The new Test tool has been progressively released to users since December 2020. On this page you will find release notes from 2022. (To see what the new test tool can do, please read the New Test Tool Overview page.)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Test v.1.23 (October)
- Test v.1.22 (August)
- Test v.1.21 (July)
- Test v.1.20 (June)
- Test v.1.19 (April)
- Test v1.18 (March)
- Test v1.17 (February)
- Test v1.16 (January)
Test v.1.23 (October)
Features
This is a minor release, mostly bugfix and technical improvements.
However, the new assessment workflow as described for v1.22 is now enabled for all. We've made some minor improvements based on feedback during the pilot.
Test v.1.22 (August)
Features
PILOT: New assessment workflow
The feature described below will only be available to a few selected customers for now. We expect to enable for all later this year.
One of the bigger areas we have been working on is the assessment workflow. We are now ready to pilot the first step: a new and improved assessment page. This is the page that opens once you as a teacher click on a submitted attempt. This allows teachers to see the details of a submitted attempt and assess any questions requiring manual assessment.
In the top right corner you will find links to swiftly move to the next student instead of going back and forth to the list of submitted attempts. This provides a smoother assessment workflow with less clicks.
We are happy to announce that this updated feature allows teachers to assess by question - a highly requested feature that we were not able to implement with our older design. Once a question is expanded for inspection, you will find a link to see all answers for this question.
This makes is easy to compare the answers and ensure a fair assessment. The top part of the page will provide a small summary of the results. Note that calculated values include ALL submitted attempts. The links in the top bar will now allow you to move to the previous or next question.
You can move back to the student-based page via the link shown when you expand an answer for the student you would like to assess.
More development is planned and we are excited to hear how these changes will be received!
Testmode browser version upgrade
We have updated the version of testmode browser for Windows and Mac. New minimum versions are 2.08.07 for Windows and 2.08.08 for Mac OS. After the release, old versions will no longer be accepted, and students are required to download and install the new version to take a test (download button is found on the test start page). We always recommend doing a trial-run when using TMB for tests, to ensure all student devices are updated and work as expected.
Chromebooks and iPads are not affected. Customers using the Windows Lab version have received information and a new install file earlier this summer.
Minor changes
- It is now allowed to reduce the number of answer alternatives in multiple choice to only 2. This makes it possible to "convert" a question into an either/or question after it has been created. The actual question type does not change.
- The option for randomising answer alternatives is moved and grouped together with other options in multiple choice questions
Important bugfixes
- Teachers sometimes had issues reordering questions in the list
- Intermittant issues with copying questions between tests when there are categories assigned to the questions
Test v.1.21 (July)
Features
Extended results export
We have made a major upgrade of the export. The export file now contains 2 sheets; one with a list of all questions with answer alternatives and a key to show which alternatives are correct. The other sheet will have a list of all submitted attempts (like before), but in addition to the score, the answer given for each question is also included. Questions that are not used in the test will not be included in the list of attempts.
Support for extra user information
Administrators can set up extra user information to be shown in lists. We have now added support for this in test tool. Extra user information is shown in the result list and in the result export. It is obviously hidden in anonymous tests.
Backlink in question preview
When previewing a question, we've made it easier to go straight back to editing, instead of having to submit an answer and close the result of it. This makes it easier to do a quick preview while creating and editing a question.
Accessibility fix: keyboard navigation in results overview
Teachers can now navigate the list of submitted attempts with a keyboard, supporting users who prefer a keyboard or cannot use a mouse.
Support for imported AnonymousID in anonymous tests
In some cases it is desirable with a fixed anonymous ID for a student, such as exams in higher education, where each student has an appointed student number that is unknown to the educators and assessors. We have added support for this in the itslearning test tool. The ID can only be set via IMS-E/-ES integration, and will not be available anywhere else in the itslearning user interface. If the ID exists it will always be used for anonymous tests. We recommend this is only used in combination with setting anonymous activities to always stay anonymous (this is a global setting available for administrators).
