Brightspace User Guide

Table of Contents

Overview

openEQUELLA is an advanced digital repository that can be integrated with the Brightspace learning management system. From within Brightspace, users can access the openEQUELLA repository to search, create and manage content such as images, audio, video, packaged content, web links, text, PDFs and Microsoft Office™ documents. Content can then be incorporated into Brightspace courses. The purpose of this guide is to demonstrate to users how to integrate openEQUELLA resources using Brightspace. Users will learn how to search for, create and manage available resources, and how to add these materials to courses.

For information on configuring openEQUELLA in Brightspace, refer to the openEQUELLA Brightspace Configuration Guide.

Please note that this guide has been developed using openEQUELLA version 6.4 (QA2) and Brightspace version 10.5.3 and as such may differ in appearance to your own installation.

Additional details about using openEQUELLA with an LMS Integration can be found in the Integrated LMS User Guide

Brightspace homepage

Login to Brightspace

  1. Log in to Brightspace to display the Brightspace homepage.

Accessing the openEQUELLA repository

Resources stored in the openEQUELLA repository can be added to any user-editable Brightspace course using the following methods:

  • Selecting the openEQUELLA Course Builder item from the Add Content area of the Course Builder for a Brightspace course
  • Using the openEQUELLA Navbar link from within a course
  • Using the openEQUELLA Quicklink from within a Brightspace course
  • Using the openEQUELLA Insert Stuff link from within a Brightspace HTML editor

Accessing openEQUELLA from the Course Builder

openEQUELLA content can be added to Brightspace courses using the openEQUELLA Course Builder item configured in Brightspace. Using the openEQUELLA Course Builder item opens the openEQUELLA integration screen, allowing the user to select multiple content items within the openEQUELLA repository and add them to multiple course modules within the one selection session.

To open the openEQUELLA integration page from the Brightspace Course Builder

  1. Select a Brightspace course to open the Course page.
  2. Select the Content link. The Brightspace Course Content page displays.
  3. From the Table of Contents, select Course Builder from the Related Tools drop-down. The Course Builder page displays.
  4. Click and drag the openEQUELLA item in the Add Content panel and drop on a course module. The openEQUELLA Integration screen displays.

openEQUELLA content can be added to Brightspace courses using an openEQUELLA Navbar link configured in Brightspace. Using the openEQUELLA Navbar link opens the openEQUELLA integration screen, allowing the user to select multiple content items within the openEQUELLA repository and add them to multiple course modules within the one selection session.

To open the openEQUELLA integration page from a Navbar link

  1. Select a Brightspace course to open the Course page.
  2. Select the openEQUELLA Navbar link (e.g. openEQUELLA Content). The openEQUELLA Integration screen displays.

A single openEQUELLA attachment or resource summary link can be added to a Brightspace course module using an openEQUELLA Quicklink configured in Brightspace. Using the openEQUELLA Quicklink opens the openEQUELLA Select screen which allows the user to select a single resource summary or attachment within the openEQUELLA repository and add it to the course module from which the Quicklink was accessed. It has most of functionality of the full integration screen, including the ability to contribute, but doesn’t display the Brightspace Course modules panel.

To open the openEQUELLA Select screen from a Brightspace Quicklink

  1. Select a Brightspace course to open the Course page.
  2. Select the Content link. The Brightspace Course Content page displays.
  3. From the Add Existing Activities drop-down, select the openEQUELLA Quicklink (e.g. openEQUELLA Content). The openEQUELLA Select screen displays.
  4. Resize the frame to view the full screen by dragging the resize handle.

Accessing openEQUELLA from Insert Stuff

Images, videos, PDFs and other files from openEQUELLA can be embedded into an HTML page using the openEQUELLA Insert Stuff function accessed from Brightspace’s HTML editor. Using the openEQUELLA Insert Stuff option opens the openEQUELLA Single selection integration screen, allowing the user to select a single resource summary or attachment from within the openEQUELLA repository to add to the HTML Editor page. It has the functionality of the full integration screen, but doesn’t display the Brightspace Course modules panel or the Contribute link.

To add openEQUELLA content to the Brightspace HTML editor

(Note: openEQUELLA content can be accessed from any of the Brightspace HTML editors. These HTML editors exist in a number of places in Brightspace, and this guide will refer to just one of those.)

  1. Select a Brightspace course to open the Course page.
  2. Select the Content link.
  3. The Brightspace Course Content page displays.
  4. Select Create a File from the New drop-down in a module. The Create a file in ‘module name’ page displays with the Brightspace HTML Editor.
  5. Select the icon (Insert Stuff) from the HTML editor toolbar. The Insert Stuff page displays.
  6. Select the configured openEQUELLA Insert Stuff item (e.g. openEQUELLA Content). The openEQUELLA Single Selection integration screen displays.

Managing resources in Brightspace

Resources added to Brightspace modules can be managed in the following ways:

  • Click menu on the icon to the left of the link to drag the link either to a different location within the current module, or to another module within the current course.

From the Actions menu (accessed from down arrow to right of title):

  • Select View Topic to open the topic link.
  • Select Edit Properties In-place open editable properties.
  • Click on Add dates and restrictions to access the dates and restrictions fields.
  • Click on the Description to open the HTML editor and edit the description.

  • Click Update to save changes.

  • Select Submit Feedback to rate a resource and/or leave a comment.
  • Select Move Up to move the resource up one spot.
  • Select Move Down to move the resource down one spot.
  • Select Move To to move the resource to another module within the course.
  • Select Edit Metadata to open the Edit Metadata page.
  • Select Delete Topic to remove the resource from the module.

For further information on these options, please refer to the D2L Brightspace documentation.

To view a resource

  1. Select the title link to display the resource selected. Depending on the type of resource (pdf, docx, jpg,etc.), the object will display using a default viewer. openEQUELLA summary pages display using the openEQUELLA Resource summary page.

Push to LMS

openEQUELLA content can be added to Brightspace course modules using the Add to external system function accessed from the Resource summary page Actions menu in native openEQUELLA.