Brightspace Pulse App - Student/Faculty Handout

Introduction:

Brightspace Pulse is a free mobile app designed to help both students and instructors stay informed and organized. The app provides a centralized view of course calendars, assignments, announcements, grades, and more—making it easier to track deadlines, manage workload, and stay connected across all your Brightspace courses. With real-time alerts and a weekly schedule view, Pulse supports better planning and communication throughout the term.

This handout will walk you through how to log in, sign out, and explore key features that make the Pulse app a valuable tool for learning and teaching.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Download here: Brightspace Pulse App

For Logging in:

  1. 1. After launching the Pulse App, select the Get Started button.
  2. Get Started
  3. 2. On the top of the search bar, type UTRGV to get the Brightspace URL login (institution log-in site).
  4. UTRGV
  5. 3. After clicking the link, you will be directed to the Sign-in page (recommended to use the SSO).

For Logging Out:

  1. 1. Click on the top left of your profile picture to access the mini menu.
    • Select Settings.
  2. Settings
  3.  
  4. 2. Once selected, scroll down until you see [a] Sign Out of All Accounts and click.
    • [b] A pop-up window will appear for Sign Out. Select Yes to log out.
  5. Sign Out
  6.  

Troubleshooting Tips:

  • • Login Issues? Try These Solutions:
    • Solution 1: Test Login Through a Mobile Browser
      • Open Chrome (recommended) or Safari on your mobile device.
      • Go to your institution’s Brightspace login page.
      • Log in to confirm your credentials work outside the app.
      • If login fails here, the issue is not specific to Pulse.
    • Solution 2: Check Deep Linking and SSO Behavior
      • Open a browser in Incognito/Private Mode.
      • Navigate to your LMS using the full course link (e.g., https://brightspace.utrgv.edu/d2l/home/###).
      • Make sure you are successfully redirected to the course home page.
      • This confirms the target parameter is passed correctly during Single Sign-On (SSO).
    • Additional Tips:
      • Ensure you're connected to a secure Wi-Fi network.
      • If login fails in Pulse but works elsewhere, restart the app and try again.
  • • Notification & Content Visibility Tips:
    • For Instructors:
      • When updating content, check “Notify students that the content has changed” to ensure learners receive alerts.
      • For announcements, select “Major edit - send a notification and restore it for those who dismissed it” if reposting.
    • For Students:
      • To receive notifications for discussion activity in Pulse, you must first subscribe to a topic or thread in Brightspace on a browser. Subscribing cannot be done within the Pulse app.

Additional Resources:

FAQ Section:

  • • What can Brightspace's Pulse App do?
    • Course Overview: View course calendars, assignments, readings, grades, and announcements in one place.
    • Notifications: Receive real-time alerts for due dates, new content, and announcements.
    • Offline Access: View non-HTML course content offline (e.g., PDFs, Word docs).
    • Time Management: Visualize workload with a graph of upcoming activities.
    • Multi-account Support: Log into multiple Brightspace accounts simultaneously. (not fully operable)
    • Mobile Optimization: Designed for quick access and productivity on mobile devices
  • • What are the limitations?
    • No Exam Support: The app does not support taking quizzes or exams. These features are only available through the full Brightspace web interface, typically accessed via a desktop or laptop browser.
    • Limited Content Interaction: Some interactive or embedded content (like SCORM packages or HTML5-based tools) may not display or function properly.
    • Editing Restrictions: You can view content and grades but cannot submit assignments or participate in discussions in the same way as on the desktop version.
  • • Should students take exams on the Mobile App?
    • No, students should not take exams using the Brightspace Pulse app. Exams and quizzes are not supported in the app, and attempting to do so may result in technical issues or incomplete submissions. Instead, students should use a desktop or laptop with a stable internet connection and a supported browser for all assessments.
  • • Can I view new grades?
    • From a grade book, an instructor enters the learner's grade, sending a notification to the learner in the Brightspace minibar and Brightspace Pulse.
  • • How about iOS devices?
    • Brightspace Pulse works well on most Apple devices, but there are a few iOS-specific tips and limitations to keep in mind...

  • • What works well on iOS?

    • Weekly Schedule & Calendar: View all your due dates, quizzes, assignments, and events across courses in a clean timeline layout.

    • Push Notifications: Get real-time updates about grades, announcements, and course changes. Tip: Make sure Push Notifications are enabled in both the app and your iOS settings.

    • Content Access: Open PDFs, documents, and many types of files directly in the app. Tip: Use the “Share” icon to open or save content to other apps like Notes or Files.

    • Grades and Feedback: View published grades and brief instructor comments.

  • • Limitations to be aware of on iOS?

    • ​​​​​​​Discussions: You can only view subscribed threads.

      • Posting or subscribing is not available in the iOS app.

      • Tip: Use Safari or Chrome (recommended) on your iPad or iPhone to participate in discussions.

    • Embedded Videos: Some videos may not display properly or require external playback (e.g.,  YouTube or Kaltura).

      • Tip: If a video doesn't load, open it in Chrome or your browser directly.

    • Full Features Not Available: Tools like quizzes, assignments, and full content editing are limited in the Pulse app.

      • Tip: For more advanced tasks, use a browser to log into Brightspace.

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