What is changing?
Several widgets that were once custom widgets will now be delivered inside Brightspace as System Widgets.
Expansion Widgets include:
Why?
Moving from a custom widget to the Expansion Widgets:
- Ensures that all updates and bug fixes are consistently and seamlessly applied to your widgets in every homepage where they’re in use
- Simplifies the widget configuration process
- Expands the number of translations available
- Allows you to leverage Language Management to change widget terminology for your organization
How can I get the new widgets?
If you currently have one of these widgets available in your Brightspace instance, a new System Widget version of the same widget will be added to your instance.
Once the new Expansion Widget is in your Brightspace instance, you can use the Homepage Management tool to swap out existing custom widgets with new Expansion Widgets.
What will happen to my config settings?
Shared file configurations will need to be migrated to use a new widget configuration interface within each widget. This can be done by copying the JSON into the new config editor. Note - Shared files configurations will no longer be used.
How do I configure Expansion Widgets?
A new button will be available in widgets that were previously managed within shared files. This button will open an interface that allows configuration of the widget right in the homepage. This configuration interface is available to Admins that have the “Modify Org Unit Custom Widget Data” permission enabled. If you do not have this permission, ensure the Roles and Permissions tool has this permission checked for the specific required roles in your organization.
How do I add the new widget to my homepage?
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Navigate to the Homepage Management tool
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Select the homepage you would like to add the widget(s) to
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In Edit Homepage, navigate to the Widgets area at the bottom of the page.
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Select “Add Widgets” within any of the layout panels to open a menu of available widgets
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Use the search feature to enter any of the previously mentioned widget names to find the widget (filter by "System
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Select the new Expansion Widget you’d like to add, then select “Add”
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Delete the custom version of this widget (if applicable)
How Do I Get these Widgets?
If you don’t see this widget in your list or want to make any of these widgets available on your homepage, browse the Homepage Widget Expansion Pack catalog options. Select the widget(s) that best meet your needs and contact your D2L representative to add a Homepage Widget Expansion Pack.
How can I tell if my widget will be updated?
Look within the source code of your custom widget code: if it contains a URL to the LCS CDN (cdn.lcs.brightspace.com) you are currently using a Cloud Hosted Widget.