Brightspace Platform October 2018/10.8.6 Current Release Notes
The following release notes are for clients installing Brightspace Learning Environment 10.8.6 (October 2018).
Brightspace Learning Environment
Activity Feed - New assignment types - AWS Enabled | Updated
Activity Feed now supports the new assignment submission types available in Assignments. When creating an assignment post, instructors can choose from four different submission types:
- File submission
- Text submission
- On paper submission
- Observed in person
When instructors select On paper submission, or Observed in person from the Submission type menu, the Marked as complete options become available. Learners can complete all assignments from Activity Feed assignment posts.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
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Slight impact to instructors and learners due to the availability of additional assignment submission types in Activity Feed. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Activity Feed users. No further action is required. Microservices dependencies: Activity Feed functionality depends on the Landlord, Authentication, Activity Feed, and Reflex microservices. Microservices location(s): Landlord and Authentication are in the following Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) location: U.S. East (N. Virginia). Activity Feed and Reflex service are in the following AWS locations: U.S. East (N. Virginia), Canada Central (Montreal), EU (Ireland), Asia Pacific (Singapore), Asia Pacific (Sydney). User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Interact and Engage with Learners - Instructor Guide (print-based resources) or Post messages and links to course materials(online resource) at release. |
Assignments – Anonymized learner names | New
To avoid unconscious bias in the grading and feedback process, instructors can now configure assignments to use anonymous learner names. When the feature is turned on, instructors can only see an anonymized learner name on the assignment submission.
There is a new permission available called See Name for Anonymized Activities that can be associated to a role that will display the user's real name alongside the anonymous indicator if required for administrative purposes.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
| Slight impact to administrators who must enable or disable new configuration variables and user permissions for anonymous grading. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: Ensure the d2l.Tools.System.Features.AnonymousMarking configuration variable is turned on at the Course Offering level in order to make anonymous grading available to instructors. If this configuration variable is set for a course offering, anonymous marking can be manually enabled by instructors when creating an assignment submission folder. If the d2l.Tools.Dropbox.DefaultAnonymousMarkingValueconfiguration variable is turned on for an instructor’s course offering, instructors will see anonymous marking automatically applied to assignments, which can be disabled at the instructor’s discretion. If the d2l.Tools.Dropbox.ForceAnonymousMarkingconfiguration variable is turned on for an instructor’s course offering, anonymous marking is applied to all new assignments created by the instructor, and cannot be disabled. Ensure the Assignments > Publish All Feedback on Anonymized Assignment Submission Folders permission is enabled for instructors at the Course Offering level, to allow instructors to publish all feedback for anonymous assignment submissions simultaneously. Ensure the User Information Privacy>See Names for Anonymized Activities permission is enabled for the desired User to be able to identify anonymous submissions. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For information on Assignments to share with users, refer to the Brightspace Learning Environment - Administrator Guide (print-based resource) or the Create, import, enroll, and manage users web topics for administrators (online resource) at release. |
|
Slight impact to instructors who can now set the anonymous submission setting when creating assignments. |
Availability: N/A To enable: Instructors must have course administrators enable the d2l.Tools.System.Features.AnonymousMarkingconfiguration variable at the Course Offering level in order to make anonymous grading available to instructors. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For information on Assignments, refer to the Assess and Grade Learners – Instructor Guide (print-based resource) or the Assignment basics web topics for administrators (online resource) at release. |
Assignments - New assignment types | New
On paper submission and Observed in person assignment submission types are now available in Assignments. These new assignment submission types do not require users to make a file submission for them to be completed. This allows instructors to create assignments for a wide variety of activities, not just written work, and provide evaluation and feedback for these assignments.
On paper assignments are submitted directly to instructors in class, but allow evaluation and feedback to be completed in Brightspace. A presentation can also be observed in person and evaluated in Brightspace. Both new assignments can be marked as complete by learners, automatically marked as complete on their due date, or marked as complete upon evaluation by the instructor, depending on how the assignment is configured.
The properties tab interface has also been updated to simplify the work flow when creating assignments.
Figure: On paper submission and Observed in person submission types
Figure: Marked as completed options for Observed in person assignments
Figure: Marked as completed options for On paper submissions
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Moderate impact to instructors due to the availability of new assignment submission types, changes to the work flows for creating all types of assignments, and language term updates. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Assignments users. No further action is required. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For additional details on the changes coming to Assignments, visit the blog posts on Brightspace Community: Changes coming to Assignments in Fall 2018, About Upcoming Language Term changes in Assignments, and About new Assignment submission types in 10.8.6/1810 release. For more information to share with users, visit the Assess and Grade Learners – Instructor Guide (print-based resources) or Create assignments and assess submissions web topics for instructors (online resource) at release. |
Brightspace Daylight Experience – Updates to personalization options at the Org Unit
and Course level | New
Users can now apply a color behind the link area on navbars, and set the text color scheme to either light (white) or dark (near black). This change lets users showcase organization colors and create an appreciable tie between Brightspace and the client’s brand. Users can change their color options in Navigation and Themes.
