On June 4-5, 2014, Learn@UW-Stout began running version 10.3 of Desire2Learn’s Learning
Environment (the former version was 10.1). This new version features key updates to the usability of core
tools like Content, Discussions, Dropbox and Quizzing. Below you’ll find a list of the changes in this new
version, grouped by tool.
Content
Expandable Content Menu
The Content tool now features an expandable left menu panel that lets you quickly navigate to any topic
or module in the course, at any time. Instructors can drag and drop files directly into the menu panel to
upload and update topics, without ever needing to leave the Content viewer.
Use the new expandable Content menu to jump to any other topic or back to the Table of Contents
Instructors - Drag and drop files into the Content panel to upload files
Student Progress Summaries Directly in Content
The Content Viewer now displays an inline student Completion Summary, enabling instructors to see who
has completed an assignment directly from within the Content tool. Using this feature, instructors can also
hover over any student's profile picture to contact the student, access their full profile, and view their
overall course progress.
View student progress inline, on every Content activity
Within the inline student progress list, a user "badge" displays when you hover over any user
Create Any Activity in Content
Instructors now have ability to create a new Checklist, Discussion, Dropbox, Quiz, and Survey without
ever leaving the Content tool.
Create new course activities directly from Content
Apply Existing HTML Styles to Content Files
Instructors can create course "templates" to use later by saving HTML files to a course directory that you
define. Then, when creating a new HTML file, you can select to apply the content and styles from an
existing course HTML file to the new file. Your new document pulls in all content and styles from the file,
then you can start modifying your new document as desired.
Create a new HTML document based on a template HTML file
Assign a directory where you will store HTML templates for later use
Content Update Notifications for Students
Instructors can choose to notify students of changes to course content. They can include a custom
message with the notification and choose to reset completion tracking for students who have already
completed the activity (these students will see the word "Updated" next to the completion marker to
indicate they were reset.
Students will see the alert in the toolbar at the top of the screen (red dot).
Students can be notified of content changes
Expand and Collapse Improvements
The Table of Contents now remembers the expanded/collapsed state of modules from session to
session, and includes options to expand all and collapse all with a single click.
Contents can be expanded and collapsed, and your setting is remembered from session to session
Improved Handling of External Links and Unsupported File Types
External links now automatically open in a new tab or window, as well as a placeholder page in Content
(opening in a new tab/window was optional before). This allows instructors to track whether the link was
visited, and maintains consistent course navigation for the student.
For files that cannot be displayed in place, a placeholder page is provided that includes a visually
prominent Download option.
Example of external link and unsupported file type Content topics
Language and Style Updates to the Overview Page
The placeholder text on the Overview page was updated from “Add a description...” to “Add a welcome
message, overview or description...” to better distinguish it from the Table of Contents page. The style of
the Add Attachments control was also updated to reduce the possibility of instructors mistaking it for the
primary drag-and-drop area for adding new content files.
Previous Course Overview page
New Course Overview Page
Discussions
Improved, Simplified Discussions Interface
Previously, the reading view of Discussions was a single list of threads and replies within a topic. The
new, improved Discussions "reading" view is more compact and less cluttered. It allows you to quickly
scan the columns to see which topics have unread or unapproved posts.
You used to have an option in your Discussion Settings to view the "reading" view or "grid" view as
default. However, the grid view has been removed, leaving just one view -- the "reading" view.
The new Discussion view makes it easy and fast to dive into a discussion
View or hide all topics with a single click
If you choose to turn off the Discussion "List" view (in your Discussion Settings), a new space-saving
expandable menu allows you to easily navigate through all discussion forums and threads in the course
Discussions Restore Feature
The Delete area of Discussions has been replaced with a new Restore area.
Instructors can now delete discussion forums/topics quickly from the Discussions list.
If you accidentally delete a forum/topic, simply click More Actions and Restore to undo the action.
Then, in the Restore View area, click the Restore button to undo the action. The Restore area also tracks
who deleted the forum/topic from the Discussions area.
Restore deleted forums/topics, and view when and by whom they were deleted
Two More Options for Rating Discussions
In addition to the five-star rating option, there are two new rating options that instructors can assign to
individual discussion topics: Up/Down Vote, and Up Vote Only. Up/Down Vote allows the class to vote
posts up and down, giving each post a cumulative score. Up Vote Only allows the class to vote posts up
as a way to show agreement or approval. With both methods, a vote displays next to the discussion post
along with the cumulative score for that post. Instructors can configure it to show only your vote for cases
where it may not be ideal for students to see the cumulative score. Instructors can set a default rating
method in the overall Discussion settings that apply to newly created topics.
Two new Discussion rating methods: Up Vote/Down Vote, and Up Vote Only
Improvement to Must Post to Participate
Instructors can now set posting restrictions at the forum level, which will then apply to all topics within that
forum. This can be used for situations where instructors are making use of group topics - now the option
only has to be set once, rather than on each topic individually.
Discussion Statistics Improvements
Discussion statistics provide a way for instructors to see what's happening in their discussions at a high
level. Now, statistics will call out the number of threads created and replies posted separately. This is
helpful when instructors are running activities where students must compose a number of original threads
and then reply to other students' threads.
Now, Discussion statistics separates the number of replies and threads created
In addition, Discussion statistics now include statistics for the three voting rating methods: Five-star,
Up/Down, and Up Only.
