Below are the latest news and announcements from LSC-Online, as seen in the D2L Announcements widget. This page will be regularly updated, with the newest information at the top.
LSC-Online also provides other outlets of helpful information, including an email newsletter, a video newsletter, and an event calendar.
August D2L Update
Posted in D2L on Aug 26, 2026 11:00 AM
The following D2L update will go live on Friday, August 28.
Quizzes
- Students can select the bookmark icon beside a quiz question to flag it for review. Flagged questions appear in the left navigation, allowing students to quickly return to them later.
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Students can select the strikethrough icon beside answer options to eliminate choices they believe are incorrect.
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Instructors can disable these tools by selecting Hide question annotation tools in the Timing & Display section of the quiz edit page.
Work To Do Widget
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When students complete all activities in a module, the module is automatically marked as complete and removed from the Work To Do widget.
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Students now see only activities that still require completion, reducing clutter in the widget.
In Case You Missed It... Digital Digest Newsletter
Posted in D2L on Aug 24, 2026 12:00 PM
Our start-of-semester newsletter was recently sent out via email. If you haven't read it yet, here's another chance.
Topics included in this issue:
- Certification Refresh
- Recent D2L Updates
- Add a Second Camera to Respondus Monitor
- D2L's New Content Experience
- Continue with Accessibility
- Semester Start Reminders
- and more...
Want to see some of these topics in action? Watch our video newsletter!
For previous issues, please visit the Newsletter Archive page in VTAC.
Extended Support Hours - August 22
Posted in D2L on Aug 21, 2026 8:30 AM
Reminder: Online Services is offering extended support hours on Saturday, Aug. 22nd from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The team will be providing ticket support and a virtual open lab to assist faculty with D2L, supported technologies, and course design.
The virtual open lab can be accessed through this link.
Tickets for D2L related questions/issues can be submitted by emailing VTAC@LoneStar.edu.
OTS is available 6 a.m. to midnight for technology questions.
For other support opportunities, like the Star Bundle & Publisher Open Labs, please refer to the VTAC Training Calendar.
Video Newsletter - Fall 2026
Posted in D2L on Aug 18, 2026 1:00 PM
The Online Update is a video newsletter produced every major semester by Online Services.
Here are the topics in the Fall 2026 Episode:
- Recent D2L Updates
- Refreshed Online Teaching Certification (OTC)
- Respondus Monitor: Using a Second Camera
- Accessibility Improvements
- Faculty Support Options
- And more...
You can also read our corresponding email newsletter for additional updates. More information about these topics can be found in the this VTAC Knowledgebase.
Fall 2026 Semester Start
Posted in D2L on Aug 16, 2026 5:00 PM
Welcome to the Fall 2026 Semester!
To get started in your D2L course, please explore the following resources:
D2L Semester Start Checklist:
This checklist will assist you in making a smooth start in your D2L courses and includes topics like copying content and merging course sections. You can find it at the following link: D2L Semester Start Instructor Checklist.
Visit the VTAC Knowledge Base:
This site contains guides to help you work with your new D2L course. Access VTAC using the VTAC Support link on the navbar above or by visiting vtac.lonestar.edu. If you are new to teaching online at Lone Star College, view our Welcome Video to get started.
Extended Support Hours:
Online Services is offering extended support hours on Saturday, Aug. 22nd from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. We will be providing ticket support and a virtual open lab to assist faculty with D2L, supported technologies, and course design. OTS is also available 6 a.m. to midnight for other technology questions.
STAR Bundle & Publisher Trainings:
These 30-minute sessions include a live demonstration of how to set up publisher courseware and/or etexts. Visit the VitalSource Training page for registration links, dates/times, and more information.
For additional support opportunities, please refer to the VTAC Training Calendar.
D2L resources for students can be found at this link: Virtual Learning Assistance Center.
STAR Bundle (VitalSource) & Publisher Trainings
Posted in D2L on Aug 14, 2026 12:01 AM
Prepare for a smooth Fall 2026 semester with training sessions hosted by VitalSource and their publisher partners. Each 30-minute session includes a live demonstration of how to set up publisher courseware and/or etexts, along with clear guidance on the student access experience.