Figure: Administrators can set the default colors that appear in the navbar and theme
Figure: By editing the theme, you can use the defaults or select personalized colors
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to administrators who can more prominently display brand colors and allow individual departments or courses to showcase sub-brands more prominently. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled. The existing Manage Navbars and Manage Navbar Themespermissions must be turned on for any role that you want to be able to edit navbars and themes. Note that if you add these permissions to a role, they apply to all users granted that role. Administrators must also have these same permissions set at the Org level to set a default navbar link area color. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Set up and Deliver a Course (print-based resources) or Brightspace Help (online resource). |
| Slight impact to instructors who can personalize a course with a specific color. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled. The existing Manage Navbars and Manage Navbar Themespermissions must be turned on for any role that you want to be able to edit navbars and themes. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Set up and Deliver a Course (print-based resources) or Brightspace Help (online resource). |
| Slight impact to learners who can more easily associate Brightspace Learning Environment with their learning organization by seeing the organization colors represented in the user interface. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: N/A Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Set up and Deliver a Course (print-based resources) or Brightspace Help (online resource). |
Content - Send to Binder | Removed
Located on the Table of Contents page in the Content tool, the Send to Binder option allows learners to send course content to their Brightspace Binder accounts to review offline. With Brightspace Binder approaching end-of-life status, the Send to Binder option from the Content tool will no longer be available as of November 1, 2018.
To access course materials offline, learners can use the Brightspace Binder and Brightspace Pulse mobile apps.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to administrators, if they choose to modify the configuration variable to remove the Send to Binder button. |
Availability: On November 1, 2018, the Send to Binder option will no longer be available. To enable: Prior to November 1, you can remove the Send to Binder button to prevent learners from discovering Brightspace Binder. To remove the button, disable the d2l.Tools.Binder.EnableSendToBinder configuration variable at the Org Unit level. On November 1, the Send to Binder button will be hidden, regardless of the value set in the configuration variable, which will be removed in a later release. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information about Brightspace Binder, see Intent To End Of Life Notice For: D2L Binder (blog post). For more information about Brightspace Binder to share with users, visit the Brightspace Binder for iOS - Learner Guide, Brightspace Binder for Android - Learner Guide (print-based resources), or Keep track of course content (online resource). For more information about Brightspace Pulse to share with users, visit the Brightspace Pulse - Learner Guide (print-based resource) or Manage time, priorities, and course workload(online resource). |
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Slight impact to Binder users that use the Send to Binder option to review course content offline. |
N/A |
Data Hub – Full Brightspace Data Sets are now generated weekly – AWS Enabled | Updated
Further to the announcement in the September 2018 release notes, on October 1st, the download schedule for clients previously extracting full daily datasets is changing to a daily differential, and weekly full datasets. If you require more data more often than the new schedule, it is possible to purchase an add-on to download daily full data sets and hourly differentials.
This change is intended to reduce the size of files to reduce processing time and data transfer costs.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Moderate impact to administrators who review data set content. Note: If you have purchased the add-on that includes hourly differentials there is no impact. |
Availability: This feature is automatically being applied on October 1st to all Data Hub and Brightspace Data Set clients. To enable: This feature automatically migrates client schedules to the new format on October 1st. If you are downloading daily full data sets, clients must adjust their daily downloads to differential data sets. Microservices dependencies: Data set functionality depends on the Authentication Service and Landlord Service microservices. Microservices location(s): Authentication Service and Landlord Service are in the following Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) location: U.S. East (N. Virginia). User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Brightspace Analytics – Administrator Guide (print-based resources) or Brightspace Data Sets (online resource) at release. |
Data Hub – New Discussion Forums Brightspace Data Set – AWS Enabled | New
To increase the value of the Data Hub offering, there is a new Brightspace data set providing information about discussion forums.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to administrators who can use the new data set. |
Availability: This feature is available to AWS-hosted and co-located Brightspace Insights and Brightspace Core clients in the following regions: North America, EMEA, and APAC. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Data Hub users. Microservices dependencies: Data set functionality depends on the Authentication Service and Landlord Service microservices. Microservices location(s): Authentication Service and Landlord Service are in the following Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) location: U.S. East (N. Virginia). User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Brightspace Analytics – Administrator Guide (print-based resources) or Brightspace Data Sets (online resource) at release. |
Data Hub – New Discussion Topic Brightspace Data Set – AWS Enabled | New
To increase the value of the Data Hub offering, there is a new Brightspace data set providing information about discussion topics.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to administrators who can use the new data set. |
Availability: This feature is available to AWS-hosted and co-located Brightspace Insights and Brightspace Core clients in the following regions: North America, EMEA, and APAC. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Data Hub users. Microservices dependencies: Data set functionality depends on the Authentication Service and Landlord Service microservices. Microservices location(s): Authentication Service and Landlord Service are in the following Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) location: U.S. East (N. Virginia). User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Brightspace Analytics – Administrator Guide (print-based resources) or Brightspace Data Sets (online resource) at release. |
Data Hub – New Organization Unit Parents Data Set – AWS Enabled | New
To increase the value of the Data Hub offering, there is a new Brightspace data set that returns the direct parent of each org unit in order to build out the initial org unit structure..
