Hello eKadence users,


Here is a list of our updates:

Teacher Experience


Content

  • Content Editor - Updates to text editor
  • Content Editor - New Screencast button on comments and discussions
  • Content Editor - New Link to an existing activity option when inserting a link
  • Content Editor - Pasting a Canva link will embed it in the text editor
  • Content Editor - New YouTube video option to allow you to search for YouTube videos directly from eKadence
  • Content Editor - Higher quality resolution when embedding images
  • Content Editor - New AI feature "Re-write this for a different audience"
  • Content Editor - New AI feature "Check my grammar"
  • Content Editor - New AI feature "Something else"
  • Import Content From - Import from Google Form now handles the order of answers for multiple-choice questions
  • Import Content From - Import from Google Form now handles poll questions
  • Generate with AI - When using the Generate with AI question type in an assignment or assessment you can use the new Import with AI to turn your Google Doc or Word doc into eKadence questions
  • Generate with AI - Users can select which questions they would like to import into their activity
  • Matching Questions - Users can now lock the order of the left column of question prompts
  • Self-Reflection - New content block type


Activities

  • Activities - Updated header for printed activities
  • Activities - Hovering over the category color icon on the activity list pages will show the name of the category
  • Activities - Updated UI for viewing student comments from the "Allow students to leave comments" setting
  • Activities - Minor UI update to the assign to Only these students setting to make the select/deselect all clearer
  • Google Assignment - When using the clear student submission setting give the student a new Google file
  • Google Assignment - UI update for Google Assignments that are not yet configured
  • Google Assignment - Using the Link to an existing option is no longer exclusive to a single activity type
  • Assignments/Assessments - The Instructions and Work/Question tabs are now combined
  • Assignments/Assessments - Fully auto-graded activities no longer turn on the Needs Grading Status
  • Assignments/Assessments - New Poll Results tab to view results from any poll question in the activity
  • Assignments/Assessments - Effort Logs now track resubmissions
  • Scores Report - Now available for all activities that have the submission type "In eKadence"
  • Scores Report - Update to show all questions not just auto-graded ones
  • Scores Report - Added status and date columns
  • Discussions - Teachers can now use GPTZero on discussion posts
  • Discussions - New Require Image Post settings
  • Discussions - New minimum number of sentences setting
  • Discussions - New "Moderate posts" settings
  • Discussions - Simplified UI placeholders for adding posts and replies
  • Pages - Now open to edit mode
  • Modules - Users can now publish folders without publishing their contents
  • Modules - New Generate with AI option to create activities
  • Modules - New Lock options and UI for folders and content to close off submissions
  • Modules - UI update to the number of graded submissions for in-person activities
  • Modules - Updated statuses for Pages


Grading

  • Quick Grader - Update to UX for switching between students
  • Quick Grader - Update to ALT+RIGHT ARROW and ALT+LEFT ARROW hotkeys to switch between students
  • Quick Grader - When using Rubrics, selecting a rubric score will auto-advance to the next criteria
  • Quick Grader - Update to make viewing Google Assignments faster
  • Quick Grader - UI update to reduce header space
  • Quick Grader/Gradebook - Comments don't require text if a video or audio is attached
  • Quick Grader/Gradebook - Users can now type in M for missing, L for late, and E for excused
  • Gradebook - Hotkeys for navigating cells: TAB, SHIFT+TAB, RIGHT ARROW, LEFT ARROW, UP ARROW, DOWN ARROW
  • Gradebook - Hitting the ESC button will close the open rubric on the gradebook to allow continued navigation
  • Gradebook - New side menu for more details and actions on individual cells
  • Gradebook - Updated editing scores UI
  • Gradebook - Updated needs grading icon behavior
  • Gradebook - Updated UI for co-teachers with view-only permission
  • Gradebook - New filter for Student Groups 
  • Gradebook - Update to Mass Transfer Scores
  • Gradebook Activity Option - Submission Cutoff option now allows teachers to select multiple sections
  • Gradebook Activity Option - Message Students action now has a "Send to parents also" option
  • Gradebook Activity Option - When using the Assign Mass Grades feature hovering over the text box will show the user the class average
  • Gradebook Activity Option - Import Scores now clear Excused flags
  • Gradebook Activity Option - New activity option to "View Submissions"
  • Grade-Only - Clicking the header of a Grade-Only Activity will take the user to the Submissions page
  • Grade-Only - UI update to Grade-Only Activity settings
  • Class Setup - New setting to "Hide Overall Grade from Students"


