When you first open a D2L course, the homepage is the landing page students see. It’s made up of blocks called widgets, which are mini tools that show announcements, calendars, task lists, and more.
You can customize this page to show only the widgets you want, in the order and layout that works best for your course.
Why customize your homepage?
- A clear, intentional layout helps students focus on what’s most important.
- You can highlight your course announcements, link out to important tools, or simplify the page by removing clutter.
- Some useful widgets aren’t included by default; you may discover new ones worth adding!
How do you customize your homepage?
Follow the instructions below or view a 5-minute tutorial from Instructional Technology and Development.
- On your course homepage, scroll to the bottom of the right-hand column (below your widgets).
- Click the three-dot menu icon, then choose “Manage Homepages” from the dropdown menu.
- On the Manage Homepages page:
- Click “Create Homepage” to make a copy of the original.
- Give your new homepage a name.
- Next, customize your homepage by choosing:
- A layout: Click “Change Layout” to explore different panel styles (e.g., one wide panel vs. two columns).
- Widgets: Click “Add Widgets” to see available options. You can drag and drop widgets to reorder them or move them between panels. You can also remove any widgets you don’t need.
- Click “Save and Close” to preview your homepage at any time. You can continue editing it as needed before the semester begins.
Explore widgets:
Take time to browse the list of available widgets—you may find useful tools you weren’t aware of. Some examples include:
- Calendar
- Announcements
- Checklist
- Work To Do
- Instructor Contact
Tips:
- Some widgets are only available to instructors, such as “switch role”, but they are not labeled as such, so use the View as Student to verify what your students see.
- Try not to change the homepage once the course begins, unless necessary, and let students know if you do.
- Some of the widgets can be added on the edit page but will not appear on the homepage, such as “Access Google Workspace.”
- Even if you use Content as your course hub, the Content Browser widget only shows recent or limited items, which can confuse students. I avoid using it for that reason.