The Implementation of Brightspace – The New Learning Management System

The University of Windsor begins utilizing Brightspace, the new learning management system, to navigate academic-related tasks.

Brightspace gives you access to the course materials and tools to communicate with your instructors, turn in assignments, and check your grades. It is easy to find and complete tasks using the learning management system.

Nicole Magcaleng, an Engineering student, says the transition from the blackboard learning system to Brightspace was straightforward.

“It was quite easy to transfer from Blackboard to Brightspace because of how simple the interface is. I am a 2nd-year student, I have been using Blackboard for a year, so while I have been accustomed to it, again, it was not complicated to make the switch.”

“My first year at the University of Windsor, I was overwhelmed and confused with Blackboard, but I got used to it. I believe Brightspace will be easier for students and incoming students to use. I do like the idea of the change. I was uncertain about it initially since change tends to be scary, ” Magcaleng shares.

Mariam Ayoub, a Criminology student, says that she used Brightspace in high school, so the transition from Blackboard to Brightspace was pretty smooth.

“The transition from Blackboard to Brightspace has been pretty smooth for me. I used Brightspace in high school, so I know my way around. It is easy to use and did not take much for me to get comfortable with it.” Ayoub says she is conflicted about the transition.

“I do not like the idea of switching over from Blackboard to Brightspace. Although Brightspace is easy to navigate, I prefer blackboard over it. Blackboard was more organized overall, making it easier to access the content. I do not think switching over to Brightspace was the best idea, especially in the middle of the school year,” Ayoub shares.

Jaime Nemett, a teaching assistant in Forensic Science, says it is not difficult to input grades to the Brightspace platform.

“I like Brightspace. It shows your modules’ completion status, making it much easier to stay organized. The adjustment to Brightspace was not as big of a deal for me since I used it during high school. It is still early in the semester, so I have not done any grading yet, but after thoroughly going through the platform, it is not hard to input grades on bright space,’’ Nemett shares.

Blackboard expires on April 28, 2023.

Brightspace is a cloud-based LMS with a mobile-first design and improved accessibility features. It is a very visual platform with a clean, user-friendly, modern UI that includes useful features for keeping track of your academic progress. Brightspace can be accessed from a browser at brightspace.uwindsor.ca.

The Brightspace Implementation Team shares that Uwindsor students can sign into their Microsoft 365 account to watch a video about Brightspace Basics to understand the platform better. Help through UWindsor’s IT Service Desk is also available for students via chat using the chat icon in the bottom right corner of uwindsor.ca/its or uwindsor.ca/itshelp. Students can also reach out by phone at 519-253-3000 ext. 4440