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Fall semester is just around the corner, and it is
time to start thinking ahead to preparation for the new school
year.
Here at WebAssign, we've had a busy summer. Read on to learn about
what we've been up to, and check out some of the new features
you will be able to use this fall!
In this issue:
2004 Users Group Meeting Recap
Thanks to all who
joined us in Raleigh for the 5th annual WebAssign User's Group (WAUG)
Meeting. WAUG wouldn't have been such a success without you.
We heard from people who are
using WebAssign and other technologies in new and exciting ways,
saw a sneak preview of some of the new features coming for the fall,
and got a chance to get feedback from instructors about what features
you would like to see next in WebAssign.
Special thanks to the following
instructors for their contributed talks:
Larry Brown, Peter Knipp, Lavon Page, Kay Sandberg, and Aaron Titus
To read more about some of
the discussions you missed and to see some pictures from WAUG, click
here. (This page will be expanded soon.)
Remember that WebAssign is
driven by your needs. Even if you missed WAUG, please don't hesitate
to let us know
if you have any suggestions for improving WebAssign!
New Features in WebAssign 4.0
We are adding new features
all the time. Here are a few that have been included since our last
newsletter:
- Image Map Question Type.
- It is now possible to have students click on a particular
area of an image as their response to a question. Search for
the question "template.image map" for an example of this new
question type.
- Ability for students to request extensions within
WebAssign
- To turn this feature on, go to Communications Home
and choose "Enable" in the Extensions area (bottom right). Coming
soon: Automatic Extensions.
- Question Collections
- Classification scheme to help find non-textbook questions
of all types. You can also classify your questions in the public
collection for each discipline to allow others to share your
work.
WebAssign Announces What's New
We now have a private Announce
email list to inform you about new features as soon as they become
available.
Sign
up to be notified instantly as things happen at WebAssign.
This list is the best way to stay current with
WebAssign, since we include instructions on each new feature as
it is made available.
Printed Manual Now Available
By popular request, the latest draft
(as of June 2004) of the version 4.0 manual is now available in
printed form. Contact
us to receive your copy.
An Adobe PDF version is also available
online.
Coming soon...
As you know, we are always working
to make WebAssign better. Here are a few of the improvements we
plan to have ready sometime this Fall:
- Matching Question Type
- An easier way to write matching questions, instead of manually
with tables and pulldown multiple choice. Once available
search for "template.new.matching" to see an example.
- Redesigned schedule pages for easier assignment
management
- Class Schedule page gives you an overview of all assignments
- Adding an Assignment to a class is now separated from the
Choosing Dates step
- A new feature will tell you if assignments or questions have
been scheduled
- Completely updated student interface
- Home page with modular approach -- more flexibility over what
students see
- Assignment summary page reorganized for added clarity
- Students can keep notes on assignments as they work
- Instructors will be able to import "Saved Work" as a submission
- Ability for students to obtain automatic extensions
- You decide how many extensions will be allowed and whether
there will be a penalty associated with each extension. Students
can choose to accept the penalty in exchange for extra time,
up to the hard deadline you specify.
- New "Propagate Assignments" feature
- More assignment settings
- Ability to deliver one question at a time
- Conditional points (e.g., take 20% off
for a question after 5 submissions)
- Different number of submissions per question
- Scoring rubrics for essays
- Group submissions
- Transfer of grades between sections
- Downloads of multi-sections and GradeBook
Textbook Coding Requests
We are determined to help instructors
by providing textbook questions whenever we can. However, please
understand that it is not possible for us to code every question
(or nearly every question) from every textbook we support.
A textbook will be listed on our website as supported
if we have received permission to include a selection of its questions
in WebAssign. The number of questions currently available may vary
greatly from book to book (depending on usage, publisher support,
instructor requests, and so on).
It is always a good idea to check the status
of any book you are considering using on our website
first.
If you find there are a few questions that are
not available that you need to have coded please let
us know. Although we may not be able to honor every request,
we will always do our best to help. Please give us at least 3 weeks
notice for requests; more if it is a large request.
Shameless Plug: Giving a Talk on WebAssign?
Are you planning to give a presentation
or training session on WebAssign? We have information packets and
other materials to assist you. Just let
us know if you would like any number of brochures or manuals,
or a PowerPoint presentation you can use as a starting point for
your talk.
We will also send you one of our
popular WebAssign t-shirts as a token of our appreciation.
Thank you for your support and thank you for using WebAssign.
We are looking forward to a great fall term!
Until next time, best wishes
from all of us!
Sincerely,
The WebAssign Team
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July 27, 2004
Volume 1, Issue 2 |
Click to answer... |
Address to remember for
WebAssign Support:
support@webassign.net
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