September 2026 Updates

Brightspace Updates

File Visibility in Content Changes for 7W2

Beginning mid-October, materials added to Content will be visible to students by default.

This reverses the current behavior in the New Content Experience, where newly added materials are hidden until an instructor makes them visible.

This change will take effect between October 9-14, and it restores the default from the previous Content experience. If a resource isn’t ready for students, turn off its visibility after adding it.

One important exception, Content visibility settings do not override the visibility settings for Assignments, Discussions, or Quizzes. Those activities are still governed by the settings in the activity itself. For example, if an Assignment is hidden, adding it to Content will not make it visible to students.

“Preview as a Student” Removed from New Content Experience

The “Preview as a Student” option has been removed from New Content Experience (NCE). D2L found that the preview did not reliably show the learner experience: it could miss availability dates and release conditions and show the instructor view of assignments, quizzes, and discussions.

To see your course from a learner’s perspective, select your name in the upper-right corner and choose “View as Student.” Keep in mind that this is a general student view. It may not show what a particular learner sees based on their group assignment, release conditions, or special access.

Brightspace profile menu open in the upper-right corner, with View as Student highlighted.

Manage Groups Dashboard - New Interface

The Manage Groups interface is turning over a new leaf! This update primarily refreshes the look and feel of the Manage Groups dashboard, while making it easier to manage large group categories with more groups efficiently. One new functionality allows instructors to edit group names and codes for a group category in bulk.

Screenshot of the updated Groups dashboard and the new button to Edit Group Names.

More Heading Level Options in the Brightspace HTML Editor

The Format menu in the Brightspace Editor now includes Heading 5 and Heading 6. You can apply these heading levels directly from the menu when the structure of your content calls for them.

Always be sure to use headings in a logical order so learners can more easily follow the page's structure.

Brightspace HTML Editor’s Paragraph menu is open, showing Heading 1 through Heading 6. A red box highlights the new Heading 5 and Heading 6 options.

Self Assessments Tool is Being Phased Out

D2L has announced its plan to retire the Self Assessments tool in January 2027. Existing Self Assessments remain available for now, but instructors who use them should begin planning to move their practice questions to Quizzes.

The tool will be disabled for all users in May 2027.

Tool Spotlight: Move Content Without Dragging

Having trouble placing a module, submodule, or file exactly where you want it in New Content Experience? The Table of Contents has another way to move items.

Double-click the eight-dot icon next to an item to activate up and down arrows. Use the arrows to move it one level at a time. Click outside the Table of Contents when you're finished. It can be especially helpful when drag-and-drop feels a little too finicky.

Red arrow points to the eight-dot move handle beside “Module 1: FeedbackFruits” in the Content table of contents.

Red arrow points to the up and down reorder buttons beside “Start Here” in the Content table of contents.