(This list is not all-inclusive. It only shows those changes that will impact faculty the most. The date the updates will take place changes from month to month. You can expect the following updates to be in place by the end of the month.)
Activity Feed – Posts support simple HTML markup
Instructors can now include simple HTML markup when authoring Activity Feed Message and Assignment posts. This allows the use of bold, italics, underline, and bullets to better format posts.
Activity Feed – Instant notifications for posts and comments
Users can now subscribe to receive instant email and SMS notifications when new Activity Feed posts are created. Instructors can also subscribe to receive instant notification when comments are added to a post they created. Activity Feed posts and comments are not included in daily summary emails.
Activity Feed – Minibar update alerts for new posts
Users now receive a minibar update alert when a new post is created in a course they are enrolled in. Clicking on the minibar update allows users to easily view the new post and get up to speed on the latest information in their course. The author of the post does not receive an update alert.
Activity Feed – Minibar update alerts for new comments
Instructors now receive minibar update alerts when comments are left on a post that they authored. Clicking on the update directs the instructor to the post where the comment was made.
Assignments – Rubric dialog pop-ups
All rubric dialog boxes used when grading assignments now automatically open as pop-up windows.
Discussions – Grading discussions
The Assess Topic dialog box opens automatically as a pop-up window. As a result, the instructor can move the Assess Topic dialog box to another screen and continue reading discussions or navigating through a learner’s discussions on a different screen without closing the Assess Topic dialog box.
Grades – Adding feedback in bulk
This feature enables instructors to add generic feedback on learners’ grades in bulk. Instructors can use replacement strings to personalize their feedback. Instructors can also sort the Feedback column in the Gradebook and quickly determine which learners require feedback.
Groups and Sections – Create sub-groups from sections and group
Users can now create sub-groups, based on Section or Group enrollment, within the Groups tool. When creating a new Group category, the Restrict Enrollments To option allows the user to restrict Group enrollment by course sections and all course-level groups. Users can only apply one enrollment restriction, and when selected populates the Group Prefix area with a relevant title.
HTML Editor – Advanced image editing
This feature updates the HTML Editor to make image editing in the WYSIWYG editor available in Quizzing. Previously, users were unable to use expanded image editing capabilities in Quizzing.
Manage Dates – Improvements to the Manage Dates tool
This feature includes the following improvements to the Manage Dates tool:
Dates display for the following activities:
- Quiz submission view names and dates
- Quiz report names and dates
- Topic unlock dates
- Forum unlock dates
- Checklists
- Surveys
The Status column on the Manage Dates page now reads as Visibility Status.
The Status options have been updated from Hidden, Limited, and Visible to Hidden, Visible, Visible with conditions, and Hidden. Conditions are inactive.
The following objects have been renamed:
- Grade Object reads as Grade Item or Grade Category
- Module reads as Content Module
- Topic reads as Content Topic
The Discussion Forum icon has been changed to reflect that it is a container of other things.
The Grade Category icon has been changed to reflect that it is a container of other things.
Dates in the Due, Start, and End columns are clickable and instructors can launch the Edit dialog box to make any changes.
From the Manage Dates page, instructors can now edit, offset, and bulk offset the start, end, and display in calendar options for surveys.
Widgets – Custom widget rendering in iFrame
Instructors or administrators creating a custom widget now have an option to render the custom widget in iFrame. This will enable users to use header information in their widgets, without needing to specifically code in an iFrame to do so.
