Additions on version 3.5.2
From EFrontWiki
[edit] Customizable First Page
eFront v3.5.2 includes a state-of-the art front-page customization interface. Through this interface you can select upon 4 basic layouts (Simple, Two columns left-aligned, Three columns, Two columns right- aligned) and then re-arrange content boxes according to your needs. Moreover, you can build an arbitrary big number of custom boxes and embed them to the interface. The custom boxes can include any type of multimedia content. In order to re-arrange boxes you can simply drag-and-drop them to the desired location on the interface.
 Two colums right-align firstpage layout |
 Three columns default layout |
 A tailor-made front-page |
[edit] Tests Improvements
The new eFront version includes several important changes regarding test building. A short list of the additions is as follows:
- A pass score for each test
- Publish option for tests
- Persistent storage for different test re-tries
- Random tests creation from a pool of questions (Select X random questions from a pool of Y questions – on each retry select other questions from the pool)
- Post-test analysis of the results
- Max-min-average score per test/user
- Professor feedback on each answer and ability to change the test score or reset a test try
- Better treatment of open-answer questions
- Ability to pause a test and continue later
- Tests without time limits
 Tests improvements from the user perspective |
 Tests improvements from the professor perspective |
[edit] Skill Gap Analysis
The skill gap tests functionality can identify lack of skills and to propose assignments of lessons and courses that would best cover this gap. The skill gap analysis comprises the core of the entire functionality, by showing the user’s estimated skill possession according to his results on the particular skill gap test. A skill is supposed to be possessed by a user, if his total score on the test’s questions associated with that skill is higher than a threshold.
 Skill gap analysis |
The analysis then maps the missing skill set to the skills offered by courses and lessons. The higher the number of common elements between these sets (missing skills to lesson offered skills and missing skills to course offered skills) for each lesson and course, the higher the position this lesson or course will receive in the corresponding proposed assignments table, showed in the second tab. As displayed in the two pictures below, lesson “Internet basics” and course “History course” are proposed for assignment for this student according to his results shown in the previous picture.
 Lessons/Courses assignment proposal based on skill-gap analysis |
[edit] Vertical Chat
The vertical chat replaces the standard chat that was available in previews versions of the system. After extensive usability tests we decided that an embedded chat solution that would allow people to continue working throughout the environment while at the same time would be able to communicate was the proper solution for systems like eFront. The vertical chat is located on the side-bar on a dedicate sub-tab. When entering a lesson you are automatically enrolled to the chat-room of that lesson. People can change their active room easily.
 Vertical chat |
[edit] Editor Improvements
eFront v3.5.2 supports the direct uploading of files through their URL as depicted on the following screenshot. The files are being transferred from their internet address to the internal file system.
 Uploading a file through its URL |
eFront v3.5.2 includes new handy tools on top of the visual editor.
 Handy embedded options to the editor |
With eFront v3.5.2 you can embed images (or links to other documents) to your content in a very straightforward process.
 Directly importing an image to content |
[edit] Search Improvements
Search has been improved to find relevant items to lessons, personal messages, forum, files and announcements.
 Search results organized in tabs |
 Full test results on forum posts |
 Finding relevant files by searching on their metadata |
[edit] Quick Commands
Quick commands offer a handy way to do common tasks by directly issuing the command through the search box that is available throughout the interface. The supported commands for administrators and professors are as follows:
 Quick Commands |
[edit] Subscriptions Payments Support (Educational)
The payment support on eFront Educational has been extended to support subscriptions. When creating a lesson you can decide if it should be acquired through a subscription and the subscription period (day, week, month). The whole process is straightforward for the end user with minimum hassle while it keeps offering superior integration results.
 Subscription options |
[edit] Better Certifications
The new eFront supports the creation of certifications through rich text formats (RTF) documents. This allows people to build a multimedia rich template for their certifications using programs like Microsoft word.
 Improved Certification Creation |
[edit] Dashboard Improvements
The lesson dashboard has been upgraded to be more attractive and easier to navigate. The new dashboard includes a static horizontal bar with information about the lesson and basic action buttons. Moreover, we have added user-friendly time indications for new happenings inside the lesson.
 Improvements on lesson dashboard |
[edit] Unit Completion Improvements
Unit completion has been extended. Now, unit can be completed through a dedicated question instead of simply clicking the complete unit icon. We have also extended (though ajax) the direct visual feedback when a lesson is completed or the lesson progress has been altered.
 Mapping a question with the completion of a unit (professor) |
 Answering a question to complete a unit (student) |
[edit] Hot Swap Between Accounts
Here is a common usage scenario - You have an account as professor and one as student and you need to check how the lesson looks-like for the user. Just map the professor account with the student (and the student account with the professor to be able to get back). From within a lesson click this icon - it will transfer you to the same lesson on the student interface. Click it once more to get back to where you were. The mapping between accounts does not work immediately for both ends. For example if you map professor with student then the student is not automatically mapped with the professor. This offers great flexibility on how this feature will be used.
 Map accounts |
[edit] Other Improvements
eFront v3.5.2 includes small improvements on every aspect of the system. We have collected hundreds of user generated comments to improve the system’s usability, the end-user experience, its look-and-feel and the subtle details that (many times) make a big difference. Among the things that got improved are the Forum (interface and functionality improvement), the Data Grid (functionality improvements), the side-bar (functionality improvements), the modules infrastructure (upgrade module functionality), the lesson administration (more characteristic to add/remove from the lesson), the statistics (clarity improvements), the files management (metadata for files), the pdf usage inside the system (option to upload a pdf file as the unit content), new options on the system-options (change the width of side-bar, include a custom footer), and the system speed (we extended AJAX use whenever performance is an issue)
 Using a PDF as unit's content |
