Overview
The first structural element a student will see in their Course is the main horizontal menu, sometimes known as the course menu. Our default menu is broken into three areas: Course Communication, Course Content, Instructor Only, and Support.
Note: Only instructors See the Menu Item Instructor Only and any sub-menu item. Do not direct students to that menu item. You will need to link tools to your content area.
The rationale for Main and Sub Menu Consistency
The main menu is non-editable for a number of reasons:
- If all faculty use the same menu, this creates a consistent online environment within Brightspace and provides continuity from class to class.
- When sections appear in the same order and are used as prescribed, students do not need to learn how to navigate each course independently - they are already familiar with the layout and where to find content and information.
- The default menu is short, succinct, and limited to the most important tools.
- This is important for all students but critical for students with disabilities, who must navigate the menu with a keyboard and/or by listening for options with a screen reader.
- When technical assistance is needed, a consistent course helps IT Staff locate areas of concern more readily than a course that is not organized in the same way.
Student focus groups prior to the Spring 2020 COVID-19 emergency identified a well-organized course as critical to the learning experience and anecdotal evidence during the Spring 2020 transition pointed toward student frustration with the lack of consistency and organization in their courses.
Getting Familiar with the SUNY New Paltz Default Main Menu
The main menu was redesigned to reflect best practices in the Open SUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) rubric. We feel this menu reflects these standards by providing the necessary consistency and attention to critical tools and content areas.below are a few of the applicable standards:
Including:
Source: (OSCQR Standard 2), (OSCQR Standard 6), (OSCQR Standard 16)