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.

Search for a topic:


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...or select a link below to find resources regarding the following:

Request to combine sections/course(s)
Getting Started in D2L
Attendance Tool
Calendar Tool
Checklists
Classlist
Competencies and Objectives
Content/Course Builder
Course Management
Discussions
Dropbox (Assignments)
Grades
Groups
News Tool
Online Rooms
Online Teaching
Quizzes and Tests
Rubrics in D2L
Student ePortfolios

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

Cari Mathwig Ramseier
169 Wing Technology Center
608.785.8058

Login Issues? Go to http://www.uwlax.edu/password (only those with UW-L e-mail addresses) or call the Eagle Help Desk at 785-8774.

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 Applications --> 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 Applications --> D2L --> Request --> Combine Courses/Sections."
Report an issue
When selecting the request type, be sure to select
"Web Applications --> 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 (Click here for an iPad version) Technical Requirements (computer needs) Activating Your Course(s) Utilizing the "Pin" Feature in the Minibar to Access Courses 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?
Attendance	Using the Attendance Tool PDF How-To Web Resources Setting Up Your Own Attendance Scheme
Calendar	Utilizing the Calendar Tool in D2L
Checklists	How to Use the Checklist Tool in D2L PDF Video Check Out D2L Checklists! (presentation by Susan Schuyler from Passport to Technology 6, March 2012)
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
Competencies and Objectives	Setting Up Competencies and Objectives and D2L
Content	Preparing Content for D2L How to Prepare PDF Files File Naming Best Practices Posting Content: Best Practices Adding Content to D2L (via "Manage Content") Using the Course Builder Tool to Build Content How to Use Course Builder About Course Builder Adding More than Documents: Embedding YouTube Videos into Content Items Creating Learning Objects Using Jing in Your Teaching Using Audacity to Create Audio Files Setting Time Release/Release Conditions on Content Items Copying D2L Materials from Another Course Video PDF Importing and Exporting Materials in D2L (NOT for copying from another course; see previous document)
Course Management	How to Change the Navigation Bar (to personalize or add/remove tools) How to Remove Extra Course Listings Managing Dates
Discussions	Setting Up Discussions Creating Group Discussions in D2L Using the Discussion Grader and Rubrics to Grade Discussions
Dropbox	Using the Dropbox in D2L How to Use the Dropbox Tool in D2L How to Use Turnitin® with D2L Guidelines Video PDF Writing and Plagiarism Archived Webcasts from Turnitin Note: Includes topics on Grading and Feedback, Preventing Plagiarism, Writing Skills, and Student Engagement. Using the Assignment Grader iPad App to Grade Dropbox Assignments (New!) Downloading and Logging into the Assignment Grader App Note: Where the instructions indicate to type "uwm," please replace with "uwlax." (Courtesy of UW-Milwaukee) Providing Feedback with Assignment Grader (Courtesy of UW-Milwaukee) Getting Started (Desire2Learn-created)
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 How to Show Students a Running Total (not a "final" grade) Calculating Final Grades in D2L Importing Grades into D2L (including grades from ScanTron) 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
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
Online Rooms	Make Sure Your Computer Is Compatible and Ready How to Set up and Use the Online Rooms Tool for Collaboration and Synchronous Online Meetings Video Resources (Blackboard Collaborate) On-Demand Learning Center
Online Teaching	Online Education Handbook UW-L Online Course Evaluation Guidelines Ways to Present Content in an Online Course Online Class: Syllabus Template Online Instructor Training Information
Quizzes	Best Practices: Considerations and Effective Practices for Using the Quizzes Tool Helpful Tips: Online Quiz Technical Guidelines (Courtesy of UW-Milwaukee) Ways to Deter Cheating Quiz Set-Up Tutorials: Creating Quizzes and Tests How to Randomize Questions in a D2L Quiz Setting Up and Correcting a Long Answer (Essay) Question Creating a Quiz with Bonus Questions (Courtesy of UW-Milwaukee) Uploading a Publisher Test Bank to D2L Copying D2L Materials (including Quizzes) from Another Course
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) Tips and Tricks for Using Rubrics Effectively
ePortfolios	Using D2L ePortfolios for Student Assessment (About, not "how to") Using D2L ePortfolios For more information on using D2L for student ePortfolios, please contact Saundra Solum.