Dec. 13, 2017

Three things you should know about D2L's new look

Learning platform will have an improved user experience come May 2018
D2L will look fresher and better in 2018.

D2L will look fresher and better in 2018.

University of Calgary archives

For students, D2L (Desire2Learn) is a daily fact of life — it’s where you go to see your coursework, assignments, grades, and where you post discussions with your classmates. For academic staff, it is the online delivery vehicle for teaching and learning across campus. So, when it is time to get a fresh look, everyone should take notice.

“D2L is a platform that our community relies on for all aspects of teaching and learning. It’s a hub of activity and I am really looking forward to sharing the new look with students, faculty and staff in the coming months, since it’s going to make the experience better for everyone,” says Leslie Reid, vice-provost (teaching and learning). “We have a team working with faculties and units to ensure that our community is prepared for the changes in the platform and that we’ve answered key questions and concerns.”

In May 2018, D2L (also known as Brightspace in some organizations) will be more visually appealing, but most importantly, users can look forward to a site that’s easier to navigate, mobile-friendly and fully accessible to all users. While it will look different, the functionality will stay the same.

Three things you should know about the "new look" in D2L:

1. Improved experience on the bus, or in line at the grocery store

D2L will now be more mobile friendly. You can access the information you need from any device, wherever you are. The responsive page design will make your experience even better.

2. Comic Sans need not apply

D2L’s new look and feel includes more white space and a new font that will make the site clean and fresh. Buttons, menus, forms and icons all have a more modern look — a change that might seem small but has big impact.

3. D2L, Desire2Learn, Brightspace, Daylight — which is it?

You may have heard our platform referred to in a number of ways — but they all mean the same thing. We call it D2L and that won’t change with the new look!

Information sessions will be held from January-April 2018, where you can see the new look and try it on your own, or with guidance from an expert. Stay tuned for more information in January 2018.