Important bugfixes
- Select point question gives correct error feedback if you try to save without creating an area
- Question order can't be set back to normal if draw from categories is used, to avoid complications
- Tests added in library can be viewed by other teachers again
Test v.1.20 (June)
Features
Equations in answer alternatives (multiple choice)
The iMathEQ plugin has been added to multiple choice answer alternatives, so you can now add equations and scientific expressions there. The expressions will be read properly by a screen reader, and you can also add text in the answer alternative in addition to the equation. Equations are not supported in QTI import yet, but they are included when copying tests and/or questions.
Extended feedback text
The overall feedback for a submitted attempt is now extended to 10.000 characters.
Important bugfixes
- Accessibility issues in Select point and Fill in the blank
- Language improvements
- Support for < and > in Select from a list
- Teacher review of test works again (gave error on completion)
- Deleting a question in library works again (gave error)
- Copying a test with "Show result when teacher decides" now resets the toggle to OFF so results are not shown to students by default in the copy
Test v.1.19 (April)
Features
Support for Ukrainian and Russian languages
Adding two new languages in test tool to align with the rest of itslearning.
Easier editing of images in answer alternatives
We've improved the way teachers can edit or remove images in answer alternatives in multiple choice questions. There is now a three-dot action menu next to the image with options to edit or remove the image. The edit option will open the same dialog that is used for adding images, where the image and its description can be changed. Removing an image will delete it permanently.
Important bugfixes
Imported match questions calculated points wrong
- Error when deleting multiple choice questions with images in answer alternatives
- Not possible to make results invisible to students after making them visible. NOTE: there is still an issue with the toggle when you use Firefox, making it invisible on the page.
Test v1.18 (March)
Minor release with bugfixes.
Test v1.17 (February)
Features
Images in answer alternatives
Teachers can now add an image to an answer alternative.
- The option is only available in multiple choice questions for now.
- You can drag and drop an image in the Add file field, or click to add from your computer.
- Accepted file types are .png and .jpg.
- For accessibility, the teacher should add a description when adding an image which will be read by screen readers as an alternative to actually seeing the image.
- The image will scale to fit the width of the test window.
TMB update - Mac only
This is a security update of the Mac version of the Testmode Browser. The new minimum version is 2.0.8.00. We are updating for both test tools, the old tool was updated with itslearning release R126. This only affects Mac, not Windows. After this release, students must update the version to start a test with Testmode Browser on Mac.
Make changes to an ongoing test
It is now possible to change the visibility of the test even while there are ongoing attempts. Some restrictions still apply. Keep in mind that there will always be some scenarios we can't detect, where it is possible to make a test invisible while a student is taking it. In such cases the student can't submit his/her attempt.
Note that this update will not take effect until itslearning R127 is released, planned in March.
Important bugfixes
- Test tool did not respect setting for de-anonymising assessments. This should now work like in assignment.
Test v1.16 (January)
- You can now copy one or more questions from a different test by selecting “Import” on the “Questions tab” . To copy a question from a different test, select which course and test you want to copy from, and you will see a list of the questions that are available. The copy functionality does not include settings.
- Note: you can only copy questions from a test created with the new test tool. Questions from the old test tool must still be exported and imported using the QTI format.
- A new time limit feature has been released. You can set a time limit to a test and if the students does not finish in time, the test automatically gets submitted. After someone started the test, you can still change the time limit, with the following restrictions:
- You cannot set a time limit if it was previously 0
- You can reduce the time limit, but only to 1 minute more than the shortest elapsed time
- You can extend the time limit
- The counter displayed to students who are taking the test will recalculate if the time is changed, but only when the student moves to the next question.
- Automatic feedback on questions have been added; an option to add automatic feedback which will be shown to students depending on their answer. You can add this for every question, and the feedback is available for all question types. For Either/Or questions the feedback option for partially correct answers is not available.
- For the students the feedback is shown under each question on the results page. The display depends on the result settings in the test:
- For tests with forward only navigation it is also displayed after completing each question.
- Results only: feedback is not displayed, as the questions are not displayed either
- Question list and answers: feedback is displayed even if the correct answer is not displayed
- Bugfixes