Standards-Based Grading

  • Activities - Updated grading settings UI
  • Submissions - Updated UI for displaying SBG grades
  • Quick Grader - Updated UX for classes with SBG
  • Gradebook - Updated filtering and sorting UI
  • Gradebook - Added filter by standard category in View by Standard
  • Gradebook - Added Categories to header for View by Standard
  • Gradebook - Updated score display UI
  • Gradebook - Updated entering scores UI/UX for View by Activity
  • Gradebook - Updated entering scores UI/UX for View by Standard
  • Gradebook - Update to Assign Mass Grades for SBG
  • Class Setup - Increased standard category name length
  • Class Setup - New standard scoring methods "Mode + Latest" and "Mode + Highest"
  • Share SBG Collections with other users so they can use them in their classes


Classroom

  • Class Top Menu Bar Update
  • Switching classes from the menu in the top right will maintain the current tab
  • New Student Alerts - The birthday alerts now show birthdays for the week
  • Announcements - The Pinned section is only visible if there is a pinned announcement
  • Announcements - The scheduled end date is now empty by default
  • Students - Updates to the Import Student roster feature
  • Students - UI/UX update for the Automatic Rules feature
  • Students - Users can use the Filter by student name to look up emails
  • Students - UI/UX updated for creating and clearing groups
  • Class Setup - Users can now set default publish and due dates for each class
  • Class Setup - Added parent visibility toggles to custom tabs to adjust which tabs your students' parents will see
  • Class Setup - Update to the discrepancy checker to improve student grade discrepancies
  • Class Setup - Update to discrepancy checker to better handle assignments missing a grading category
  • Class Setup - Updates to Co-teacher setting UX


Miscellaneous

  • New SAML login option for select districts
  • Dashboard - The Birthdays widget now shows birthdays for the week
  • Dashboard - What needs grading now excludes activities from previous grading terms
  • Message Center Updates
  • Chats - New feature allows users to write messages using speech-to-text
  • Groups - Updated UX to reopen groups
  • Groups - Groups now belong to schools
  • ePortfolios - New Slideshow view
  • ePortfolios - New content block style editor
  • ePortfolios - Updated content block selector
  • ePortfolios - UI update for displaying images
  • Resources - The Instructions and Work/Questions sections are now also combined on the same page
  • Resources - New Survey Streams
  • Caseloads - Faulty Profile images appear on the caseload cards now
  • Caseloads - Updated UX for viewing students' classes
  • Caseloads - Added grade level column to the Students page
  • Caseloads - Added Edit caseload card image setting in Settings
  • Caseloads - Added Co-Access settings to add other counselors to your caseload
  • Caseloads - New Custom Tabs settings to allow faculty to choose which pages are visible to students

Student Experience


Classroom

  • Content Editor - New Screencast button on comments and discussions
  • Content Editor - Pasting a Canva link will embed it in the text editor
  • Activities - Updated header for printed activities
  • Activities - Updated message when attempting to submit past the submission cutoff window
  • Activities - "Incomplete" status is now "Not started yet" or "In Progress"
  • Assignments/Assessments - Added Save, Submit, and Unsubmit buttons to the top of the user's submission
  • Assignments/Assessments - Updated Unsubmit button UI
  • Assignments/Assessments/Discussions - New AI Ideas button
  • Discussions - Show completed status at the top of the page if all requirements are fulfilled
  • Help - Teachers' emails will be displayed for students


Standards-Based Grading

  • Grades - Updated UI for classes with SBG


Miscellaneous

  • New SAML login option for select districts
  • Dashboard - New layout
  • Dashboard - Custom Greetings
  • Dashboard - Update to class name placement on class cards
  • Dashboard - Updated UX to Upcoming Conferences section
  • Dashboard - New To-Do widget
  • Dashboard - My Schedule widget turned into the Daily Agenda widget
  • Dashboard - The Daily Agenda widget allows for daily goal-tracking
  • Dashboard - Activities starred in the To-Do Tasks list are added to the Daily Agenda widget
  • Message Center Updates

Parent Experience


  • New Parent Mobile App
  • Update to Magic Link UI/UX
  • New Magic Code, from Magic Link email, can be used to log in
  • Updated UI for adding students
  • Student numbers can be found in the Parent Account tab of your student's My Profile page with their VPC
  • Message Center Updates
  • Updated UI for viewing student activity status
  • Updated UI for viewing student grades in classes with SBG
  • Help buttons allow parents to contact their student's teachers by email

For more articles please visit support.ekadence.com