a personal locker, a group locker, or Brightspace ePortfolio, and then click Add. Enter any comments you want to submit with the file. Click Submit.
• You can select Record Audio to add feedback. When you finish a recording, click Add. Enter any comments you want to submit with the file. Click Submit.
• If your assignment allows multiple submissions, you can incorporate any grammar feedback and resubmit your assignment.

Selecting a Turnitin assignment for submission

• If the assignment is Turnitin enabled, the file you submitted is pre-validated at the time of submission to ensure it is within the Turnitin file type and size requirements.
• If e-rater ® grammar feedback is enabled as well, you can view grammar feedback on your assignment. On the Submission History page, click the View e-rater® grammar feedback link in the Inline Feedback column.

Notes

• If you are submitting on behalf of a group, the submission appears for all members of the group. Any feedback is also visible to all group members. 
• If Online Grading or Similarity Report has been enabled, you can view your Submission ID within your Submission History page. 
• Depending on your course settings, you may be able to view any rubrics that are used to evaluate your work directly on the submission page. 
• If you need to find or cannot access your assignment, contact your instructor. 
• If you have questions on how to complete your assignment, contact your instructor. 

Activity 

Templates can save time and help you focus. 

• Create a template file for reuse with your assignments. Put in all the style and format elements you may require. Open and rename your template file for each assignment, remembering to add elements that may be unique to each.