Digication Development Update - 12/18/2023

Dear Digication Community,

In keeping with our commitment to providing a two-week notice in advance of any changes to our user interface, we wanted to let you know about some upcoming improvements that will occur on or after January 1, 2024.

• Updates to accessibility (image alt text) options and interface
• Updates to “My Assignments & Activities” interface in Kora

Accessibility (image alt text) options and interface

As part of our commitment to accessibility, we are introducing new user interfaces in the module settings to handle accessibility information for images to encourage users to add accessibility information (image alt text) where appropriate.

What is image alt text?

Image alt text is a concise description of an image's content or function, aiding screen readers in interpreting the image for visually impaired users.

This update will allow users to mark images that do not require alt text as decorative images.

Previously, we gave users the option to add alt text to their images, but users could not indicate that an image was decorative. Images marked as decorative are ignored by screen readers, reducing unnecessary information for users that rely on screen readers to access Digication content, such as descriptions of background images that may not be essential to understanding the page content.

In addition, a “missing alt text” alert has been added to the module settings to highlight images that are missing accessibility information. This “missing alt text” alert will act as a cue which should encourage more-widespread use of alt text for images.

The new accessibility information settings will allow users to add default accessibility information to uploaded images everywhere the images are used. In addition, users will be able to override the default alt text on a case by case basis.

Updates to Kora’s “My Assignments & Activities” Interface 

We are  implementing some changes to the Kora “My Assignments & Activities” interface. These changes are intended to improve the user experience and give users options to filter their assignments list and additional information about their assignments and submission status.

Course Information Added to “My Assignments & Activities” Listing

We are adding the ability to display optional information to the entries in users’ “My Assignments & Activities” list for Kora Courses. Along with the assignment title and due date, the Course name, Course number and Course Sync ID can optionally be shown for each Kora assignment. This will help users to clearly identify their assignments. 

Users can choose to save their filter selections as their default when they make changes by clicking “Remember my options”. These changes will make the “My Assignments & Activities” list more useful and easier to manage!

Add Work and Submit Button

Previously, the assignment interface displayed a button for “Add Work” if a user had not yet associated work with an assignment, or a “Submit” button if the user had added work for the assignment and the assignment was available for submissions. 

We are combining the Add Work and Submit options on a multi-state button so that users can add additional work or make additional submissions as needed. When a user has made a submission, and multiple submissions are accepted, the “Submit” option will change to “Resubmit”, signaling to users that submission(s) have already been made.

Additionally, we are adding an inactive “Submit” state, with an informational tool tip text stating “Submission not accepted at this time” - this will be displayed when users cannot Submit to an assignment for any reason (e.g. only one submission is allowed or the assignment does not accept submissions). 

Making these options consistently available on the drop-down button will reduce confusion that users may have felt when only one option was displayed depending on conditions of which the user may not have been fully aware.