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to administrators who can use the new data set. |
Availability: This feature is available to AWS-hosted and co-located Brightspace Insights and Brightspace Core clients in the following regions: North America, EMEA, and APAC. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Data Hub users. Microservices dependencies: Data set functionality depends on the Authentication Service and Landlord Service microservices. Microservices location(s): Authentication Service and Landlord Service are in the following Amazon Web Services™ (AWS) location: U.S. East (N. Virginia). User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Brightspace Analytics – Administrator Guide (print-based resources) or Brightspace Data Sets (online resource) at release. |
Quizzes- Auto-save during quiz taking | New
Learners' quiz responses are now automatically saved during the quiz taking process. For forced response questions (such as Multiple Choice and True or False), learner responses are saved automatically when they select the radio button or checkbox. Text input questions autosave every 10 to 15 seconds, and html-enabled questions save when the mouse cursor is clicked outside the quiz response input area. Autosave sends save timestamps to the quizzing log, as the manual save function previously did. For quizzes with multiple pages, quiz responses automatically save upon navigating to a new quiz page. The Save all Responses and Go to Submit Quiz buttons have been removed, and are no longer visible on the quiz page. The only button now visible on the quiz page is Submit Quiz. If internet connectivity is lost during the quiz-taking process, learners can answer questions but are unable to autosave questions or submit the quiz until the connection is restored.
This feature implements PIE items D246 and D247.
Figure: The autosave function as it appears beside questions, and a simplified left navigation panel
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Slight impact to learners due to the replacement of the manual save function with the new automatic saving feature. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically enabled for Quizzes users. No further action is required. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Brightspace Learning Environment - Learner Guide (print-based resources) or Take a quiz (online resource). |
Quizzes - Removal of Rubrics | Updated
Instructors can no longer attach a rubric to a quiz or grade rubrics already attached to a quiz.
Any data stored in rubrics is retained.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
|
Moderate impact to instructors as Rubrics have been removed from the quizzing experience. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: This functionality is automatically removed for Quizzes users. No further action is required. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices location(s): N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, visit the Assess and Grade Learners - Instructor Guide (print-based resources) or Assess and grade learners (online resource). |
Rubrics - Improvements to features and workflows in the rubrics grading experience
in Assignments | New
Grading with rubrics in Assignments now offers new functions and an improved workflow and design that makes for an easier grading experience and is optimized for use on mobile devices.
New rubrics features include:
- Rubrics that automatically save in Draft state while updates are in progress. Rubrics in Draft state are not visible to learners until rubric feedback is published, at which time learners can view their feedback from Assignments, Content, Discussions, Grades and User Progress
- Ability to assess rubrics individually or assess all rubrics in the same grading workflow
- Separate rubric Total and Overall Score areas. The Total is a numeric value that is automatically calculated, and the value is populated in Grades. The Overall Score indicates level of achievement and is editable by the instructor
Note that the new features and workflow only apply to grading rubrics without associated Learning Objectives. If Learning Objectives are associated with a rubric, the classic rubrics grading workflow remains in place. In addition, the new rubric grading workflow does not yet apply for group assignments.
The new rubrics grading experience is controlled by a new organization level configuration variable d2l.tools.Rubrics.UpdatedGradingExperience. By default, this configuration variable is Off for a period of 7 months, allowing time to opt-in. After May 2019, it will be removed and the new functionality will be turned on by default.
| Impact of Change | Technical Details |
|---|---|
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Moderate impact to administrators due to the new configuration variable that determines the availability of the new rubrics grading functionality to instructors and learners. |
Availability: This feature is available to all clients. To enable: Ensure the d2l.tools.Rubrics.UpdatedGradingExperience configuration variable is turned On. This new configuration variable is available for 7 months, until May 2019. After that time, the configuration variable will be removed and the new functionality will be turned on by default for all clients. Microservices dependencies: N/A Microservices locations: N/A User Resources: For more information to share with users, refer to the Assess and Grade Learners - Instructor Guide (print-based resource), or the Managing rubrics web topic for instructors (online resource) at release. In addition, please view the following blog posts for more information on the new Rubrics grading experience: Changes Coming To Rubrics Grading Experience - Coming Fall 2018 and New Best Practices in Rubrics Grading - Coming Fall 2018 |
| Moderate impact to instructors due to updated rubric design, assessment features, and improved workflows that enable increased control of rubric assessment availability to learners. | N/A |