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September 2026 D2L Brightspace Release
Effective September 17, 2026, new and updated features within D2L Brightspace are available to Instructors as part of the monthly update. Release highlights include updates to Content, Groups, HTML Editor, and Self Assessments.
Review the Webinar recording and slide deck for What’s New in September 2026 (available after the Sept. 14th webinar). And learn more about the September 2026 release updates for students.
Content
'Preview as a Student' option removed from gear menu
With the September 2026 release, the Preview as a Student option has been removed from the 'course options' gear menu in Content (New Content Experience). The existing options for Manage Dates and View Reports remain available.
Previously, the Preview as a Student option was an option to preview the Content tool, but it did not accurately reflect the student's experience. This preview had several limitations. For example, it did not correctly apply availability dates and release conditions in Content, and it displayed the instructor view instead of the student view for Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions displayed in-line.
To view your course from a student's perspective, instructors can continue to use the Role Switch > View as option in the minibar. Learn more about the role switch feature.
Figure: When in Content, the 'course options' gear menu no longer includes the 'Preview as a Student' option, but continues to have options for Manage Dates and View Reports.
Groups
In the new Manage Groups experience, bulk edit group names within a category
With the September 2026 release, there is a faster way to update multiple group names in a category of groups when using the new Manage Groups experience. Learn about the new Manage Groups experience. From the category details page, an instructor can now select Edit Group Names to bulk update the group names and codes for multiple groups from a single page, saving time.
Previously, instructors had to select each group individually to edit its details.
Figure: After selecting the name of a group category, select the Edit Group Names button.
Figure: On the Edit Group Names page, edit the Group Name for any or all groups in the category before saving the page.
HTML Editor
Format menu now includes Heading 5 and Heading 6 options
With the September 2026 release, the rich-text HTML Editor toolbar now includes Heading 5 and Heading 6 in the Format menu. This update ensures that instructors can easily apply all standard heading levels directly from the Format menu in the HTML Editor toolbar, supporting compliance with accessibility standards.
Previously, the Format menu only displayed Heading 1 through Heading 4, and instructors had to use keyboard shortcuts or the Source Code editor to apply the additional heading levels.
Figure: When using the rich-text HTML Editor in D2L Brightspace, the Format menu now includes Heading 5 and Heading 6 as available options.
Self Assessments
Announcement for end of the Self Assessments tool and transition plan
- With the September 2026 release, a banner notice will display on the Self Assessments tool main page for Instructors.
- In the December 2026 (Dec. 17, 2026) release, the Self Assessment tool will be set to "off" by default in all Brightspace courses. In a course, an instructor may turn back on the tool(s) or they can contact their campus D2L Help Desk for help turning the tool back on in their course(s).
- In the January 2027 (Jan. 21, 2027) release, instructors will no longer be able to create new Self Assessments within the Self Assessment tool. Additionally, a migration utility within the Quizzes tool can be used to automatically migrate all the Self Assessments within your course into Quizzes, and delete the Self Assessments.
- In the May 2027 (May 20, 2027) release, the Self Assessment tool will be turned OFF (no longer available to anyone in Brightspace). Self Assessments cannot copied, imported, nor exported via the Brightspace Copy/Import/Export Components tool.
- In the December 2027 (Dec. 16, 2027) release, all data from the Self Assessment tool in Brightspace will be removed. There is no option for recovery.
Figure: As an instructor, a notice displays on the Self Assessments tool main page stating the tool will no longer be available after May 2027, a recommendation to migrate self assessment to Quizzes before that date, and a link to read more about the change.