Add an announcement

Updated 01 Feb 2024

Instructors and section instructors with the Announcements privilege can post announcements that appear on the Course Home page.

You can also send announcements as email to class participants. The email addresses used are from their Pearson user accounts.

  1. From the Course Home, select either "" Create Announcement in (Announcements area) or Announcements (Enrich Your Course area).
  2. Enter a Subject line.

    This text appears in the announcements list on the students' Course Home. If you send the announcement as email to students, it is also the subject line of the email they receive.

  3. Enter the announcement text, which students see when they open the announcement or email.
  4. To format your announcement text, use the editing toolbar options.
    ProcedureSteps

    Insert or edit a hyperlink

    For example, you can use a link to a school website or another location.

    1. Enter text that will appear as a link, and highlight it.
    2. Right-click and select Insert/edit link.

      Alternatively, select  Insert/edit link from the toolbar.

    3. Enter the URL for the link, beginning with https:// for a public web page.
    4. Choose whether you want the target to open in the same window or a new window (new is usually preferable).
    5. Add a title or class. (Optional)
    6. Select Insert.

    Remove a hyperlink (unlink)

    1. Select the link text.
    2. Right-click and select Unlink.

      Alternatively, select  Unlink on the toolbar.

    Insert a special character

    1. Select  Special Characters from the toolbar to view available characters.
    2. Select the character to enter.
  1. To see the announcement as students will see it in the Course Home, select Preview.

    To make changes, select Edit.

  2. To print the announcement, select Preview, and then choose Print in the upper right.
  3. To send the message as an email, select Also send as email (to students, section instructors, and yourself).
  4. Select Post Now.

    Student view of announcements — A shortened subject line of your announcement appears in the Announcements (top) area of each student’s personal view of the Course Home. Up to two announcements appear on the page, with an option to view all announcements. Any unread announcements are in bold text and NEW appears on the right. Students select an announcement to view it.

    Student view of Announcements area with 2 messages, with one of them NEW

Consider this option for time-sensitive course announcements.

  • Send as email before you post the announcement in the course.
    Select "Also send as email (to students, section instructors, and yourself)".
  • Send as email after announcement has been posted in the course.
    Select Edit Announcement for the announcement on the Course Home and then choose "Also send as email (to students, section instructors, and yourself)".

Announcements you send as email show your first and last name in the "From" field, but show mastering-devops@pearsoncmg.com as the sender address.

  • Announcements sent as email could get blocked by a spam filter. Consider sending a test message to be sure any important messages are received by students.

    If some students don't receive your emailed announcement: Encourage them to add the sender address mastering-devops@pearsoncmg.com to their list of approved senders.

  • If students reply to announcements email: Their responses are sent to your primary email account, as set in your Pearson account.
  • To see registered students who will receive email:
    Select Manage Course, then Roles and Enrollment Status (also shows email addresses) or select Instructor Tools, then Student IDs and Groups.

Announcements remain available until the Course End date unless you delete them.

  1. Select Edit Announcement for the announcement (Announcements area) on the Course Home.
    • On the Course Home page, select the Subject of the announcement to edit.
    • From the Preview window, select the Edit button.
  2. Either make any needed edits or select Delete (lower right) and then select OK to confirm.
  3. For an edited announcement, choose whether to also send as an email, and then select Post Now.

Only the two most recent announcements appear in the Announcements area of the Course Home page.

  • To show or hide the complete announcement —
    Select the subject line of the announcement to show its full text. To hide the full text, click the subject again.
  • To show all or fewer announcements —
    Select View all announcements to show all announcements. To hide the additional announcements, select View fewer announcements.

Use announcements on the Course Home to provide your office hours, assignment reminders, and more.

  • Prerequisites; what the students should know before taking this course
  • Office hours
  • Links to resource links outside of the course
  • Grading policy
  • Exam and grade information
  • Readings outside of the textbook.

    To assign readings within the course textbook, see Scheduled Readings.

  • Availability of any new documents, presentations, or videos you may have uploaded to the course using the Document Sharing feature
  • Other student work

Consider using announcements for any special messages or instructions about how to complete some assignment items.

What about a message or instructions in an assignment?
When students first open an assignment, they see any message/instructions for the assignment above the items it contains. After students begin working assignment items, they must select the Return to assignment link to see the assignment message again.

Use announcements to alert students to the due dates for the following assigned activities, which don't appear in students' Assignments list or course calendar.)

See also: Contact students by email