Discussion statistics are provided for the three rating methods
Discussions Integrated with Content
Discussions can now be placed right into Content topics. This means that people can post to Discussions
without needing to leave the Content area.
Review a discussion from within a Content topic
Dropbox
Ability to Upload Multiple Feedback Files to Dropbox
Instructors using the Dropbox to evaluate written submissions can not only bulk download files to
evaluate and annotate on their desktop, but can then bulk upload the evaluated files back into the
Dropbox.
Dropbox Folder Restore Feature
Instructors can now restore deleted Dropbox folders. Simply locate the deleted folder listed in the Event
Log and click Restore to restore the folder, along with any submissions and feedback that it contained.
Dropbox Event Log, with new Restore feature
Dropbox Evaluate Button Wording Adjustment
When evaluating the final Dropbox folder submission, the options available are Publish and Save Draft
instead of Finish and Save Draft, removing the confusing "Finish" wording.
Ability to Evaluate Non-Submissions
It is now possible for instructors to evaluate a student from the Dropbox even if no submission was made
to a folder. This is useful in cases where an instructor wants to assign a student a comment and grade
after the due date has passed, or the submission occurs to somewhere else instead of a Dropbox folder.
Currently, this feature is only available in the actual Dropbox tool, not in the Content tool's Dropbox
Completion Summary. However, that is planned for future releases.
Gradebook
Milestone Grade Calculation
Instructors using a weighted grading system now have an additional grade calculation setting, called
Milestone Grade Calculation, which sets the total score as the sum of the denominators of chosen grade
items, rather than scaling the excluded items to total 100%. This can be useful for calculating mid-term
grades.
Calculate grades using Milestone Grades Calculation
Quizzes and Surveys
Automatic Score Recalculation
Previously, to recalculate a quiz score, the instructor had to scroll to the top of the page and click
Recalculate, then scroll back to the bottom of the page and click Save. The Recalculate button has been
removed and recalculation occurs automatically whenever an individual question is graded. A final quiz
score can either be manually entered or it can be auto-calculated.
Auto recalculation of quiz scores
Ability to Add IP Restrictions to Quiz Submission Views
Now the same IP restrictions which apply to students taking a quiz can apply to a quiz’s submission view:
the view of quiz information, such as the student's score and optional question and answer information,
after the student has submitted a quiz. This extends the security feature, providing additional protection of
question and answer information once a quiz is submitted.
IP Address Restriction setting for students' quiz submission views
Ability to Limit Duration for Quiz Submission Views
Previously, quiz submission views (which can include a student's score and optional question and answer
info) had a starting availability date and time that ended at a defined date and time. As a result, students
submitting quizzes at different times would have unequal access duration to a quiz's submission view.
Now, instructors can set a length of time (in minutes) the view is available, and the starting availability
now begins at the time of a student's quiz submission.
Limited Duration setting for students' quiz submission views
Changed Tab Structure in Quizzing and Surveys
Previously, instructors adding questions to quizzes/surveys had to navigate to the last tab on the screen.
Now, questions are added from the first tab (Properties), not the last.
Old add question location (Layout/Questions tab)
New add question location (Properties tab)
There is also a new Assessment tab when editing Quizzes and Surveys. For Quizzes, all information
related to quiz assessment such as associated Grade Item and Attempts is contained on that tab.
Assessment tab in Quizzes and Surveys
Import/Export/Copy Components
Interface and Performance Improvements to Copy Components
Copy Components has been re-architected to improve performance during peak use times.
The new framework automatically runs copy course components as a job when the Copy All option is
selected. In addition, a history is kept of all past copied components.
Copy Components job queuing, and history list
Miscellaneous
Role Switch Now Available in User Profile Menu
Previously, role switch functionality was available via a widget on the course homepage. Now, role switch
is performed by clicking your name in the upper-right corner of the window and selecting "View as
Student."
Role switch is now available via the Profile Menu ("View as..." option)
Equation Editor Improvements
The Equation Editor within the HTML Editor has been updated significantly. In addition to an updated
interface, it no longer has a browser dependency on Java.
New Equation Editor
New Group Enrollment Type
There is now a group enrollment type where the group category contains x groups, and each group has a
capacity of x users. This new enrollment type is called "# of Groups of # - Self Enrollment." This is useful
in situations where students are self-enrolling in groups with a fixed capacity. This type can be used to
define the structure of groups (number of groups and capacity of each group in advance. Students can
choose which group they would like to join (subject to any constraints of the group structure).
New group self-enrollment type
"Compose New Message" Window Improvements
The Compose New Email screen has been redesigned. In addition, drag and drop of file attachments is
now supported, along with the ability to record a new audio attachment.
Old "Compose New Message" screen
New "Compose New Message" screen
Other Changes
Other miscellaneous changes include:
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Floating command buttons - Command buttons, such as Save, Cancel, etc. at the bottom of the
screen now "float," making them always visible and eliminating the need to scroll down the page
to access them.
More drag and drop file upload functionality throughout the application
Subject lines are now optional when replying to a discussion thread
Posts within a discussion thread now mark as read automatically when viewed
Different User Progress icon
Adding Quicklinks from any tool has been streamlined to reduce the number of clicks
Performance and paging improvements for courses that have over 100 content topics