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Brightspace Student Guide

Brightspace is UVic’s central course hub and primary Learning Management System (LMS). Looking for more tips? Check out this Brightspace course that is all about your UVic learning technologies.

Assignments & Exams

Assignments

The Assignment tool allows you to upload and submit assignments directly in Brightspace without the need to email instructors.

    Types of assignments you may see in your course

    • Text-based assignments (e.g., PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, XLS): essays, presentations, take-home assignments, etc.
    • Image-based assignments (e.g., JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIF, TIFF): photographs, design files, etc.
    • Audio assignment (e.g., MP3, WAV): audio responses, audio essays, etc.
    • Video assignment (e.g., MP4, MOV): video responses, recorded presentations, etc.

    On this page

    Further resources

    How to find assignments

    Depending on how your instructor has organized their course, assignments can be found in two places on Brightspace:

    1. In their respective modules in the Content tool 
    2. Via the Course Tools > Assignments from the navigation bar 

    Always check your syllabus and carefully note what assignments, quizzes, and activities are due in your course and when. If you are having difficulty locating an assignment in your course, contact your instructor.

    Navigating Course Content

    In addition to your syllabus, you will often find the link to your assignment under the Content tab in the navigation bar. Content may be organized differently in different courses, so be sure you check your syllabus, course announcements, with your instructor, or a peer to find out how your assignments will be posted.

    If you cannot find your assignment under the Content tab, look for it under Assignments, which you can access under Course Tools in the navigation bar. This is where you will find a list of all available assignments in your course.

    Shortcut: Access your Course Tools

    If you are looking for a particular assignment, you might use the Course Tool menu to get to it quickly. Use this as a quick way to navigate.  This is not a good way to determine what assignments are due in your course and when (use the syllabus for this).

    All assignments that are open for submission are clickable blue links. You can click on this link to submit your assignment. See how do I submit an assignment for more information. If you can see your assignment, but you cannot click on it (i.e. it is greyed out), it means your assignment is not yet open, or the deadline has passed.  

    Once you click on a specific assignment, you will see the following:

    • Assignment instructions
    • Due date/ other important dates
    • your submission options (depending on the assignment, this may be a text submission, a single/multiple file(s), or a specific type of file, such as audio or video, etc.).  

    If an assignment is meant to be submitted in groups, there will be a general submission page for each of those groups. This means that any member of a group can submit to their respective assignment page, and the final grade is applicable to all group members regardless of which who submitted the file(s). Instructors and/or teaching assistants can modify individual grades as needed.

    Submit and confirm assignment

    Resubmit a submission

    Important note about due dates & end dates

    • Most instructors will set a  due date for an assignment. Once the due date is reached, assignments can still be submitted to the system, but will be timestamped and flagged as late. Your instructor will likely explain how or if they consider late submissions in the syllabus.

     

    • In some cases, an instructor may also choose to add an end date to their assignment. Once the end date is reached (e.g. Nov 19 at 11:59), submissions will no longer be accepted.

    Why am I getting an error message?

    If you get an error message like “Oops, Your File Could Not Be Uploaded”  or “Your submitted files do not meet the file restrictions for this assignment” when you submit your assignment, don’t panic. There are a few reasons why this might be happening:

    1. Remove any special characters from your file or folder name. The following characters cannot be used in the names of files that will be uploaded to Brightspace:  ” * / : < > ? | –
    2. Keep your file or folder name short. Your file or folder name contains too many characters. The limit to characters in file names is 260 characters, but try to limit file names to two or three words.
    3. Make sure your file is not too large: Files must be 2 GB or smaller, but it’s best to keep your files smaller than 40 MB if possible.
    4. Make sure your file name contains a valid extension. Your file should end with .doc or .docx or other accepted file type (see below). Avoid avoid using two consecutive periods ( .. ) in a file name. Accepted file types include the following: html, doc, docx, hwp, odt, rtf, wpd, txt, ps, pdf, pptx, ppt, ppsx, pps, xls, xlsx, gdoc.
    5. Remove spaces from your file or folder name. Spaces can cause corruption in some cases.

     

    If the error you receive is “Error: Field is required. Select at least one file to upload.”

