D2L Brightspace support:
24/7 phone support at 1-866-888-1272
24/7 email to answer support questions at washburn@d2l.com
24/7 chat and support request form
Washburn's D2L Blog
Online Education Support can answer your questions about Desire2Learn, Respondus, StudyMate, Respondus LockDown Browser, and Respondus Monitor. Desire2Learn (D2L) reference materials are available online and can be accessed from your D2L Homepage after logging in.
Course Merge Request
This request will need to be filled out separately for each resulting set of merged courses that you are requesting. If you are requesting to merge more than four courses together in any one merge request, please send an email to online-ed-support@washburn.edu.
Course Schedule and Registration
To view the list of available online courses, go to the Course Schedule and Registration Guide and click the Course Schedule link for the appropriate term. Enrolling in an online course is done in the same manner as other Washburn courses. Please refer to the registration section of the class schedule for specific enrollment information or contact the University Registrar for more information.
D2L Getting Started
There are two ways to access your D2L account:
Via MyWashburn:
- Log into your MyWashburn account with your Washburn email address and password.
- Select MyCourses from the left-hand navigation
- Click on the Desire2Learn logo
Go Directly to Desire2Learn
- Open a new browser window or tab
- Go to https://d2l.washburn.edu.
- Log in using your Washburn email address and password.
Unable to log in?
Your D2L account is linked directly to your MyWashburn account. If you are unable to log into your D2L account:
- Make sure you can log into your MyWashburn account by going to https://my.washburn.edu and entering your Washburn email address and password.
- Have you had a recent name change? If so, this process involves updating all of our systems which could take some time. You should receive notification when it is complete and you can begin using your new Washburn email address.
Getting Started Videos
D2L Faculty Training
Here you will find information on the most common things you will need to know when working with Desire2Learn (D2L) as an instructor. This resource is a mixture of videos, step-by-step instructions, and help files provided by D2L. Click the sections below to see information on that particular topic.
Beginning
If you have never worked in Desire2Learn, I would recommend starting by familiarizing yourself with the basic environment by looking through the following resources.
Video overview:
- Navigation Basics (5:40)
Personal Settings
Personal settings consist of the menu items visible when you click on your name in the upper right corner of D2L.
Video overview:
HTML Editor
The HTML Editor is the menu bar you encounter when you edit the description of a file or module or create a file.
View Course as Student
You can view a course as a student to get the student experience in your course.Viewing as a student does NOT work on Quizzes.
True Student Experience
You can add Test3 Student3 to your course and then log in as them. (See Communicating > Classlist, below, for instructions on how to add someone to your course)
Username: test.student3
Password: d2ltest3
Email from Desire2Learn is sent directly to the associated Washburn email address.
You can easily send email using the Classlist.
Classlist (Roster)
The Classlist is your course roster.
Video overview:
Steps to add someone to your course:
- Go to Communication > Classlist
- Click the Add Participants button
- Choose “Add Existing Users”
- In the "Search For" box, type the name (or any part of the name) of the person you want to add
- Press Enter on your keyboard or click the magnifying glass button
- Check the box in front of the person you want to add
- Select a Role (see the table below for details on what the different roles mean)
- If available, select a Section
- Click the Enroll Selected Users button
Roles and what they mean:
| Role | Description |
|---|---|
| Instructor | |
| Course-Assistant | Role that allows for grading but not content creation/edit |
| Teaching-Assistant | Role that allows for grading and content creation/edit without being classified as the instructor of the course |
| Student | |
| Student-Incomplete | Switching a student to this role in the Classlist will allow them access after the course End Date |
| Non-MyWU-Instructor | Instructor based role for individuals who do not work for Washburn |
| Non-MyWU-Student | Student based role for individuals who are not enrolled at Washburn |
| Section-Advisor | Can act with Instructor privileges only in assigned section. |
| Observer | Same settings as student - created to add an instructor to a course without giving them editing and grading rights |
Announcements
Announcements is used to communicate to your whole class. By default, the Announcements will show up in the Announcements widget on your course homepage.
Video overview:
D2L help file:
Calendar
Students can view upcoming due dates and other events using the course calendar.
Video overview:
D2L help file:
Modules & Topics
Modules are the main sections in the Content area. These can be broken up in many different ways depending on how you want to separate your course.
Any item found in a Module is referred to as a Topic. Therefore, Topics can be documents, files, web links, drop boxes, quizzes, etc.
For information on how to copy all or part of a course from a previous semester, see Miscellaneous > Copy Course (below)
Steps for adding a course syllabus:
- Click the Content link in the course menu
- Click the arrow to the right of the word "Syllabus" in the top center of the page
- Choose Add an Attachment
- Click the My Computer option
- Click the Upload button
- Find and open your syllabus (PDF is best)
- Click the Add button
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Links to Student D2L Orientation videos
- Navigation Basics - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/Gj75ZkYg
- Notification & Account Settings - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/t7C3Hsz8
- Working with Discussion Boards - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/Yk7r9Z6T
- Submitting and Reviewing Assignments - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/w5PJe49M
- Taking and Reviewing Quizzes - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/y6D7Pjp3
- Reviewing a Quiz - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/Xi3z4GFp
- Progress & Grades - https://video.washburn.edu/Watch/r4ZRp5k6
Release Conditions
You can control when Modules or Topics are available to students based on things the students have done using Release Conditions.