These sessions are designed to support Lone Star College instructors using D2L with publisher courseware and VitalSource etexts.
Publishers include...
- Cengage
- Macmillan
- McGraw Hill
- Pearson
- Top Hat
- Wolters Kluwer
- W. W. Norton
Visit the VitalSource Training page for registration links, dates/times, and more information.
Be sure to check out the VTAC Event Calendar for additional trainings by LSC faculty, staff, and other supported vendors.
Upcoming Name Changes to Virtual Learning Resources in myLoneStar
Posted in D2L on Aug 5, 2026 10:55 AM
Hello Students and Faculty,
Beginning the evening of Tuesday, August 11, you'll notice updated names for some of your virtual learning resources:
- LSC Online in myLoneStar → Virtual Learning
- LSC Online Homepage → Virtual Learning Homepage
- Online Tutoring → Virtual Tutoring
Same great experience, new names.
Your D2L Brightspace courses, links, and virtual learning resources are not changing. These updates simply provide clearer, more consistent naming across our virtual learning resources.
uCertify Upgraded to LTI 1.3
Posted in D2L on Aug 4, 2026 12:01 AM
uCertify has upgraded its D2L integration from LTI 1.1 to LTI 1.3. This upgrade brings stronger security, better grade synchronization, and a smoother user experience.
As part of this transition, if you use uCertify in your courses, you'll need to collaborate with your uCertify representative, Vartika Yadav (vartika.yadav@ucertify.com), to set up or migrate your courses to the new LTI 1.3 integration in preparation for the Fall 2026 term.
August Trainings
Posted in D2L on Aug 1, 2026 12:01 AM
Here’s a look at some of the training sessions happening during August:
- 8/3 at 1 PM - Accessibility Open Lab (Q&A)
- 8/4 & 8/6 - OLC Elevate Virtual Conference
- 8/17 at 10 AM - D2L-to-iStar Grade Transfer Training
- 8/21 at 11 AM - IntelliWriter Faculty Training (also 8/28)
- 8/24 at 2 PM - AI Practices for Learning
- 8/28 at 10 AM - Getting Started with Camtasia
Be sure to check out the VTAC Training Calendar for more, as there are too many to list here. It includes trainings by LSC faculty and staff, as well as the vendors themselves.
STAR Bundle (VitalSource) & Publisher Trainings
Posted in D2L on Aug 14, 2026 12:01 AM
Prepare for a smooth Fall 2026 semester with training sessions hosted by VitalSource and their publisher partners. Each 30-minute session includes a live demonstration of how to set up publisher courseware and/or etexts, along with clear guidance on the student access experience.
These sessions are designed to support Lone Star College instructors using D2L with publisher courseware and VitalSource etexts.
Publishers include...
- Cengage
- Macmillan
- McGraw Hill
- Pearson
- Top Hat
- Wolters Kluwer
- W. W. Norton
Visit the VitalSource Training page for registration links, dates/times, and more information.
Be sure to check out the VTAC Event Calendar for additional trainings by LSC faculty, staff, and other supported vendors.
Ally Scheduled Maintenance
Posted in D2L on July 30, 2026 12:01 AM
Blackboard Ally will be conducting a 10-hour maintenance starting on Friday, August 7th, 11:00 PM CDT.
During the maintenance window, the Institutional Report will be unavailable, and bulk, onboarding, and course sync processes will be paused. All other Ally features, including Course Reporting, Instructor Feedback, Configuration UI, and Alternative Formats may be delayed or unavailable for short periods of time.
Thank you for your understanding.
July D2L Update
Posted in D2L on July 22, 2026 12:01 AM (Updated)
The following D2L update will go live on Friday, July 24.
Groups
- This update introduces a new Manage Groups experience that helps you manage course groups more efficiently.
- After opting in, you can view all group categories on a new page. This page helps quickly validate group setup by showing existing categories and their configurations.
- You can toggle the new Manage Groups experience using the dropdown arrow in the upper right. While optional at first, the new experience will become permanent at some point in the coming months.
Quizzes
- This update adds autosave every minute to Written Response quiz questions that use the HTML Editor.
- Previously, autosave every minute was available only for Written Response questions that did not use the HTML Editor.
Awards
- Students can now make their earned awards public and can share them to an external badge repository/backpack, in addition to LinkedIn.
- Faculty can disable the sharing capabilities on the Course Awards page.
My Courses Widget
- A SandBox tab has been added to the top of the widget, making it easier to filter and browse your sandbox and community groups.
General
- Help text dialogs now automatically resize to fit the screen, ensuring all content and actions remain visible and accessible.
- Dialogs now display a scrollbar when content exceeds the available space, allowing users to scroll through the full text and access all controls.
If you have questions about these updates or would like support using new features, please email VTAC Support.
[RESOLVED] Bookstore Service Degradation
Posted in D2L on July 20, 2026 3:30 PM (Edited)
UPDATE: This issue is resolved.
Original Message:
The Bookstore vendor is currently experiencing a degradation in service. The bookstore, and any books or third-party integrations which are accessed or integrated through the bookstore, including Pearson, TopHat, Norton, and Macmillan, may not be available at this time.
The Bookstore vendor is currently investigating the issue. You can click here for updates.
We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused. We will provide additional updates as they are made available.
July Trainings
Posted in D2L on July 1, 2026 12:01 AM
Here’s a look at some of the training sessions happening during July:
- 7/6 at 10 AM - D2L-to-iStar Grade Transfer
- 7/8 at 1 PM - Accessibility Open Lab (Q&A)
- 7/14 at 1 PM - The Impact of AI on Learning Assessment
- 7/21 at 1 PM - Wellness That Works: Supporting Online Learners
- 7/22 at 12 PM - Engaging Students with Interactive Elements
On Aug. 4 & 6, you can also attend the OLC Elevate Virtual Conference for free using your LSC associated account.
Be sure to check out the VTAC Training Calendar for more, as there are too many to list here. They include trainings by LSC faculty and staff, as well as the vendors themselves.
June D2L Update
Posted in D2L on June 23, 2026 12:01 AM
The following D2L update will go live on Friday, June 26.
Rubrics
- When a rubric is attached to an activity, a rubric icon appears beside the item on the Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes list pages.
- Written response questions on the Quiz Creation page also display a rubric indicator when a rubric is attached.
- The rubric icon is informational only and does not link to the rubric, consistent with other informational icons.
If you have questions about this update or would like support using new features, please email VTAC Support.
June Trainings (Updated)
Posted in D2L on June 15, 2026 11:04 AM
Here’s an updated look at some of the training sessions happening during the rest of June:
- 6/16 at 1 PM - LockDown Browser + Monitor Training
- 6/17 at 1 PM - Accessibility Open Lab (Q&A)
- 6/24 at 12 PM - Accessibility Speed Training
- 6/30 at 10 AM - Getting Started with Snagit
- 6/30 at 1 PM - From Static Content to Active Learning
Be sure to check out the VTAC Training Calendar for more, as there are too many to list here. They include trainings by LSC faculty and staff, as well as the vendors themselves.
June Trainings
Posted in D2L on May 29, 2026 12:01 AM
Here’s a look at some of the training sessions happening during June:
- 6/1 at 10 AM - D2L-to-iStar Grade Transfer
- 6/4 at 10 AM - Camtasia: Timeline Tips and Tools
- 6/10 at 1 PM - Accessibility Open Lab (Q&A)
- 6/16 at 1 PM - LockDown Browser + Monitor Training
- 6/30 at 10 AM - Getting Started with Snagit
Be sure to check out the VTAC Training Calendar for more, as there are too many to list here. They include trainings by LSC faculty and staff, as well as the vendors themselves.
May D2L Update
Posted in D2L on May 26, 2026 9:30 AM
The following D2L updates will go live on Friday, May 29.
Quizzes
- Import button options have improved when browsing the Question Library to import questions into a quiz.
- When a quiz has sections, an Import to Section button will be displayed as a new, separate button.
- If sections do not exist in a quiz, the new button will not be displayed.
- Previously, the Import to Section option was not offered on its own.
Grades
- The Comments & Assessments column has been improved to hold more information and will now include overdue feedback text.
If you have questions about this update or would like support using these new features, please email VTAC Support.