After a summer of extensive testing, administrators will upgrade ReggieNet to a new and improved version on Thursday, July 23. As in previous years, the process will require the system to shut down for the entire day, meaning students and instructors will not be able to access it. Normal service will resume on Friday, July 24.
ReggieNet, Illinois State’s customized learning management system, is based on an open-source platform called Sakai. The University has worked with members of the Sakai development community to test enhancements, including new features for popular tools like Assignments, Tests & Quizzes, and the Gradebook.
Because classes are taught year-round at Illinois State, there’s no ideal time to do such a significant upgrade. The July 23 date was chosen to minimize impact on student learning, summer grade submission, and to incorporate updates in time for a challenging Fall 2020 semester.
In addition to behind-the-scenes fixes, instructors and students will notice a few important improvements:
General Improvements
- Students can now enter information on how to pronounce their names—either by typing in a phonetic pronunciation or recording an audio file.
- Editor Templates – Easily insert stylized callouts with images and text to share instructor insights, quotes, warnings, and more in any tool that uses the built-in editor.
- Date Manager – View and modify availability and due dates for many tools from one convenient screen.
- User Activity – See reports on a particular student’s activity on ReggieNet.
Assignments Tool
- New grading interface which allows instructors to view, grade, and give feedback on student submissions including a document preview for student attachments.
- Students will now see a status bar showing their progress towards completing assignments.
Tests & Quizzes
- Instructors now have the option to mark questions as extra credit.
Gradebook
- A new, easier-to-navigate Gradebook full-screen view.
- Instructors can now give equal weight to grade categories, regardless of point values assigned.
Once the upgrade is complete and service resumes, users may need to clear their web browser cache in order to take advantages of ReggieNet’s new features.
