Email | How to use the Email tool in Brightspace

Brightspace allows you to communicate with your students via an integrated feature of email. You are able to directly send an email to your whole Classlist or a specific group set up in Brightspace. To send an email via Brightspace course page it is possible to do it:

This article will explain:

It is not possible to send an email via the Classlist tool but only via the Email tool, if the Start date of the course page is in the future. In that case an error message will pop-up to inform you.

Send email from the Email tool

Navigate to your Brightspace course page. Then,

  1. Click Communication in the green navigation bar
  2. Click Email from the drop-down menu
In your course click Communication, then Email

The Email tool homepage opens. Here you will:

  1. Add email recipients
  2. Add email subject
  3. Add email body text
  4. optional: Attachments
  5. optional: Email signature
  6. Send email

 

Compose New message page overview
1. Add email recipients

You have the Email tool homepage open. Here,

  1. There are two ways to do this:
    1. Click the button To (optional: If you wish to add recipients in CC or BCC, press the button Add CC or BCC)
      or
    2. Click the button Address Book
Compose New message page, click Address Book or To button

A window pops up where you will select the recipients.

  1. Click the Selectbox by the name of the students you want to add to the email. If you wish to add all click the Selectbox at the top of the column.
  2. If during step 1, you chose to use the Address Book button, then you will need to click either To, Cc, or Bcc in blue letters located just above the table to add the recipients (they will appear in the field To or Cc or Bcc above the table).

You can optionally filter the table results by clicking the field Filter By. This can be used if you want to email only certain group in your Brightspace course page.

in the pop up window select email recipients by ticking the selectboxes in the table, then click To (in blue letters) located above the table

When using the Address Book button, wait till the window refreshes itself with the selected users appearing in the Recipients field in the pop up window.

If you click the Add Recipients button too fast, this selection of course users will not appear in the Compose New Message page of the email.

  1. Click the blue button Add Recipients
Wait till the window refreshes, then click Add Recipients button

The pop up window closes and you will land again on the Compose New Message page. The recipients you selected will appear in the field To or Cc or Bcc (as you selected).

2. Email subject

The subject of an email drafted via Brightspace will start with the Course name (example: Beginner's course > ). This is to make it easier for the recipients to distinguish from which course they received the email since it is send via a generic Brightspace email (your name <[email protected]>)

3. Email body text

In the body of the email you can add text, links, images. For more on the text editor please visit: How to use the Editor.

To personalise the message you can use replace strings.

recipients added
4. Optional: Attachments

You can also add Attachments to your email by uploading files from your PC, or Manage Files, or add existing activities via Choose Existing button.  Additionally you can Record a Video or Audio message and attach it to the email.

5. Optional: Email signature

You can set up a signature for emails sent via Brightspace. In the Compose New Message page

1. Click Settings in the upper right corner

In Compese New Message page click Settings in the upper right corner, below the green navigation bar

2. In the new window use the text editor to draft the signature

3. Click Save

In Email Settings page click in Email signature field to add signature. Then click button Save.
6. Send email

Once you set up everything click the blue button Send at the top of the Compose New Message page.

Click blue button Send to send the email

You now know how to send an email via Email tool in Brightspace!

Want to know more about communication with students via Brightspace?

Please visit: