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Relevant to: faculty and staff
This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, policies and procedures may effect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.
Introduction
This guide will cover the basics of copying the contents of a word document to Brightspace.
When copying the contents of a document directly into Brightspace, formatting may be lost and need to be recreated.
If your document contains both text and images these will need to each be added separately.
Note: Please keep in mind that Brightspace is not capable of certain formatting functionality that dedicated word processing programs can perform. For example, there are no such things as margins in a Brightspace discussion forum. This has implications for citation styles, for example, for APA style when software limitations prevent proper formatting, authors should adapt to the available tools while maintaining clarity and consistency. The focus should remain on accuracy of the references rather than formatting constraints imposed by the platform.
Copying and Pasting Text
Start with the Document you've created in Microsoft Word. Copy the text you want to move to your discussion with the following steps:
- Click your mouse and hold the button down while dragging it to highlight the section of the document you want to copy.
- While the text you want to copy is still highlighted, hold the Control key (Ctrl) on your keyboard and tap the C key. Then release Control. You shouldn't see anything happen with this step; this will copy the highlighted text to your computer's clipboard. (If you are using a Mac, the keyboard combination is Command (Cmd) + C).
- Next log into Brightspace, enter a course, and select the area the copied text needs to be pasted into.
- Select the text editor box (WYSIWYG editor) and then hold Control (Ctrl) and tap the V key. This will paste the content we copied earlier. (If you are using a Mac, the keyboard combination is Command (Cmd) + V). Feel free to go through the post at this point to re-create any lost spacing or indentation you would like to have in your post. Once the formatting has been completed select the Save and Close button.
- If you have images you would also like to include, please see the below section on Copying and Inserting Images into Brightspace.
Note: when content from a Word document is pasted into Brightspace, the content formatting (text size, font style, and paragraph spacing) will update automatically to Brightspace's default font styles.
Copying and Inserting Images
If the image you would like to insert into Brightspace is in your Word Document but not saved to your computer, please start at the first bullet point. If the image is already saved to your computer as an image file you may skip to the third bullet point.
- In your document, with your mouse, right-click on the image and select Save as Picture.
- Save the image to your computer. Note: be mindful of the Name and Location of the image you saved.
- Log into Brightspace, enter a course, and select the location where this image is to be saved in Brightspace.
- If this is a new File (Web Page), select the Upload/Create button. If the File (Web Page) already exists, click the title of the page to open it. When it loads, select the drop-down menu to the right of the title and select the Edit HTML option.
- Within the text box, select the location where you'd like the image placed. After this is completed, select the Insert Image icon.
- Choose "My Computer" then either select "Upload" to open a file picker or drag the file from your desktop into the dashed box.
- If using the file picker, locate the file on your computer then select Open.
- Select Add to insert the image into your post. Repeat these steps for each image you would like to add.
- Type a short description in the alternative text box - this will be read by anyone reading your post with a screen reader.
- Once the image(s) have been uploaded, select the Save and Close button.
Note for instructors: When uploading images to Brightspace an Image description for each image must be included.
Accessibility Compliance
The following content provides an overview of how copying and pasting from Microsoft Word (or comparable word processing tools) effects accessibility:
- Hidden Formatting: Word uses its own proprietary formatting, which often gets converted into inline CSS styles when pasted into Brightspace. These might include tags with fixed font sizes, colors, or even strange class names like style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12pt;".
- Fixed Fonts and Inconsistent Styling: When Brightspace inherits these styles, the text may ignore the default styles of the platform or the user’s personalized accessibility settings (like larger fonts or high-contrast themes).
- Overhead Code: The excess code (like nested tags) bloats the HTML, making it harder for screen readers to parse, which can negatively impact usability for assistive technology users.
- Loss of Semantic Structure: When Word formatting overrides default styles, the intended meaning of headings, lists, or emphasized text may be lost. For instance, a user may visually interpret bold text as a heading, but screen readers won’t recognize it as such without proper semantic tags like <h1>, <h2>, etc.
- Hard-Coded Fonts and Sizes: Fixed fonts or colors can override user preferences, such as high contrast or dyslexia-friendly fonts, which are essential for many users. Disruption to Assistive Technologies: Screen readers may struggle with unnecessary tags or misinterpret the content’s structure.
- Example Workflow for Accessible Pasting:
- Use Brightspace's tools to:
- Add semantic headings.
- Apply lists and bold/italic where needed.
- Check for proper spacing and alignment.
- Validate the accessibility of the post using built-in tools like Brightspace's Accessibility Checker or external tools like WAVE.