Institute of Teaching and Learning

DSO (D2L): WHY Guide

News

The News tool enables you to communicate updates, changes and new information to your students quickly and effectively. Unit based News items appear in the News widget on the Site Home page. Since this is the first page that the users often see when they access their unit sites, it is a good way to display pertinent information.

Why would you use the News tool?

Opportunities

  • introduce yourself to students
  • welcome students to your unit
  • direct students unfamiliar with the DSO (D2L) environment
  • alert students to an upcoming or recently past event
  • make an announcement
  • engage students by means of links to a video, blog, online resource
  • use as the launching pad to the unit
  • use as a one stop shop for information about the unit (via Quicklinks)
  • provide positive feedback to students
  • demonstrate to students via constant news changes - e.g. photos, quotes, URLs - that your online presence is regularly maintained and current.
Assessing News tip
  • News is meant to be informative, relevant to many and worth reading.
  • Keep it concise, relevant and up to date.

Example

Manage Content

Deakin University acknowledges the traditional land owners of present campus sites.

17th January 2012