XpressLab Release Notes

Release 2.0 - 20-01-2012


  • New HTML Version: XpressLab has been redeveloped into an HTML web-application to move towards a more standards compliant application. This version will improve performance and reliability of XpressLab by reducing memory usage on local computers.
  • Accessibility Improvements: We’ve made several accessibility improvements. Text based user-interface components, standards based mark-up/styling, as well as things like text based tool tips are just some of the new accessibility features.
  • Integrated Help System: We’ve completely overhauled our help system to provide context specific help for each interface that users work in. Help is automatically displayed in your preferred language.
  • Password Resetting: Teachers and students can reset their own password without the involvement of an administrator.
  • Timezone Preference: Users can now select their timezone, and times displayed to them will now be auto-corrected to their timezone.
  • Language Preference: Users can specify their language preference in their profile. If no preference is set, the system will detect your language preference and display content based on browser settings. Currently English and French are supported.
  • Improved Student Accounts: Student accounts can now be enrolled in multiple courses with the same XpressLab login, even if the courses are with different teachers.
  • Course Auto-Enrollment: Teachers can now set courses as auto-enrolled so students can be issued a course access key and enroll in the course themselves, automatically.
  • Self-Creation of Accounts: Authorized teachers, and students with valid course access keys can create XpressLab accounts themselves without the need for an administrator to create the account for them.
  • Progress & Grade Reporting: We’ve made it easy for teachers to view student’s progress with the new reporting tab in each course. Teachers can show student’s progress and grades, as well as export them to PDF files or CSV for importing into the LMS or student information system (SIS).
  • Student Log Report: Teachers can now get a detailed log of a student’s actions in any activity to assess the student’s involvement and effort. Student logs can be exported to PDF or CSV as well.
  • Dashboards: We’ve created dashboards as a start page for users to view after login. These interfaces offer a quick birds eye view of relevant information for easy access to your content.
  • New Submission Indicators: Course and activity lists now have indicators for teachers and students to know if there are new submissions to any of the activities without having to drill into each activity.
  • Marking Interface: The activity marking and feedback interface has been improved to allow for a more streamlined flow to assignment review.
  • New Activity Type: We’ve created a new activity type called Timed Test which enables teachers to create high stake assessments with auto-advancing timed questions.
  • Question Randomizing: Test questions can now be randomized which will deliver questions in random order to each student who takes the test.
  • Drag and Drop Slide Ordering: When authoring an activity, slides can now be re-ordered by simply dragging and dropping them into the desired position.
  • Multi-threaded Discussions: Activity discussions are now multi-threaded. Users can respond to posts and other users can now respond to replies.
  • Scrolling Text Boxes: Teachers and students can now enter large text blocks which will be displayed in a scrolling text box.
  • Activity Grade Value: The grade value that teachers assign to activities are now displayed on the student’s course activities screen.
  • Assignment Drop Box: The drop Box activity has been redesigned to improve ease of use by students and to permit multiple review and revisions by teachers and students.