Help for Instructors

D2L, or Desire2Learn, is an online course management system used by many UW-La Crosse faculty to enhance face-to-face instruction or teach courses totally online. D2L allows “anytime, anywhere” access to course-related files, electronic dropboxes for assignments, online quizzes and tests, e-mail, and grades.

Instructors with any further questions, concerns, or issues with D2L may contact:

Cari Mathwig Ramseier
169 Wing Technology Center
608.785.8058

Online Help:
Click on a link below to access our new Eagle Help Desk system (log in using your NetID) to submit your request.

• Request help
  When selecting the request type, be sure to select
  "Web Services --> D2L --> How To... --> Instructor/Non-Student."
  
• Request to combine sections/course(s) (How Does This Work?)
  When selecting the request type, be sure to select
  "Web Services --> D2L --> Combine Courses/Sections."
• Report an issue
  When selecting the request type, be sure to select
  "Web Services --> D2L --> Break-Fix--> Instructor/Non-Student."
  
  Note: As of the Summer 2011 term, course requests are no longer necessary (except when combining courses/sections in D2L). To make a course available for the specified term, instructors will need to "activate" them via the "Edit Course" menu option. Click here for more information.

Instructor Help Topics

Note: Currently under development. Some of the documentation linked below is provided by Desire2Learn and may describe options for tools that are not available in UW-L's instance of D2L.

Tutorials are in the following formats: = video, = Web site, = PDF document, = Word document

Topic	Links
Getting Started	Getting Started with D2L: A Brief Tour (iPad version: Click Here) Technical Requirements (computer needs) Activating Your Course(s) Using the text editor in D2L Basic (includes how to add links and pictures) Advanced (includes how to copy from Word and insert media) Using Role Switch in D2L Combining Courses in D2L: How Does It Work?
News	Using the News Feature in D2L Using the text editor in D2L Basic (includes how to add links and pictures) Advanced (includes how to copy from Word and insert media) Embedding YouTube Videos into News Items
Content	Adding Content to D2L Posting Content: Best Practices How to Prepare PDF Files File Naming Best Practices Ways to Present Content in an Online Course Online Class: Syllabus Template Embedding YouTube Videos into Content Items Setting Time Release/Release Conditions on Content Items Copying D2L Materials from Another Course Exporting and Importing Materials in D2L
Dropbox	Using the Dropbox in D2L Reviewing Dropbox Assignments in D2L (v9.4.1) How to Use the Dropbox Tool in D2L
Discussions	Setting Up Discussions Creating Group Discussions in D2L Using the Discussion Grader and Rubrics to Grade Discussions
Classlist	Managing Students in D2L: Using the Classlist How to Manually Add, Remove, and Change Enrollments in D2L (description of role types included) Using D2L to Send Email to an Entire Class Printing Your Classlist Using User Progress Reports to Check on Students
Groups	Managing Groups of students (sections, project groups, or as needed) Using the Groups Tool to Print Your Classlist
Quizzes	Creating Quizzes and Tests Copying D2L Materials (including Quizzes) from Another Course Tips and Considerations for Essay Questions (size of response box) Setting Up and Correcting a Quiz with a Long Answer (Essay) Question How to Randomize Questions in a D2L Quiz Ways to Deter Cheating
Grades	Using the Grades Tool in D2L Creating Bonus (Extra Credit) Items in the Grades Area Leaving Feedback for Students in the Grades Area Previewing Student Grades in D2L Calculating Final Grades in D2L Importing Grades into D2L (including grades from ScanTron) Exporting Grades from D2L to Excel 2003 Using User Progress Reports to Check on Students
ePortfolios	Using D2L ePortfolios for Student Assessment (About, not "how to") UW System Basic Guide to ePortfolio
Rubrics	How to Create and Use Rubrics in D2L How to Use the Dropbox Tool in D2L (with Rubrics) Using Rubrics in D2L (presentation by Stacey Meardon from Passport to Technology 6, March 2012)
Checklists	How to Add Checklists to Your Navigation Bar How to Use Checklists in D2L Using Checklists in D2L Check Out D2L Checklists! (presentation by Susan Schuyler from Passport to Technology 6, March 2012)
Online Rooms	How to Set up and Use the Online Rooms Tool for Collaboration and Synchronous Online Meetings Using Blackboard Collaborate (online rooms)
Using Rich Media	Creating Learning Objects Using Jing in Your Teaching Using Audacity to Create Audio Files Embedding YouTube Videos into Content Items
Improving Instruction	UW-L Online Course Evaluation Guidelines Setting Up Competencies and Objectives and D2L (about, not a "how to" ) Ways to Deter Cheating
Other Topics	How to Change the Navigation Bar (to personalize or add/remove tools) How to Remove Extra Course Listings How to Use the Course Builder (via "Edit Course"; new feature!)