{"id":17105,"date":"2021-08-30T06:00:14","date_gmt":"2021-08-30T11:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/?p=17105"},"modified":"2021-08-29T00:43:40","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T05:43:40","slug":"brightspace-tip-250-august-continuous-delivery-updates","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cat.xula.edu\/food\/brightspace-tip-250-august-continuous-delivery-updates\/","title":{"rendered":"Brightspace Tip #250: August Continuous Delivery Updates"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"update\"<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p>\n

D2L (the company that owns Brightspace) uses Continuous Delivery to update our Brightspace system. The Continuous Delivery model gives us regular monthly updates allowing for incremental and easily integrated changes with no downtime required for our Brightspace system.<\/p>\n

Our Continuous Delivery update occurs on the 4th Thursday of each month. D2L provides release notes<\/a> to help users stay up-to-date with the changes.<\/p>\n

Here are a few updates in the August 2021\/20.21.8 release that were added to our system this month:<\/p>\n

\n

1) Activity Feed \u2013 Date picker change<\/h4>\n

This feature updates the date picker component in Activity Feed. The new date picker has a more streamlined design and requires slight workflow changes: to clear a date\/time, use the Clear<\/strong> option and to set the calendar to the current day, use the Set to Today<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The date picker component in Activity Feed prior to the update<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Updated<\/a>
Updated date picker component in Activity Feed for due dates<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The Post Later<\/strong> dialog box in Activity Feed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Note: The Date<\/strong> field in the Post Later<\/strong> dialog box is a mandatory field. There remains to be no option to clear this field. You must set this date to a future date or click Cancel<\/strong> to exit this dialog box.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

2) Assignments - Icons in attachments toolbar<\/h4>\n

This release updates the attachments toolbar which appears in the evaluation panel on the right side of the new Assignment Evaluation Experience.<\/p>\n

Users can now add attachments to their feedback from QuickLinks, web links, Google Drive, and OneDrive using the new icons in the toolbar. Previously, users could only add attachments by uploading a file from their computer, recording an audio note, or recording a video note.<\/p>\n

This change aligns the attachments toolbar in the new Assignment Evaluation Experience with the attachments toolbar in the new Create and Edit Assignment Experience.<\/p>\n

\"Previous<\/a>
Previous attachments toolbar containing icons for Upload File, Record Audio, and Record Video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"New<\/a>
New attachments toolbar containing icons for Upload File, QuickLink, Web Link, Google Drive, OneDrive, Record Audio, and Record Video<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

3) Brightspace Editor \u2013 Available as the default editor<\/h4>\n

This feature updates the Brightspace Editor \u2013 Available in ePortfolio External Comments and Quiz Builder | Updated<\/a> feature released in July 2021\/20.21.7.<\/p>\n

This release sets the new Brightspace Editor as the default editor across Brightspace Learning Environment.<\/p>\n

As mentioned in the Brightspace Editor \u2013 Replaces The HTML Editor | New<\/a> release note in April 2021, the Brightspace Editor does not have a built in spell checker. Your web browser\u2019s built-in spell check functionality is available in the new Brightspace Editor and D2L recommends using it. However, the d2l.Tools.Quizzing.ShowSpellCheckInAttempts org unit configuration variable is still respected and marks text in Quizzes to be ignored by the browser spell checker. It can be turned off for all quizzes at the org unit level.<\/p>\n

The inline limited version of Brightspace Editor is now available in Activity Feed as the default editor.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The editor in Activity Feed before the update<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The updated inline limited version of Brightspace Editor in Activity Feed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brightspace Editor HTML options in Activity Feed include: Bold, Italic, Underline, Strike-through, Superscript, Subscript, Font Color, Bulleted Lists, Numbered Lists, Increase\/Decrease Indentation, Insert Stuff, Insert Quicklink, and Emoji. Insert Stuff now includes various capabilities, including Video Note functionality.<\/p>\n

