Built to promote consistency and clarity across courses, while preserving instructor flexibility.
A Clearer Way to Organize Course Content
The New Content Experience (NCE) modernizes how course materials are built and presented in Brightspace. It includes a cleaner interface, clearer structure, and more consistent tools, allowing instructors to spend less time managing content and students to spend less time searching for it.
Key improvements include:
- Simplified content creation and organization
- Clearer headings and navigation for students
- Drag-drop tools that reduce setup time
- Improved insight into student progress
Features & Benefits
For Instructors
- Simplified workflows: Fewer menus and screens to create and reorganize course materials.
- Responsive design: NCE is built for usability on phones, tablets, and laptops.
- Integration with Brightspace tools: Assignments, quizzes, discussions, and other activities can be accessed from within the content area.
- Ongoing innovation: New features and enhancements are being prioritized for NCE, positioning it as the future content platform in Brightspace.
For Learners
Data from the D2L Brightspace Student Survey indicated that navigating different course designs requires unnecessary time and mental effort, diverting attention from learning itself. The NCE interface supports a clearer, more consistent, and more transparent structure across courses.
- Clear navigation: Visual cues and a clean structure make it easier to find and engage with learning materials.
- Progress visibility: Learners can see where they are in their coursework and what’s next.
- Accessible design: Focused on readability, screen-reader friendliness, and mobile accessibility.
How It Differs from Classic Content
- NCE uses a minimalist layout to create a cleaner, less cluttered view that reduces cognitive load.
- Its tools are intentionally simpler, with some niche Classic Content features being introduced into NCE over time.
Spring 2026 NCE Pilot
Pilot with a Purpose
By working with faculty in an optional, supported, and time-limited pilot, we can better understand how NCE affects course design, instructor workflows, and student navigation. Faculty and student feedback will directly inform best practices, training needs, and future decisions before broader adoption.
Pilot Participation
Participating in the pilot does not require a complete redesign of content. The Instructional Technology team will enable the New Content Experience in the course, which will automatically transfer content from Classic to NCE. Faculty who choose to participate in the NCE pilot for Spring 2026 7W2 courses will be asked to:
- Attend one short online orientation that introduces the New Content Experience (2/4 or 2/19 Brightspace Power Up), key differences from classic content, and available support. (The Power Up will be recorded and shared for those who cannot attend.)
- Participate in one feedback survey and/or a short focus group at the end of the pilot to share your experience and suggestions.
If you are interested in participating in piloting NCE in your Spring 2026 7W2 course, please fill out the interest form.