The NavBar in D2L is the panel at the top of your course homepage that provides links to important tools and pages. When you open a new course, the NavBar includes a default set of links and drop-down menus to various D2L features. It usually looks something like the image below.
Why customize your NavBar?
- You may not use all the tools included in the default NavBar; removing unused items can simplify navigation for students.
- A streamlined, relevant NavBar helps students find what they need more efficiently.
- You can personalize it to fit your teaching style, whether that’s clean and text-based or visual with icons.
How to customize your NavBar
- On your course homepage, locate the NavBar at the top.
- Click the three-dot menu icon on the right side of the NavBar.
- From the dropdown, select “Customize this NavBar.”
Note: When you customize the NavBar, you’re creating a new version of the MSU NavBar for your course.
Edit NavBar Links
- Under the “Name” textbox, you’ll see a “Links” section listing all current NavBar buttons.
- Hover over any link to delete it or drag to reorder.
- Click “Add Links” to include new tools, even ones that normally appear in dropdowns, like “Class Progress,” without adding the entire “Assessments” menu.
Enable icon-based navigation (optional):
Prefer a more visual layout?
Check the box labeled “Enable Icon-Based NavBar”, located just below the “Add Links” button. This will display icons instead of (or alongside) text for each link.
Preview and Save
- Click “Save and Close” to preview your updated NavBar.
- You can continue editing it at any time until it feels just right.
- If at any time you want to see what the NavBar looks like, click “save and close.” You can edit it as much as needed.
Tips:
- Students don’t see all the same tools that you do (e.g., “Course Admin” and “Intelligent Agents”). Use the View as Student feature to check how the NavBar appears from their perspective.
- Avoid changing the NavBar after students have access, as it may confuse them.
Example
Here’s what my instructor NavBar looks like:
It includes only the tools I use, arranged in the order students need them. I’ve removed dropdown menus since I don’t use all the tools they contain. Students see a clean, focused navigation bar that matches how the course is structured.
