BRIGHTSPACE TRAINING AND SUPPORT

To make optimal use of the features and functionality newly available in the new LMS, instructors will be asked to rebuild their courses on D2L Brightspace. While this will be a significant undertaking for those with significant materials in their current Blackboard courses, a variety of coaching resources and support will be available to ease this transition.

  • Workshops (Virtual and In-Person)
    • For the full workshop list and to sign up for workshops, click on the "Workshops" button on this page or the link above.

Highlighted Workshops

Ready by June!

Sponsored by UTS and VITAL, Course Ready by June is a series of short, hands-on sessions to help faculty build their Brightspace courses before summer term. Sessions include Getting Started with Brightspace, Open Build Labs, and Focused Tool Workshops. If you are new to Brightspace, we suggest you start with Getting Started with Brightspace. 

Getting Started with Brightspace
This hands-on session helps faculty begin building or organizing their courses in Brightspace. We will briefly demonstrate two common starting points—importing an existing Blackboard course or using a department or Villanova template—before participants begin working in their own courses.

Most of the session is dedicated to guided work time, with UTS and VITAL colleagues available to answer questions and provide support as you organize modules, review imported materials, and begin setting up course activities.

Register for Getting Started with Brightspace

Focused Tool Workshops
These one-hour virtual workshops explore commonly used Brightspace tools. Sessions offered on Brightspace Quizzes, Discussions, Assignments, and Grades.

Add a Focused Tool Workshop to Your Calendar

Open Build Labs
Remote and in-person sessions available. Spend time working on your Brightspace course with support available. UTS staff will be available throughout the session to answer questions and provide individual assistance. No formal presentation is planned.

Add an Open Build Lab to Your Calendar

Brightspace Course Design Lab, June 2026

Looking for focused time and in-person support to get started on creating your course(s) in Brightspace? Join us for a two-day, lab-style program designed to help you build your course in Brightspace. The lab combines substantial individual work time with targeted guidance, short demonstrations, and one-on-one assistance from UTS and VITAL colleagues. Whether you are migrating an existing course or designing something new, you will have access to resources, templates, and support throughout the process. Refreshments and lunch are provided. 

Choose from two in-person sessions: June 8-9 (Mon-Tues) or June 10-11 (Weds-Thurs), 9:00 am-3:00 pm.

​Sample Agenda from the March event​

Register today! The deadline to register for the June workshops is Friday, May 29. 

 
  • Faculty Information Hub in Brightspace
    • Faculty Information Hub is a place for you to access documentation about the Brightspace LMS.  The hub is built directly within Brightspace, designed to allow you to experience Brightspace as a student and learn about its toolsets and unique functionality. Included in the Hub are three pathways for faculty to quickly get up to speed.
  • Instructional Technology Support  - Individual support provided by members of Instructional Technologies via the UTS Support Portal
  • Brightspace Community
    • Documentation and Resources provided by D2L-Brightspace - click on "Brightspace Community" button this page.
  • Villanova Institute for Teaching and Learning (VITAL)           
    • Explore Teaching with Brightspace, a self-paced guide designed to help you discover how Brightspace tools might support your teaching goals and enhance your students’ learning experience. Gain familiarity through pedagogical use cases, sample activities, and instructional practices.
    • VITAL is available for individual or departmental consultations to discuss the best pedagogical ways to use the LMS and the tools within  

Brightspace Training Pathways

The following pathways have been designed to help ease your transition to the Brightspace LMS. We invite you to reflect on your current course(s) and how the students’ experience out-of-class interfaces with the in-class experience and select the approach to transitioning your course(s) to Brightspace that best supports your teaching goals. Information about each pathway and its related workshops is below and additional information is located in the Faculty Hub.

This approach presents you with a streamlined course build that aligns with the university’s four key LMS expectations for student success: 1. Post your syllabus to ensure that students have ongoing access to course expectations and requirements. 2. List assignment due dates and/or times for both in-class and out-of-class assignments to help students plan effectively. 3. Use the grade book to record and share assignment, quiz, and/or exam grades promptly so students have timely feedback on their learning progress. 4. Provide all digital course materials, such as readings, handouts, and links to external resources to provide students with a single, accessible platform for all course material in a way that aids in their time management and learning strategies.

Related Workshops: 

This approach presents you with a process to re-create your prior course structure while considering some new tools and features that Brightspace offers. You may adapt existing course layouts, while testing new tools such as multimedia integration, audio/video feedback, automated quizzes, and/or rubrics. You will be able to gradually enhance your students’ learning experience and engagement without overhauling the entire course setup.

Related Workshops:

This approach presents you with a process to redesign all or significant portions of your course in Brightspace and maximize the platform’s new tools and functionalities in support of student engagement and learning outcomes (e.g., customizable learning modules, grading tool Quick Eval, student self-assessment, and/or detailed analytics, among others).

Related Workshops:

 

Pedagogical Support (VITAL)

Gabriele Bauer - Director, VITAL

Stefan A. Perun - Associate Director for Digital Learning Pedagogy   

Hetal Thaker - Assistant Director for Instructional Technologies Integration

For more information on Vital's services please visit vital.villanova.edu

Instructional Technologies Support (UTS)

Ankit Desai - Director, Learning Technologes

Jessica Diebold - Manager, Learning Technologies

Michelle Gillen - Instructional Designer

Catherine Kolongowski - IT Support Analyst

Richard Wack - Instructional Designer

Nicholas Gavin - IT Support Analyst

Alvin Wong - Instructional Designer

Nathan Weyl - Senior Learning Management System Administrator

To receive Instructional Technologies support or support with Brightspace, please visit support.villanova.edu.

Brightspace Faculty Early Adopter Advisory Group

Christopher Brown - Assistant Teaching Professor, Physics

Javier Cabezas Zapata - Assistant Teaching Professor, Spanish

Steve Chanenson - Professor of Law, Law School

Alexis Coulter - Assistant Professor of the Practice, Professional Studies

Madeline DeWoody* - Assistant Professor of the Practice, Finance

Jason Grant - Assistant Professor, Computing Sciences

Angela Hanson* - Assistant Teaching Professor, Mathematics and Statistics

Luis Diego Granera - Assistant Teaching Professor, Economics

Jim Mendez* - Clinical Associate Professor, Nursing

Brian Satterfield - Teaching Professor, Augustine and Culture Seminar Prog

Kevin Waters - Associate Teaching Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Randy Weinstein* - Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning

* Teaching in Brightspace in Spring 2025