Coming Summer 2026: New Content Experience for Instructors in D2L Brightspace

Overview

As part of ongoing efforts to improve consistency and usability across D2L Brightspace, the Senior Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs approved the ASA Technology Council recommendation that the New Content Experience be the default experience in all Brightspace courses starting summer 2026.

  • Starting January 15, 2026, instructors will have the New Content Experience in their summer and fall 2026 courses. Note that this change does not affect your spring 2026 (20265) courses, which will continue to have the "Classic" Content experience.
  • On May 14, 2026, all courses (including development, sandbox) will be enabled with the New Content Experience, except past ISRS semester courses. Spring 2026 and prior semester courses will still have the Classic Content experience.

With the New Content Experience in Content, instructors can expect a similar experience of the existing creation and editing of course materials, but with a few changes and new features.

Students can also expect new features and some changes to their experience with navigation and interacting with Content. Learn more about the student's view of the New Content Experience. 

What is "Classic Content" vs. New Content Experience

The New Content Experience offers a clean, minimalist design for instructors setting up a course and for students navigating the materials. The New Content Experience is the new experience compared to “Classic Content”, the previous experience in the Content tool.

The Content tool as it exists today, sometimes referred to as "Classic Content"

 

The New Content Experience in the Content tool

What features are not available in the New Content Experience

D2L has been slowly building out the New Content Experience over many years (10+ years). D2L is still working on adding more functionality that currently exists in the Classic Content to make it more feasible for higher education users.

The following features and functionality are available in the Classic Content, but are not yet available in the New Content Experience. Note: This list may be updated as features become available in future monthly releases of D2L Brightspace. 

Instructor features not available in the New Content Experience

  • Cannot bulk edit content topics
  • HTML topic 'description' field does not display (and therefore cannot be accessed nor edited)
  • Cannot determine the file name for the a content HTML page
  • The last modified date does not display for any content page
  • No notification checkbox to notify students of updated content
  • No content settings to:
    • Modify the HTML templates path (Your local Brightspace Campus Site Admin can adjust this in the background)
    • Set default font settings for new HTML pages (This would be set manually from each new HTML page)
    • Set default completion status for new topics (This would be adjusted for each topic from the edit topic page or the topic's menu)
  • When uploading a file, replacing a file, or creating a new HTML file, cannot choose a folder in the course Manage Files
  • When adding from the course Manage Files, multiple files cannot be selected to add them all at once
  • No option to manage content exemptions for students
  • No option to add an existing ePortfolio item to content
  • No option to bookmark a topic page to easily return to it later

Student features not available in the New Content Experience

  • No Course Schedule page
  • No option to bookmark a topic page to easily return to it at a later time
  • No option to add a content item to ePortfolio
  • No easy print button for an individual topic (such as web pages, template page) when it does not load in the content viewer
  • No print button for the Table of Contents to print as a list

Learn more about the student's view of the New Content Experience. 

Commonly asked questions

Can I turn OFF the New Content Experience in my course?

The New Content Experience will be the only experience for all courses as of May 14, 2026, except past ISRS courses. Spring 2026 and prior semester courses will still have the Classic Content experience.

The New Content Experience will have a significant impact on the experience of students, so instructors will not have the option to toggle back to the previous version within the context of a course. 

Is there a way to change the module colors in the New Content Experience?

No, there isn’t a way to adjust the colors. These colors may come from your school’s theme colors set for your entire D2L Brightspace site or are the default colors in the New Content Experience.

How are modules and sub-modules structured in the New Content Experience?

The New Content Experience supports levels of modules: Units (i.e. modules) and Lessons (that is, sub-modules) or Folders (i.e. sub-sub-modules). 

How do I view long titles the left navigation in the New Content Experience? 

New Content Experience truncates module titles longer than 2 lines in the side navigation. Hovering over the title will display a tooltip with the full title. Selecting or pressing on the module's title will display the full title on the page.

Feature Comparison: Classic vs. New Content Experience

In the New Content Experience, instructors can still do most of what they were doing in the Classic Content. However, a few things have shifted around for instructors. Here is a list of things that have changed to help you find your way:

Action or Feature

Where It Was in Classic

Where It Is in New Experience

Add a module

Bottom of module list

Top of module list 
("+New Unit")

Editing the module title

Main module content area >> Module title menu >> Edit Title

Click on module >>
Click three dots at top right >> Edit ("Unit Title")

Editing the module description

Main module content area

Click on module >>
Click three dots at top right >> Edit >> Description

Add dates & restrictions to module

Main module content area >> Add dates and restrictions...