The Account Settings > HTML Editor Settings<\/strong> option is no longer available as it is not applicable with the new Brightspace Editor. This setting was previously used to make the HTML Editor more accessible to screen readers by removing the RichText presentation layer. Improved accessibility workflows in the new Brightspace Editor make this setting redundant.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Brightspace Editor now remembers the open or closed state of the More Actions<\/strong> button, per user, in order to reduce clicks for users that frequently use options in the expanded editor. <\/p>\n

The Brightspace Editor now uses pixels (px<\/strong>) in the font size menu in order to match the Content Settings<\/strong> menu for an org unit\u2019s default font size.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

4) Brightspace Pulse \u2013 Comment on Activity Feed posts<\/h4>\n

To encourage class engagement, learners can now comment on Activity Feed posts in Brightspace Pulse. Previously, learners could only read Activity Feed posts and comments in Brightspace Pulse. <\/p>\n

In Brightspace Pulse, tap the Courses<\/strong> tab, and then tap a course with Activity Feed enabled.<\/p>\n

From the Activity Feed<\/strong> tab, tap the post you want to comment on, and then tap Add Comment<\/strong>. A browser opens, displaying the Activity Feed for the course in Brightspace Learning Environment.<\/p>\n

Tap the post you want to comment on, add your comment, and then tap Post<\/strong>. Your comment displays.<\/p>\n

To close the browser and return to Brightspace Pulse, tap Done<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In Brightspace Pulse, refresh the page to display your comment.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The new Add Comment button in Brightspace Pulse's Activity Feed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

5) Brightspace Pulse \u2013 View all grades for a course<\/h4>\n

Learners can now view all grades for a course from a new Grades<\/strong> tab in the course. Previously, learners could only view course grades from notifications in Brightspace Pulse or by opening a browser and navigating to the Grades tool in Brightspace Learning Environment. <\/p>\n

To view all grades for a course, tap the Courses<\/strong> tab. Next, tap a course, and then the Grades<\/strong> tab. All received grades for the course display, indicating if feedback is available. To open the Grades tool in a browser and view full grade breakdowns and calculations, tap View Grades in Browser<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

To view feedback, tap a grade. The grade and text feedback display. To view details about the associated activity in Brightspace Learning Environment, tap View Activity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This implements Product Idea Exchange item D6422.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The new Grades tab for a course in Brightspace Pulse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A graded activity with feedback in Brightspace Pulse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

6) Brightspace Pulse \u2013 View content module descriptions<\/h4>\n

Learners can now view content module descriptions in Brightspace Pulse. Instructors use module descriptions to communicate vital information to learners about specific course content. Previously, module descriptions were only visible from Brightspace Learning Environment, which may have caused learners to miss important information when accessing courses from Brightspace Pulse.<\/p>\n

This feature implements PIE items D4547 and D6460.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>
A content module description in Brightspace Pulse<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

7) Rubrics \u2013 Increased accessibility with labels on radio buttons<\/h4>\n

To provide a better experience to clients using screen readers, criterion levels now indicate the level name and point value of each radio button when it has the focus. Previously, screen readers only indicated \u201cradio button X out of Y\u201d or \u201cradio button, not selected\u201d depending on whether the focus is on a selected criterion. <\/p>\n

In addition, the mobile view of Rubrics now has radio buttons implemented to describe the level name and point value of each criterion level, consistent with the view on a larger screen.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> Depending on the screen reader you use, the way of listing all the radio buttons on a page differs. For example, In NVDA, press INSERT+F7<\/strong>; in JAWS, press CTRL+INSERT+A<\/strong>. In general, D2L tests compatibility with the following screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, and Voiceover.<\/p>\n

\"Example<\/a>
Criterion level rows behave as radio buttons for screen readers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
\n

8) Rubrics \u2013 Inline grading improvements<\/h4>\n

There have been improvements to the ease of use of the inline grading experience, including changes to ensure grading experience parity for screen reader users. Previously, screen reader users were unable to grade or review tasks due to missing information. In addition, the updates now include the following:<\/p>\n