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Assignments
Assignments allow students to submit files to you so you can grade them in the D2L system.
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Discussions
Discussions are how you allow students to talk to each other about specific topics in the online environment.
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Other resources:
Quizzes
Quizzes can be used to determine the students' understanding of the information in your course. It is the tool used to administer quizzes, tests, and exams.
Video overviews:
- Creating quizzes (11:38)
- Scoring quizzes (1:45)
- Quiz item analysis & statistics (1:20)
- Regrading quiz questions (2:30)
- Checking for and submitting un-submitted quiz attempts (2:08)
When a student tells you they did a quiz but you don't see it in the list of attempts, it may be because they clicked the Save button instead of the Submit button. This is how you find and submit it. - Question library (1:43)
- Creating question pools (3:11)
D2L help file:
Class Progress
The Class Progress tool helps you check your students' progress in a course through tracking course-specific assignments and feedback, and through measuring progress indicators.
Video overview:
Grades
Grades is your D2L gradebook. It can be set up to let you enter directly into it or it can be attached to assessment activities in D2L so their scores come over automatically. It can be customized in many different ways.
If you aren't familiar with online gradebooks, I strongly encourage you to start by reading this introduction to Grades.
Video overviews:
- Grade Setup Wizard (2:54)
- Creating Grade Schemes (2:17)
- Setting Up a Points Based Gradebook (4:51)
- Setting Up a Weighted Gradebook (5:46)
- Associating Grade Items to Assessment Items (3:56)
- Entering Grades Directly into the Gradebook (3:07)
D2L help file:
Rubrics
Rubrics can be used to communicate expectations for an assignment, provide focused feedback on works in progress, and grade final products.
D2L help file:
Copy Course
If you have a course that is already set up the way you would like your current course set up, it is easy to copy the old course into the new course. Typically, we recommend you copy the entire course and then delete the parts you don't want but sometimes you only need to copy a few things so there are instructions for both.
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Personalize Course Homepage
Bringing personality to a Course Homepage is just one of the many ways you can make the online environment more friendly and seem easier to use.
Video overviews:
- Creating a Widget (1:06)
Widgets are the boxes on the homepage that contain information. - Changing the Course Homepage (2:44)
D2L help file:
Groups
Groupwork is possible in D2L. This area covers the very basics of setting up groups.
Video overviews:
D2L help file:
Washburn Video Server
Due to the limited space we have in the D2L environment, we recommend all video and audio files be stored on the Washburn Video Server. If you do not have a Washburn Video account, please contact video@washburn.edu.
Video overview:
- Coming soon
Adding External Content
When you have a zipped file of content you need to add to your course, it is sometimes hard to distinguish wish type of file it is. I suggest trying the instructions in the first video and if your content doesn't load, then try the second video.
Video overview:
- Importing from a Content Package (2:27)
In this video, you will learn how to import content packages (such as SCORM, common cartridge, and tests created by test generators). In the video I click on "Edit Course", in the system currently, you will need to click on "Course Admin". - Adding zipped content (2:26)
In this video, you will learn how to add files that have been zipped together (such as some Adobe Presenter, some Articulate Presenter, some Softchalk, and other HTML files) to the Content area. In the video I click on "Edit Course", in the system currently, you will need to click on "Course Admin".
Administrative Course Access
The VPAA, Deans, Department Chairs, and other Administrators may request access to D2L sections for course review, student appeals, and other reasons. The process by that access is requested and approved is described in this document.
Faculty Online Course Access Guidelines/Procedures
Zoom Video Conferencing
Respondus (Test Generator, LockDown Browser, Monitor, & StudyMate)
There are actually 2 different Respondus products that we use in conjunction with Desire2Learn.
- There is the Respondus Lockdown Browser which is used by students when taking a test that has been predetermined as one that needs to be more secure.
- Then there is just Respondus which is a test generation software used to move questions from LMS to LMS or from a Word document into D2L
Unless the words "Lockdown Browser" are specifically stated, most information is about the test generation software.
License Information
Washburn University has a campus-wide license which offers unlimited use of the software application by persons affiliated with the educational institution (software can additionally be installed on personal and home computers). Free updates to the software are provided for the duration of the license.
Make sure to use the installer provided by Washburn and not the one found at www.respondus.com directly.
Installation on Campus Computer
To have Respondus installed on your Washburn-owned computer contact support@washburn.edu or call 785-670-3000 to schedule a time with a PC Tech.
Installation on Personal Computer
The download and licensing information for Respondus is available to Washburn personnel in Desire2Learn Brightspace. To access it, log into https://d2l.washburn.edu and select the Respondus FAQ link from the navigation at the top. Select the download and installation information link for instructions and the download.
Here are the Word document formatting guidelines.
Here are the steps to import a questions in a formatted document into Respondus.
Convert StudyMate Author files (old Flash) to use in StudyMate Campus
Flash content will no longer function after January 1, 2021.
GET IN TOUCH WITH Desire2Learn 24/7 Support
Email D2L Support
washburn@d2l.com
Call for D2L Technical assistance
1.866.888.1272
Visit the D2L community for solutions
D2L Support Site
