Preparing Your Brightspace Course for Student Access

Preparing Your Brightspace Course for Student Access

Before students can access your course, make sure you are working in the live course offering, copy your prepared content into it, and confirm that the course is active.

  • Confirm that the course has the correct CRN and semester code (look in Course Admin > Course Offering Information).
  • Copy content from your staged or development shell into the live course.
  • Check the course activation setting and start date.
Brightspace course access overview

Step 1: Confirm That You Are in the Live Course

The live course will display the correct CRN and semester code. For example, Fall 2026 courses will include the semester code 202630. Look in Course Admin > Course Offering Information for this information.

You can also confirm that you are in the live course by checking the Classlist:

  1. Open the course you have confirmed is the live course.
  2. Select Course Admin.
  3. Select Classlist.
  4. Check that your enrolled students appear in the list.

Step 2: Copy Your Course Content into the Live Course

Begin the copy process from inside the live course. Your source will normally be a staged course shell with _READY at the end of its name or the development shell where you prepared your course.

  1. Open the live course.
  2. Select Course Admin.
  3. Select Import/Export/Copy Components.
  4. In the import window, select Copy Components from another Org Unit.
  5. Under Course to Copy, select Search for Offering.
  6. Search for the staged or development course containing your prepared content.
  7. Select the course you want to copy.
  8. Normally, select Copy All Components to copy the complete course into your live shell.
  9. Follow the prompts to begin the copy.
  10. Wait for the copy process to finish before reviewing your course content.

What is an Org Unit?

An Org Unit is Brightspace’s term for a course or another organizational area within the system.

Important: Students cannot access content that remains in a staged or development shell.

Step 3: Check That the Course Is Active

  1. From your live course, select Course Admin.
  2. Select Course Offering Information.
  3. Find the Active setting.
  4. Make sure the Course is active checkbox is selected.
  5. Select Save.

Step 4: Check the Course Start Date

Students normally gain access to an active course on its scheduled start date. To allow students to access the course earlier:

  1. Go to Course Admin.
  2. Select Course Offering Information.
  3. Change the Start Date to the date and time when you want students to receive access.
  4. Make sure the Course is active checkbox remains selected.
  5. Select Save.

Important: The course must be active, and its start date must have arrived, before students can access it.

Need Help?

For support with copying course content, course activation, or student access in Brightspace, contact the Educational Technology team.

edtech@okanagan.bc.ca

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