Minerva Monthly Update - April 2025

In the April update, there are changes to Gradebook to indicate whether students have reviewed assessment feedback, Group Assignments, and a new print option for Minerva Documents. There are also changes to Ally alternative formats in relation to maths notation.

Gradebook - Reviewed Feedback

Staff can now see an indication of whether a student has reviewed feedback for an assessment via the Gradebook. This is available via the student's page in Gradebook (go to the Grades or Student view of Gradebook and click on their name to open the student's page).

Look at the status column. If a student has selected the View option next to the item in their Gradebook, the symbol 'Reviewed' appears in the status column. For Blackboard Assessments like Assignment and Test, clicking View launches a view of the assessment with feedback, for integrated tools such as Turnitin, clicking View gives students the option to launch Turnitin.

Group Assignments

Group Assignments are now presented in the newer 'flexible grading' view. However, not all flexible grading features are available. There is currently no Turnitin similarity report integration, pop-out rubric, or per question feedback.

Minerva Documents - Print option

Students can now print Minerva Documents.

This has been primarily developed to allow students to view content offline. It does not create a fully accessible file.

Ally Alternative Formats - maths notation

Alternative Formats provide learners with options to engage with materials by converting to different formats such as audio or offline HTML. 

Ally now offers improved support for maths notation. BeeLine Reader, HTML and Microsoft Immersive Reader alternative formats will now convert and display MathML maths equations within Microsoft Word files. Support for additional source file types, markup languages, and for conversion to other alternative formats is continuing to be developed.