Greetings from edX! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from us, and we’re happy to be posting this update. We hope you’ve been discovering and enjoying some of Studio’s new features in the meantime.
The last few weeks have brought many exciting improvements to Studio. In addition, we’ve begun publishing a complete and cumulative list of changes to edX Studio and the Learning Management System on the edX documentation site. Check there regularly for updates. Also, as always, you can ask questions and find answers in the Help Forums.
Now for a few recent highlights:
Video Editing Improvements
We’ve enhanced the video editing interface and made it easier for you to add timed transcripts.
When you enter a video URL, Studio checks to see if a timed transcript for that video exists on edX. If the transcript exists, Studio automatically associates the transcript with the video. You don’t have to upload a separate file anymore! If no transcript exists, you can easily upload one from your computer by clicking Upload.
If you want to modify the transcript, you can download the transcript from the video editor. You can then make your changes and upload the new file.
If your video is on YouTube, you can import a timed transcript from YouTube. This YouTube transcript overwrites the edX version of the transcript.
Course Import and Export Improvements
We’ve updated the Import and Export pages with enhanced layouts and help text.
We’ve also improved the feedback Studio provides when you import a course. Real-time status updates appear on the Course Import screen:
The page updates as the import progresses, and lets you know when the import is complete.
Drag and Drop Improvements
We’ve enhanced your ability to drag and drop sections, subsections, and units in the course outline.
Improvements include:
- When you are moving a course element, a blue line now indicates the new position.
- You can more easily drag units from one subsection to another.
- When you cancel a drop, the course element returns to its original position.
- You can no longer drag a course element below the New Unit button, which was causing confusion.
Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI)
We have recently enabled LTI 1.0 for edX courses. With LTI, you can add VitalSource DRM-protected e-textbooks to your courses, as well as content from other third-party vendors.
In Studio, you enable LTI as a type of Advanced component. You can then create an LTI component (see below), where you’ll enter the information for your content.
Verified Certificates Implemented
In addition to our traditional honor code course certificates, we’ve just launched a verified certificate of achievement program for certain courses on edX.org. For a small contribution, students can earn a certificate of achievement that is ID-verified.
A student selects the certificate of achievement option when registering for an eligible course:
Accessibility Enhancements
We have been actively updating the edX platform to make it fully accessible to screen readers. Recent changes include updates to the Wiki and Forum pages. A future newsletter will have more details about accessibility changes.
There will be more in this space soon. In the meantime, use the Help Center to raise any questions, and check docs.edx.org for the latest release details.
