Constructor Learning monthly update: September 2023

This month's update includes improvements and added features to:

• LMS
• Classroom
• Assessment

What's new with Constructor LMS?

Overview

• SCORM preview for authors
• Setting up course visibility for learners
• Setting up results visibility for learners
• Editing enrollment settings
• Extending time for a running activity
• Reports improvements
• Minimum passing grade in grading scales

SCORM preview for authors

Authors need to be able to check which SCORMs have been uploaded to courses. We have therefore introduced a new SCORM preview feature. Authors or team leads can now preview SCORMs from the SCORM properties page. If the compatibility settings for screen size and the display option for maximize and minimize buttons are changed, the way in which SCORM is shown for previewing also changes.

Setting up course visibility for learners

Some courses need to become available to learners after completing offline activities or achieving other results that the LMS cannot control. In such cases, the automatic prerequisites for accessing a course cannot be set in the LMS. For these cases, we have added an option for instructors to hide a course from the catalog. They can then manually send course links to learners so that they can register themselves when it’s time to give them access to a course.

Setting up results visibility for learners

It's often useful to be able to control when results (e.g. scores and grades) are revealed to learners. That's why this new enrollment configuration setting (result visibility for learners) is particularly useful.

Now, instructors can select one of three modes to define how and when scores and grades will be revealed to learners when they complete a course or a program (objective):

• Never show: This option completely hides scores and grades from learners.
• Show after completion: This option reveals scores and grades to learners immediately after they have completed a course or program, provided all assignments have been graded. This result mode is the default.
• Show after date: This option specifies the date and time at which scores and grades should be revealed to learners.

This update benefits a variety of institutions, particularly those that conduct various certifications and examinations.

Editing enrollment settings

This major update enables administrators and instructors to modify any existing enrolment parameters. Once the new values have been set, the rules for learner access to the corresponding courses and programs are updated accordingly.

The following parameters can be modified in a unit, group or individual enrollment:

• Availability from and Availability to defines the dates and times during which a particular course or program (objective) can be started by learners.
• Due date specifies the date and time by which a course or program must be completed.
• Results visibility for learner defines how and when scores and grades are revealed to learners.
• Mandatory, which is used to define whether a course or program is mandatory for a learner (displayed in My Courses) or optional (available in the course catalog for self-enrollment).
• Can be retaken that defines whether a particular course or a program can be taken and completed by learners multiple times.

This update makes working with learner registrations more flexible and convenient.

Extending time for a running activity

We all know of situations where it is necessary to extend the duration of an activity (e.g. an exam) for selected learners. This update enables instructors to extend the authorized duration of an exam or quiz even when it is already running.

• If the duration is set in a quiz and the due date and time are not defined in the quiz enrollment, or the duration specified by the due date and time exceeds the quiz duration, the duration specified in the quiz is used to control the timing of the exam when it is published as a stand-alone objective.
• If the duration of a quiz exceeds the duration specified by the due date and time specified in the quiz enrollment, the duration specified by the due date and time takes priority and is used to determine when the exam should be terminated.

• If the duration of a quiz is not configured at all, for the proctored exam purposes, the default duration is 24 hours. This way, the actual allowed duration of an exam can be conveniently controlled by the due date and time in the enrollment settings.

   

Report improvements

We have introduced several improvements to reports:

• Reports can now be exported in CSV format
• Reports with subgroups (per-activity primary report, per-activity report for user in custom reports, grouped reports) can now be exported.
• Panes can be frozen for easier navigation.
• Reports can be displayed in full screen mode to show more data.
• In per-activity reports for an objective, activities that do not belong to that specific objective are filtered out. This ensures that the number of enrolled users, users in progress, and users who have completed the objective and each activity within that objective remain accurate and aligned.

Minimum passing grade in grading scales

This update enables instructors and administrators to edit grading scales and specify the lowest passing grade for activities. For example, if we have a grading scale from A to F, an instructor can select grade B, or C, or any other grade as the minimum passing grade.

Defining the minimum passing grade facilitates the use of reports. This makes it easier for instructors to track learner performance.

What's new with Constructor Classroom?

Overview

• Renewed session screens

Renewed session screens

The session screen now includes a table layout, an option to preview session information, and a page switcher below the session list.

The session creation screen has a single-screen layout, without tabs, which streamlines the session creation flow.

What's new with Constructor Assessment?

Overview

• Managing quiz sections
• Custom shuffle options

Managing quiz sections

Authors can now break down quizzes into sections. This helps them to organize quizzes in a flexible and more convenient way for learners.

Adding and managing questions is available when adding quiz content. All sections have ordinal numbers.

Custom shuffle options

Authors can enable shuffling sections in a quiz, allowing them to have more granular control over the content flow.

When the Shuffle Section setting is enabled, the order of the sections of a quiz is randomized each time the quiz is taken.

Within each section, authors can set these shuffling options:

• Shuffle questions — questions within that section are shuffled for learners each time they take the quiz.
• Shuffle options — answer options for the selected question within this section are shuffled for learners each time they take the quiz.