Brightspace has been the learning management platform for AACPS since fall 2021. However, a notable perspective that has received very little attention is the teacher perspective on the user interface of Brightspace. It is not uncommon for students, myself included, to not think about the problems and stresses of the school faculty, and the entire situation regarding Brightspace is a prime example of this. But when we look at things a little bit deeper, we realize just how bad Brightspace is for our student population and teachers alike.
Teachers have to use Brightspace far more than students do, and the work they have to put in is exhausting. In contrast to Google Classroom, which allows for easy bulk assignment creation, movement, and assigning, Brightspace requires that assignment movement has to happen on an individual basis, which means reposting every assignment for every class a teacher has.
“What took seconds with Google Classroom can take several minutes with Brightspace”, said Crofton High School English teacher Ms. Caitlyn Connolly. “It doesn’t seem like much, but when you have more than one class and so little time, it becomes exhausting.” “It takes seven or eight clicks to do anything in Brightspace when Google Classroom could do it in one”, said Technology Education teacher Ms. Jen McLeran.
Additionally, teachers said that Brightspace as a platform is slow, clunky, and lacks a solution to allow for a large number of users on the system simultaneously, demonstrated in the January 17 synchronous learning day where Brightspace crashed. That day as well, teachers were left in a difficult position.
“We were informed at the same time as students”, said Ms. McLeran, who described spending the evening before the synchronous learning day “scrambling” due to a lack of time and information..
“It was overwhelming responding to all the emails, as students needed answers”, described AP US History teacher Mr. Todd Smith.
Between the technology not being up to modern standards and the long stretches it takes to do anything, and clunkiness of the platform as opposed to previously used LMSs, both faculty members and the students said they are struggling to do basic things with the system. On top of all the stress and little time we already have in our days, some said that we need a shift to something new.
“In short”, said Mr. Smith, “we need a platform that is tried, tested, and demonstrated effectively.”
A Brightspace representative declined to comment.
