Skip to main content

Minerva Monthly Update - May

Category
Minerva
New Features / Bug Fixes / Releases
Date
Tags
The May Minerva update includes new functionality in the module switcher, a change to how discussion due dates appear in the Gradebook, and an improvement with group filters being respected when grading Blackboard Assignments/Tests. Release conditions inherited by items in learning modules and folders are now highlighted when reviewing an item's release conditions. Finally, Discussions which are hidden within a learning module or folder are no longer available within the Discussions tab.

Module switcher search

The module switcher has been updated to include a search box. Users can now search for a module by module name or module ID directly from the module switcher and navigate to it without returning to the Modules page.

Second discussion due date visible in Gradebook

A second due date was recently introduced to Discussions. This allows you to set different due dates for participation requirements. The second due date for Discussions is now displayed in the Gradebook on the following pages:
  • Overview
  • Gradable Items
This change applies to discussions that have a second due date set.

Gradebook Group filter and grading of Blackboard Assignment/Test

When a group filter is applied in the Gradebook Grades view, the same filter is now applied in the grading interface by default. Only students from the selected group are shown, and the active group filter is displayed. This can be useful if staff only want to grade students within a certain group.

To apply a filter, go to the Grades view in Gradebook and look for the Filter option (above the table of assessment items):

This change does not apply to assessments that are marked anonymously. Delegated grading workflows can be utilised where there is anonymous marking.

See our guide on how to create groups in a Minerva module to utilise this workflow. If you are interested in delegated grading, see either our guide on Blackboard Assignment or Blackboard Test.

Release conditions inherited from learning modules and folders

When instructors open the Release Conditions panel for an item inside a learning module or folder, a read-only summary of any conditions inherited from the parent container appears alongside any conditions applied directly to the item. This helps instructors understand the full set of access rules in place and determine whether additional conditions are needed.

Read-only summary of conditions inherited from the parent container and conditions applied directly to the item appear in the Release Conditions panel.

Visibility of Discussions

Discussions that are hidden within a learning module or folder are no longer accessible from the Discussions tab. Discussions now follow the release conditions applied at the learning module/folder level.