Click on module >>
Click three dots at top right >>
Edit >> Change Availability
Dates & Conditions

Add a sub-module

Bottom of main module content area (or move module tiles around)

Click on module >>
Create New (top right) >>
New Lesson or
New Folder (if within a Lesson)

Hide or make visible

Main module content area >>
toggle visible icon (top right)

Click on module >> toggle visible switch (top left)
Download module
(to a zipped file)		 Main module content area >> Module title menu >> Download Click on module >>
Click three dots at top right >> Download
Delete module Main module content area >> Module title menu >> Delete Module Click on module >>
Click three dots at top right >> Delete

Content Reports

Table of Contents >> Related Tools >> View Reports 

Top of module list (gear icon) >> View Reports

Overview

Above table of contents

Top of module list (only displays if overview was added in Classic Content), since the overview cannot be created directly from the new Content experience

Bookmarks

Above table of contents

Removed feature
(review feature request #D4838)

Course Schedule

Above table of contents

Removed feature
(review feature request #D11412)

Content Settings

Settings

Removed feature
(review feature request #D12801)

Options for creating new items

Upload/Create
(drop-down at top left)

Create New
(button at top right)

Options for adding existing items

Existing Activities
(drop-down at top left)

Add Existing
(button at top right)

Upload Files

Upload/Create

In a module >> Add Existing
(click button and scroll down)

Note: Choose file destination is a removed feature (review feature request #D13303)

Create a File

Upload/Create

Create New
(item now called "Page")

Note: Choose file destination is a removed feature (review feature request #D13303)

Create a Link

Upload/Create

Create New
(item now called "Weblink")

Video or Audio (upload media)

Upload/Create

Add Existing >> Select More >> Select Kaltura Media >> 
Video or Audio
(Enter URL or embed code)		 Upload Create

Create New >> Insert Stuff >> Enter Embed Code

Add from Manage Files

Upload/Create

Add Existing >> Select More >> Select Content File

Note: Adding multiple files at once is a removed feature (review feature request #D13297)

New SCORM /xAPI Object

Upload/Create

Add Existing >>
SCORM/xAPI Object

Create new Assignment, Checklist, Discussion, or Quiz 

Upload/Create

Create New
Create new Survey Upload/Create

Create New >> More

Create new Self Assessment

N/A

Create New >> More

Add existing Assignments, Checklist, Discussions, Quizzes

 Existing Activities

Add Existing
Add existing ePortfolio item Existing Activities

Removed feature

Add existing Self Assessments, Surveys, Video Assignment, or Virtual Classroom

 Existing Activities

Add Existing >> More

Third-Party Integrations

Existing Activities

Add Existing >> More

External Learning Tools

Existing Activities

Add Existing
(item now called
"External Tool Activity")

Kaltura Media

Existing Activities

Add Existing >> More

Media Library

Existing Activities

Add Existing >> More
View a topic Main topic content area >>
topic menu >> View Topic
(or click on topic title) 		 Click on topic title

Editing the topic title

 Main topic content area Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Edit ("Page Title")
Editing the topic description Main topic content area >> Edit Properties in Place >> Add a description... (or click on existing description) 

Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Edit >> Description

Note: The description field for HTML topic pages is a removed feature (review feature request #D12537)
Replace a file Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Change File >> Create a File, Upload, Record, Choose Existing

Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Edit >> Replace >> My Computer or Course Offering Files

Note: Choose file destination is a removed feature (review feature request #D13303)
Add dates & restrictions to topic Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Edit Properties in Place
>> Add dates and restrictions...		 Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Edit >> Change Availability Dates & Conditions
Hide or make visible Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Hide or make visible to users Click on topic >> toggle visible switch (top left)
Manage exemptions Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Edit Properties in Place >> Add dates and restrictions... >> Manage Exemptions Removed feature
Download topic (if available) Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Download Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Download
Delete topic Main topic content area >> topic menu >> Delete topic Click on topic >> Click three dots at top right >> Edit
Bulk edit (topics in module) Bulk Edit Removed feature
(review feature request #D7997 and D12882)
Move topic Move topic tile around
by dragging-and-dropping it
using the eight-dot icon		 Click on topic title >> Move topic tile around by dragging-and-dropping it using the eight-dot icon

Connected file name with last modified date

View Topic >> bottom of page

Removed feature
(review feature request #D12476)
Completion Summary View Topic >> under topic Only available for certain activities: Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes

Notification checkbox for updated content

 Edit HTML topic >> bottom of page Removed feature
(review feature request #D11701)
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