Overview
Course tools, such as Content, Discussions, Grades, Quizzes, are common components you may use in your course to share learning content, foster interaction, and evaluate learner performance. As an instructor, you may be able to turn course tools off so that the tools in your course are specifically tailored to your pedagogy and course materials. Important: Keep in mind that deactivating a tool may cause related course tools to not function properly for yourself and your students!
Access the course Tools page
Click Course Admin from the course navigation bar, and then click Tools.
What happens if I turn off (deactivate) a course tool?
Be aware of the following:
- Release Conditions – If a tool is deactivated, release conditions referencing the tool are not enforced as long as the tool remains disabled.
- Competencies – If the tool is deactivated, the assessment activities associated with the Competencies tool are hidden. However, the assessment activities are still associated with any learning objectives to which they are attached. Students cannot complete these learning objectives while the Competencies tool is deactivated. Do not disable the Competencies tool if you have associated learning objectives with any assessment activities.
- Grades – When a tool is deactivated, any grade items associated with the tool remain, but you must manually update the grade items from the grade book.
- Quicklinks/Hyperlinks – Within the HTML Editor, any quicklink/hyperlink to the tool or items contained within the tool persist; however, a “Unavailable” message displays to students and instructors when navigating using the link.
Deactivating the following tools will impact related course tools:
- Deactivating the Question Collections hides the Add/Edit buttons in the Quizzes, Surveys, and Self Assessments tools. This means that you can't add or edit questions in a quiz, a survey, or a self-assessment when the Question Library tool is turned off (i.e. deactivated).
- Deactivating the Quizzes tool prevents instructors from being able to access the Add/Edit Questions button in the Question Library, Surveys, and Self Assessments tool. This means that you won’t be able to create or edit questions in a survey, self-assessment, or the Question Library if the Quizzes tool is turned off (i.e. deactivated).
- Deactivating the Competencies tool impacts the functionality of the Rubrics tool by removing the Add Rubric button and the rubric icon/grid/link in an assessment activity. This means that Rubrics cannot be associated with an assessment item and you cannot use a rubric to assess students when the Competencies tool is turned off (i.e. deactivated).
- Deactivating the External Learning Tools impacts the functionality of Learning Tools Interoperability, Remote Plugins, and External Learning Tools contained within the course. This means that you won’t be able to view, create, or edit any ELT/LTI tools or remote plugins, such as from the Content tool. Your students will not be able to view or interact with External Learning Tools within your course.
- Deactivating Microsoft365 removes the ability for students to access their Microsoft 365 OneDrive to upload a file to an assignment folder.
What happens if I rename a tool in my course?
Important: Please keep in mind that renaming a tool will make its name inconsistent across other courses, and other schools. Generally, renaming a tool negatively impacts a student’s navigation experience in Brightspace courses. A tool name change only affects the tool name on the course navbar; the tool name is not changed in help documentation, screens, nor navigation areas elsewhere in the course.