Brightspace Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started with Brightspace

  • What browsers are supported by Brightspace?

    Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Edge are supported. 

    On a PC, Chrome and Edge are most compatible
    On a MAC, some functionality works better in Firefox or Chrome.

  • How can I access Brightspace?

    You must access Brightspace by going to myBinghamton (my.binghamton.edu) and clicking on the Courses icon

    myBinghamton banner with a red square around Courses

    You can also go to the BU Brightspace Mainpage (https://brightspace.binghamton.edu) directly.

    Do not use a Google search result, but bookmarking the pages in your browser can help.

    You can also access Brightspace on your smartphone via its app called Pulse through your app store

    Pulse app icon of an orange square with a white line of a heartbeat blip

  • What if I can't access Brightspace?

    If you've never used Brightspace before, make sure that you set up your 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) to access your BMail, Brightspace and BUBrain. It is a way to verify that you really are who you say you are with your username and password.

    Do not access Brightspace via a Google search result. Always use BU's links

    If you've used it before:

    • If it is in a window/tab that has been opened for a while and refresh doesn't work, close the window and open a new one. A tab using 2FA that's been open too long can go "stale" after a while.
    • Make sure that you are logged in with your proper credentials in Google, rather than personal ones
    • If something within Brightspace isn't working properly, be sure to make sure you are using one of the right browsers and clear your cache (that should be done at least weekly anyway)

    If none of these steps helped, stop by the Help Desk in the Tech Hub or submit a detailed message in a ticket. Screenshots help if applicable!

  • How can I get Brightspace Notifications?

    After you log into Brightspace, click on the area where your picture is in the top right corner, you will see "notifications." 

    Notifications tab in Brightspace

    You want to scroll down all of the options and make sure that the notifications you want to receive by email are checked off and you have "how often" set to never, daily or weekly. Text notifications are only available in the Pulse App. 

    dropdown to select how often to receive notifications

    Towards the bottom of the screen, you can also include courses you will enroll in in the future and even exclude notifications from courses.

    customize notifications in Brightspace settings

    Make sure to Save your changes at the bottom.

    Notifications in Pulse

    *If you have the Pulse app, you can receive text and email Notifications under your Account Settings in the app.  

    Settings menu in Pulse app

    After clicking on "Settings," select the Push Notifications at the top.  The email options are the same as the ones you may have already selected on your desktop/laptop.

    Push notification options in Pulse app

    Select what notifications you would like send to you in a text message (standard messaging rates apply).

    Text notification options in Pulse app

  • How can I connect with other Brightspace users?
    Within Brightspace

    Anyone within Brightspace can send email or instant messages to other users by clicking on the envelope near their name.

    red arrow pointing to the Message Alerts icon in Brightspace

    Binghamton University Only Group

    Join the Binghamton Brightspace Users Q&A Google group to ask and answer questions about Brightspace with other Binghamton University Brightspace users. 

    Larger Brightspace Community 

    Join The Brightspace Community to get support, answers, tips, and proven ideas from thousands of Brightspace users. This community is not affiliated with Binghamton University and requires you create a login separate from your CAS login. 

  • What is the difference between D2L and Brightspace?

    Desire2Learn (D2L) is the name of the company. Brightspace is the name of the product we use, which is known as a Learning Management System  (LMS). Other LMS systems you may have heard of are Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, or Google Classroom.

  • When do students have access to their courses?

    Students get access to a course on the first day of classes unless an instructor has made the course available before then.

  • How can I find My Courses faster? (Pinning courses)

    Regardless of your role in Brightspace, you can "pin" your semester courses to find them faster in the Waffle and My Courses on the homepage.

    Using the Waffle

    In Brightspace terminology, the 9 dots at the top of every Brightspace screen is called The Waffle. Red arrow pointing to the Waffle icon at the top of Brightspace

    When you click on the Waffle, you will see a list of all of the courses you are or were enrolled in. You cannot delete classes from the list, but you can "pin" the most important or current courses so they will appear at the top of the list all of the time with a light blue color behind them. You can type in the search bar for a course to find it faster.

    Below, the red lines indicate the 3 courses that are "pinned" in The Waffle and 3 unpinned courses below them. The pinned course have a light blue shade to them while the unpinned courses don't.

    red bracket indicating three courses that are pinned and blue in the Waffle

    To "pin" a course, just click on the pushpin icon to the right of the course. A pushpin that is totally black like the top one in the image below shows a pinned course. The outline of a pushpin means the course is not pinned.

    If you want to "unpin" a course, click on the all-black push pin and it will immediately make the row white and the pin an outline rather than filled.

    a filled in pushpin icon on top of an outline of one

    When you pin a course in The Waffle, it will also pin the course in the My Course section of the Brightspace landing page under the Pinned tab as shown below in the red square.

    red square around the Pinned tab of the My Courses on the Brightspace homepage

    Using My Courses

    To pin or unpin courses through the My Courses area on the main Brightspace landing page, find the courses by semester or by the All tab.  When you roll your mouse over a course tile, a blue box with 3 dots will appear as indicated by the yellow square below.  

    yellow box highlighting a blue area with 3 horizontal dots in a course tile where someone can click

    Click on the 3 dots and hit Pin.  red arrow pointing to the word Pin as the last of three options in a list

    When you click on the word "Pin," the course will seem to disappear, but it has been sorted to the beginning of your course tiles. It will now appear in the Pinned tab of the widget and in The Waffle.  You can unpin the course in the widget by clicking on the pushpin that appears in the top right corner of the course tile.

Pulse App

  • What is the Pulse App? How much is it?

    Pulse is the App version of Brightspace available on all devices. it may work better in some aspects than trying to access Brightspace via a web browser. It is free on all Google Play and Apple stores to download and use. 

    orange square with white blip indicating a heartbeat

  • How do I register? 
    1. When you first open the app, select "Get Started"
    2. In the search bar, type in "Binghamton University"
    3. When you select Binghamton, the normal CAS sign-on window will pop up as if you were on a laptop
    4. You will also then be prompted for the one-time password (OTP)

    Once you've signed in,  you will remain signed in.

  • How do I navigate Pulse?

    On the main screen, you will see your pinned courses first, if any, followed by the rest of the courses you are/have been registered in

    Along the bottom, "Upcoming" is your calendar of work to do and events. Notifications will link you to new and old Notifications as well as any subscriptions you've set up.

    Once inside a course, all of the content folders will display.

  • Can I get text Notifications?

    *If you have the Pulse app, you can receive text and email Notifications under your Account Settings in the app.  

    Settings menu in Pulse app

    After clicking on "Settings," select the Push Notifications at the top.  The email options are the same as the ones you may have already selected on your desktop/laptop.

    Push notification options in Pulse app

    Select what notifications you would like send to you in a text message (standard messaging rates apply).

    Text notification options in Pulse app

  • What can I do within Pulse?

    Learners can use Brightspace Pulse to:

    • Real-time alerts notify learners when classes are canceled, rooms are moved, or when course content and grades are available
    • See all the important dates and deadlines for each course
    • Anticipate busiest times with a quick glance
    • Receive the latest grades, course content, and announcements
    • Enter events and deadlines
    • View courses and course content
    • Click on assignments to automatically open a browser to complete tasks

Instructors

Students

Brightspace 24/7 Technical Support

The first place to start if you need help with Brightspace is D2L's 24/7 Technical Support via phone, chat, or email. 24/7 Support is available to all faculty, staff, and students.