Brightspace implementation draws closer, timelines become more defined

Faculty and staff on Purdue’s West Lafayette campus who are interested in using the new D2L Brightspace learning management system to teach during the spring 2020 semester can submit a request by filling out an online survey.

The West Lafayette survey, available here, will help the West Lafayette Brightspace implementation team identify courses that are suitable for a “soft launch” of the new learning management system. During the soft launch, some tools and features that courses currently use may not be available. The deadline to submit a request is Nov. 25.

Timelines

The spring soft launch is the first step in the University’s systemwide adoption of Brightspace, which was selected to replace Blackboard Learn. Each campus of the Purdue system is developing its own timeline for implementation.

  • For the West Lafayette campus, soft launch participants are expected to be granted access to Brightspace in early December. Access for all faculty and staff is expected to begin in late January or February, allowing for the migration of course materials from Blackboard and the creation of new course materials. All courses will need to be moved or created in Brightspace by the start of the 2020 fall semester, when Blackboard Learn will be shut down.

  • Purdue Fort Wayne has identified several instructors who will “soft launch” their courses this Spring. Because some tools and features that courses currently use will not be available, this group is small and targets only face-to-face courses. Those faculty are expected to be granted access to Brightspace in early December. Access for all faculty and staff is expected to begin in February, allowing for the migration of course materials from Blackboard and the creation of new course materials. A heavy “soft launch” is anticipated for the summer, with the goal of supporting many instructors and courses in Brightspace. All fall 2020 courses will be in Brightspace by August. Teams of Fort Wayne faculty and CELT, ITS, and DCS staff are working to prepare the necessary technologies and training at this time. 

  • Purdue Northwest has identified instructors who will “soft launch” their courses this Spring. Because some tools and features that courses currently use will not be available, this group is small yet diverse. Those faculty are expected to be granted access to Brightspace in early December.  Although PNW faculty and students will continue to utilize Blackboard Learn during the 2020-2021 academic year, faculty are eager to get into Brightspace.

Continued collaboration

Even with different timelines to full implementation, the three Purdue campuses and Purdue Global are continuing to work with D2L to identify processes and procedures to make the implementation as smooth as possible, working to identify solutions to issues ranging from authentication to content migration. 

In October, based on input gathered by the LMS implementation executive steering committee, the project’s executive sponsors confirmed the decision to implement a single instance of Brightspace for Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Fort Wayne and Purdue Northwest. Purdue Global already uses Brightspace and will continue to do so. This will allow for uniformity across the Purdue system, but will still give each campus operational autonomy at the local level.


Campus contacts 

For more information, including the expected timeline of the Brightspace implementation plan, visit www.purdue.edu/learning-management.

Have questions about the Brightspace implementation plan? Contact implementation team members at:

Writer: Dave Stephens, technology writer, Information Technology at Purdue, 765-496-7998, steph103@purdue.edu

Last updated: November 14, 2019