New Features & Updates

Awards
To improve security when issuing certificates, instructors can now use a new replacement string field when creating their certificate templates to add an automatically-generated numeric ID. This ID uniquely identifies the issued award, which can be verified using the new Brightspace API. The feature introduces a new replacement string {CertificateID} that instructors can add to their PDF templates. A unique ID is generated and populated into the replacement string {CertificateID} on an ongoing basis when released.

Grades
Feedback files are now available in Grades for Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions. This feature allows instructors to ensure that learners can easily review feedback from the Grades tool. Instructor feedback added in Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions is now visible to learners under Grades.

Learning Outcomes
This feature adds learning outcomes assessment into the evaluation interface of group assignments. Instructors can now assess learning outcomes aligned directly to group assignments or through rubric alignments. Instructors can also apply a learning outcome score while evaluating a group assignment. All members of an assessed group receive the same learning outcomes score, ensuring consistency and fairness in the evaluation process.

Learning Outcomes
To facilitate the bulk creation of outcomes and standards at the program or course level in Brightspace, instructors can use a downloadable CSV template to create an input file. They can replace the example data in the template with their own standards or learning outcomes, and then import the CSV file into Brightspace. Previously, it was only possible to bulk import standards from the Achievement Standards Network (ASN).

Discussions
Instructors' attached files now appear in the Attached Files section for each learner's discussion evaluation. Learners can view attached file feedback when viewing their evaluated discussion topic.

Instructors can view all attached files by clicking on the learner's name and selecting Discussions. Learners can view all attached files by clicking on Discussions in Class Progress. Instructors and learners can view all attached discussion evaluation files in the Class Progress tool.

Brightspace editor
Inserting a link into Brightspace Editor opens the Add Link dialog which allows users to determine if their links open in a new window (set as the default) or in the current window. The text box in the Add Link dialog also allows users to add text to their link. This provides users with a consistent workflow and control over how links respond in their content. Additionally, the dialog includes a new Insert Quicklink option, allowing users to easily insert a quicklink. When using Insert Stuff > Insert Link or Insert Quicklink > Link, the same Link, Text, and Open In options are displayed ensuring consistent link creation.

Quizzes
There is now a better experience for instructors when running and exporting quiz reports with large amounts of data. To avoid time-out failures and screen freezing, the following report types now run asynchronously:

• Attempt Details
• Question Statistics
• Question Details
• User Statistics
• User Attempts

When reports are ready for downloading, Brightspace generates a notification that instructors can access from the bell icon in the navbar.

Branded Footer on main page 
A Powered by D2L Brightspace footer now appears on select pages in Brightspace. These pages include homepages and Insights Portal Dashboard. 

Data Hub  
New columns added to Course Copy Log and LTI Links Brightspace data sets. 

Question Library  
The question mark (?) icon that appears next to questions in Question Library is removed to prevent visual clutter. However, the folder icon that appears in Question Library next to each section remains. 

Assignments & Discussions 
There is an improved tooltip for reporting evaluation errors, which now reads "There is one or more errors in the information entered" rather than "There are invalid grades on this page". The tooltip appears when a user enters over 300,000 characters into the Overall Feedback field or enters an invalid grade into the Grade field. 

Awards  
Students can now export their earned awards in a standards-compliant format using the new Export Digital Credential option. This feature allows the download of certificates or badges as an industry-standard Open Badges 2.0 compliant Badge for their own record keeping or sharing.  

Brightspace Editor 
The Insert Stuff > My Computer file picker now allows instructors to drag and drop file uploads from the user’s computer. 

Quizzes  
Written response questions remain as pending evaluation until being manually graded. If a written response question is not graded, the status shows a pending evaluation message for the learner view. In the learner view, learners always see the message "This question has not been graded" until the instructor grades the question.