    • You will see this error if you click “Add” before your file has finished uploading. You may be more likely to see if this you have a slow connection or are uploading a very large file (audio, video and media).
    • Watch the green progress bar on your file name and make sure it is completely done. Then click “Add”.

    If you are still having difficulty submitting a file or assignment, please contact helpdesk@uvic.ca.

      Quizzes

      Your instructor may use quizzes to assess your learning in many ways. For example, they may create weekly quizzes, formative tests, midterms or final exams that can include many question types such as multiple choice, fill in the blanks, short and long answer questions, etc.

      Why can't I access my quiz

      Having trouble accessing a quiz? Here are some common issues you can troubleshoot before contacting helpdesk@uvic.ca or your instructor. 

      Surveys

      Brightspace Surveys tool is an excellent tool for you to provide feedback to your instructors regarding any aspects of a course. For example, your instructor may use surveys for course evaluations, mid-year reviews, or student preferences and content delivery.

      Anonymous responses

      If a survey is anonymous, your user data is hidden in survey results. The responses to survey questions are available for all users, but the system does not report who made the response.

      Grades

      Use the Grades tool on the navbar to check your grades on all course assessments (e.g., assignments, quizzes/exams, and discussions). Always check your syllabus and carefully note what assignments, quizzes, and activities are due in your course and when. If you are having difficulty locating an assignment in your course, contact your instructor.

      How to view your grades

      • Select the Grades tool from the navbar to view your individual grades. If set up by your instructor, you may also view formulas and rubrics used for evaluation.
      • Comments and feedback can be viewed through the Grades tool as well.

      Awards

      The Awards tool allows your instructor to reward students for academic achievement or participation in a course. Awards can be found under Course Tools. Please note that not all instructors will use awards in their courses.

      Exams

      There are three main types of exams that you may encounter in your courses: Synchronous timed exams, flexibly timed exams, and take home/open book exams. 

      Depending on the type of exam you are taking, they may be stored in different places. Synchronous Timed Exams and Flexibly Timed Exams will most likely be stored under Quizzes, which you can find under Course Tools. Take Home Exams will likely be stored under Assignments, which can also be accessed from Course Tools.

      Your exam may also be accessible from content, depending on how your professor has structured your course. If you are unsure where to find your exam, be sure to clarify with your professor about where the exam can be accessed. You will want to find out where and how to access your exam well in advance of your final exam.

      Respondus Lockdown Browser

      Respondus LockDown browser is a web browser (e.g. like Chrome) used for some online exams. This browser limits the ability for the person taking an online quiz in Brightspace to navigate away from the quiz to other webpages or use additional applications on their computer.

      Respondus LockDown Browser does not record or monitor you during an exam. It is not an artificial intelligence / surveillance proctoring tool.  UVic has chosen not to adopt these tools (e.g. Proctorio, Respondus Monitor).

      Respondus LockDown browser is one method of invigilating exams. Exam invigilation (whether in person or online) serves to maintain academic integrity of the examination for the benefit of the institution and students.  Methods of invigilation may vary by faculty, instructor and discipline. Please see the Calendar Guidelines on Exam Invigilation for more information.

      Installing Respondus Lockdown Browser

      Tip: Install LockDown Browser in the days ahead of your exam in order to avoid technical difficulties.

      1. Log into Brightspace with a regular browser, select the course, and navigate to the quiz.
      2. On the first page of your quiz, scroll to the bottom of the page.
      3. Click Download and install the latest version of LockDown Browser. 
      4. On the download page, select Install Now.
      5. The download will begin. Once it is finished, open the installer and follow the instructions there.
      6. Choose the setup language.
      7. Accept license agreement and finish.

      If you encounter any difficulties, contact the Computer Helpdesk:

      Email: 
      Telephone: 250-721-7687
      In person: Locations & hours

      What do I do if something goes wrong during my online exam?

      If you encounter a technical problem during your exam, do not panic.

      If you are unable to troubleshoot the issue on your own, contact your instructor immediately with details about the problem. You may wish to have their email address in an accessible place in case you encounter a technical problem.

      If you need immediate technical assistance, contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@uvic.ca or 250-721-7687 (Toll Free: 1-844-721-7687).

      For non-technical support during your exam:

      Some of your instructors may have a Zoom room open for questions during the exam. Make sure you check with your instructor prior to the exam about where you can go for help during your exam.