Distance Education Updates

Relevant Updates and Information
5/21/2026
Honorlock Session Viewer
The new Session Viewer is now the default experience for all users, featuring a cleaner timeline, faster navigation, and an improved review workflow. A welcome banner allows users to share feedback or switch back to the legacy viewer. The legacy viewer will remain available until its planned retirement in Fall 2026.
What’s New:
-
Enhanced Timeline: Clearly displays session phases (e.g., In-Exam, Authentication, Proctoring Relaunch) with hover details for quick navigation.
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HTML Session Downloads: Download a complete session as a self-contained HTML file for recordkeeping and retention.
5/11/2026
TechBytes
We have wrapped up TechBytes for the Spring!
View a session recording on our TechBytes page, and complete our survey!
Regular & Substantive Interaction
5/11/2026
Submit an RSI form to Watermark for each online or hybrid course you are teaching.
Visit the RSI webpage for additional information.
APSU ONLINE QUALITY FUNDAMENTALS (AOQF)
5/11/2026
Please check out our AOQF webpage for more information, including how to become a peer reviewer.
4/7/2026
New D2L Feature: Download a Class List
Faculty now have the ability to export a class list. To do this:
- Navigate to your course and click 'Tools' on the navbar.
- Select 'Classlist' from the Tools dropdown menu.
- Click 'Export' on th Classlist screen.
- Click 'Download' in the pop-up window.
- D2L will then download your class list to your computer in Excel format.
Did you know that you can copy your own course in D2L?
This video from the D2L Brightspace knowledge base walks you through the quick and easy process of performing a course copy.
4/7/2026
Celebrating Excellence in Course Design
We are proud to announce the following faculty have been awarded the prestigious Quality Matters (QM) Certification.
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Dr. Towhid Mahmood - ECON 2100
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Dr. Pilsik Choi - MKT 5010
This acknowledgement highlights their commitment to high-quality course design and improving the learning experience for students. The courses are officially listed in the QM directory of certified courses.
Congratulations on this outstanding achievement!
To learn more about the QM course review process, visit the DE Quality Matters website.
View the list of APSU QM Certified courses.
4/7/2026
Access Ends December 14, 2026!
Please start exploring Microsoft Teams. How does it compare?
- Only syncs to Microsoft Outlook calendar
- Collaboration is fostered only in meetings and recordings can be shared after
- Accessibility through live captions, transcription & language translation
- Recordings can be saved locally or to the Zoom cloud for 365 days
- Integrated in Microsoft and automatically syncs with Outlook, OneDrive, Loop & other Microsoft tools
- Encourages collaboration through file sharing, polls, & chat - before, after and during meetings
- Accessibility through live captions, transcription, language translation & live AI voice translation
- Recordings are saved to your OneDrive with a default expiration time of 60 days that can be adjusted
Digital Accessibility Essentials Training
3/4/2026
The NEW Digital Accessibility Essentials Training is now available in D2L!
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What is it?
It is a self-paced, asynchronous training to learn approaches and digital accessibility remediation techniques in Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and D2L. -
Who should register for the training?
The training was created for faculty, GTAs, and student workers. -
How do I take the training?
The course is live now in D2L as a self-registration course. For assistance, please use this step guide showing how to access self-registration courses in D2L.
Don't forget to check out the other resources available on our Digital Accessibility Basics page.
3/4/2026
Bypassing LockDown Browser
After enabling LockDown Browser for a quiz, use the Special Access settings (Availability
Dates & Conditions) in D2L Quizzes to allow a student to take the quiz without it.
Contact our support desk if you have questions.
Software Update
To obtain the latest version, open the LockDown Browser application, then click the
information icon (Windows) or the About button (macOS) and use the “Check for Update”
feature. Please inform your students that a new version of LockDown Browser is now
available. Advise them to update the software on their devices to ensure compatibility
and a smooth exam experience.
1/24/2026
Looking to enhance your screenshots or video presentations?
Distance Education offers Snagit and Camtasia to support your content creation needs.
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Snagit is a powerful screen-capture tool with features to elevate your visuals for documents and presentations.
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Camtasia is a robust screen-recording software designed to improve the quality and impact of your video presentations.
If you already have either tool installed, updated versions are now available. To upgrade your current software or request a new installation, please submit a software installation ticket through GovsTech.
Course Availability
Courses become available to faculty in D2L 60 calendar days before the course start date. Additionally, students gain access to courses two business days prior to the course start date. Faculty should upload an accessible syllabus into courses before students gain access. Please see the table below for availability dates for the upcoming terms.
Faculty Access Dates
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
|
Winter
|
Open
|
|
Spring Full/A
|
Open
|
|
Spring B
|
January 15, 2026
|
|
Maymester
|
March 12, 2026
|
|
Summer Full/I/III
|
April 2, 2026
|
|
Summer II
|
May 7, 2026
|
Student Access Dates
| Column 1 | Column 2 |
|---|---|
|
Winter
|
December 11, 2025
|
|
Spring Full/A
|
January 15, 2026
|
|
Spring B
|
March 12, 2026
|
|
Maymester
|
May 7, 2026
|
|
Summer Full/I/III
|
May 28, 2026
|
|
Summer II
|
July 2, 2026
|
2025-2026 Academic Year Newsletters
Spring 2026 Newsletters
January/February 2026 Newsletter
Looking for a quick recap of our past updates? We've got you covered. View our previous newsletters below.