Improved access to Student Grades Overview

An overview of a student’s performance is helpful to instructors when working in the gradebook. In the List View of the Gradebook, when an instructor selects a student card an overview of the student’s assessment performance displays.

Before, in the Grid View of the Gradebook, when an instructor selected a student the student’s account information appeared. This was an unexpected result. Now, an overview of the student’s performance on assessments is displayed.

This change supplies a consistent experience when instructors select a student in the list and grid views. This change also supplies an expected behaviour and improved access to the student grades overview.

Image 1. The gradebook grid view

Image 2. An overview of a student’s grades

Enhanced auto save capability in the Content Editor in Tests & Assignments

Test anxiety is a real problem that some students face today. To help, we want to ensure that students have confidence that all progress in an assessment is auto saved. In the past, student responses entered in the content editor only auto saved when a student clicked outside of the content editor.

Now student responses entered in the content editor auto save two seconds after the student stops typing. The “last saved” time is displayed at the bottom of the assessment. This time stamp auto updates.

Image 1. Last saved time stamp

If there is a disruption in connectivity, students receive a “Connection lost” warning. This warning informs students that they must act to re-establish the connection. When the connection is restored, the student’s work is saved automatically.

Image 2. Connection lost warning

Auto saving is independent of any browser undo function. When a student uses the undo action, contents change according to browser behaviour. Any changes because of an undo action will auto save.

Math Formulas accessible with screen readers

Math formulas are a critical part of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses. Participants in these courses expect that all aspects of the course are accessible, including the math formulas. Now instructors and students can use screen readers to access math formulas when creating, editing and viewing content.

This update helps people who use a screen reader independently access math formulas. This new functionality also supports easier content creation since no added effort is needed to make the math formulas accessible.

Image 1. Math formulas added with the math editor and LaTeX equations read with screen readers

Key considerations:

• Math formulas can be added in content editors using the math editor or by typing LaTeX equations. Both formats are accessible with screen readers.
• LaTeX equations display as text in the content editor. When users save the text, the LaTeX equations render as images. The screen reader reads the equations as text in the content editor and reads the math formulas when rendered as images.
• Content editors that have the math editor option also render LaTeX equations.
• LaTeX equations are not rendered inside code snippets because LaTeX equations are treated as part of the code format.

Preserving the forced sequencing setting on Learning Modules during course upgrading

In the past, when upgrading from the Original to Ultra Course View, we did not preserve the forced sequence setting selection for Learning Modules. Now we now preserve this setting selection during the upgrade process. If enabled in the Original Course View, the upgrade process keeps the setting in the Ultra Course View.

Image 1. The Forced Sequence setting in the Original Course View

Image 2. The Forced Sequence setting in the Ultra Course View