Online Teaching Resources

Online Teaching Essentials

If you are transitioning from a face-to-face class to a virtual classroom, this brief Google Doc checklist may be just what you need.

To access previous webinars hosted by our Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) and PimaOnline, log into your Pima Gmail - and then click on this link to our Google Doc of all recorded webinars.  For future TLC webinars, check out their calendar.

Pima Community College requires that faculty using D2L Brightspace to teach fully online go through a certification process. Currently, there is one mechanism for attaining PCC certification attending the PimaOnline Teach Level Certification Class.

D2L Brightspace Tutorials are videos resources for learning how to use the D2L Brightspace course management system. Videos are created and maintained by the D2L Brightspace Training Designers.

This Google Doc resource for intermediate users includes a broad range of PCC faculty-generated content to support online teaching. While addressing D2L-specific areas, it also addresses a range of other tools including Google Meet.  

This resource includes a broad variety of tools relating to designing content, assessments,discussions, groups, virtual classrooms, video assignments, etc.

These tech webinars address a broad range of D2L use practices - and some directly explore the pedagogy!

Sign up for these live tech webinars which address a broad range of D2L use practices - and some directly explore the pedagogy!

D2L Brightspace Student Guide is a resource for PCC students. This Student Guide will help you get started with D2L Brightspace, explain how to navigate D2L Brightspace, and introduce you to various tools you'll encounter in your D2L Brightspace courses.

With their Chickering and Gamson's Seven Principles for Good Practice as inspiration, well-designed online discussions can encourage student and faculty communication and promote active learning.

If you attended the D2L Brightspace Ease of Use Training, you can view all of the pages from the training at the D2L Brightspace Ease of Use Training page.

Whenever you "jazz up" the standard discussion questions, it is always advisable that you ensure that your changes do not alter the learning outcome or assessment strategy for the course.

PimaOnline is providing HTML templates for faculty to use in D2L Brightspace, as an easy way for faculty to create visually appealing, consistent and accessible HTML pages in courses—without needing to know HTML!

PCC Faculty are welcome to utilize the new PCC Course Homepages created by the Center for Learning Technology. These D2L Brightspace Course Homepages include "header" graphics and are available to all faculty enrolled in D2L Brightspace college-wide.

Quality Practices

A Google Doc resource for faculty who want to improve the quality of their online course and/or develop a new online course.

Here's a Google Doc resource overviewing standards to keep in mind while designing, revising or reviewing the design of courses content, design and accessibility.

Visit this D2L Brightspace page for resources addressing what D2L Brightspace considers the most important things to be aware of as you get started.

Disabilities (visual, hearing, mobility, cognitive, etc.) can affect people's ability to fully access web-based materials. You can make your class and web-based materials accessible to the majority of your audience by following the guidelines.

A high level of contrast between text colors and the background color not only assists students who have trouble seeing contrast or are color blind, but assists all students in more easily reading course materials.

D2L Brightspace offers "deep content integration" with a variety of publishers and other third party vendors. The advantage of this integration is that it will not require additional authentication or links to access these resources.

Ensure that courses, programs, services, and activities are accessible to and usable by students with disabilities.

Information for instructors inserting images into their D2L Brightspace content.

Free or low cost sources of images that are either in the public domain or that you have the right to use by becoming a member of a service or by subscribing to a service.


PCC offers faculty, staff and students access to over 2,000,000 images in the ImageQuest library, all available for PCC-only non-commercial educational use.


Pima Community College requires faculty, staff and administrators to obey federal copyright law.