TL-2250: New options to turn off extension requests for programs and certifications
It is now possible to disable program/certification extension requests both for the whole system and for individual instances via the edit details page.
See Managing Programs for documentation.
TL-2565: New 'Fixed date' custom user profile field type
A fixed date new custom user profile field type has been added. This new field type is designed to store absolute dates for which timezones are irrelevant and not applied. An example of where this field is applicable is your birthday. Regardless of your location your birthday is the same.
Data for this date field is stored as midday UTC for the selected date.
See User Profile Fields for documentation.
TL-4485: New personal goal types with custom fields
Personal goal types can now be defined and custom fields added to them. Preexisting goal types have been renamed to company goal types and continue to function as they did previously. Personal goal types differ from company goal types in that the custom field values entered for a personal goal will be associated with the user whom the personal goal belongs to.
Thanks to Anuchit Veerasiriyanon at Learning Pool for the contribution.
See Goal Types for documentation.
TL-5094: Support for anonymous 360 feedback
We have added a new 'Anonymous' setting when creating or editing a 360 Feedback. Enabling this hides the name of responders to the 360 Feedback. Responders can see whether a 360 Feedback is anonymous in the header of the response page, along with the number of requests sent. This setting does restrict some functionality to maintain anonymity:
- When enabled, requests for feedback can only be added, they cannot be cancelled. This is to stop users from potentially cancelling all requests in order to figure out who has replied.
- Reminders can still be sent but who will receive them will no longer be displayed to you.
While we have endeavoured to enforce anonymity please be aware that responders are still recorded and there are ways to get this information out of the system, such as:
- Site logs.
- Malicious code written to reveal it.
- Direct database investigation.
- Activity logs.
- Blocks displaying Recently logged in users.
See Creating 360 Feedback for documentation.
TL-5097: New options to disable changes in membership for dynamic audiences
With this feature you can now control if users are automatically added or removed from a dynamic audience's membership when they meet, or no longer meet, the criteria defined by the rule set. This is facilitated with a new setting 'Automatically update membership' which can be found on the rule sets tab when editing a dynamic audience. This new setting has two options, both of which are enabled by default:
- Make a user a member when they meet rule sets criteria.
- Remove a user's membership when they no longer meet the rule sets criteria.
Toggling these settings allows you to prevent new members being added to the audience and/or prevent users from being removed from the audience.
See Audiences for documentation.
TL-5818: Report builder reports can now be cloned
Added a new action that clones reports to the Report builder manage reports page. Cloning a report creates a full copy of the report and its columns, filters and settings. It does not copy any scheduling or caching that has been set up for the report. Both user created and embedded reports can be cloned.
In order to clone a report the user must have the totara/reportbuilder:managereports capability.
See Creating Reports for documentation.
TL-6023: New program completion block
A new program completion block has been added in this release that lists one or more selected programs and the users completion status for each. If no programs have been selected the block is not displayed.
Thanks to Eugene Venter at Catalyst NZ for the contribution.
See Blocks for documentation.
TL-6525: New report table block
Added new block that displays tabular data belonging to a selected Report builder report. Optionally a saved search for the report can also be selected to limit the data shown in the block.
Notes:
- Backward incompatibility of saved searches with third party filters might occur. If saved searches do not work with your third party filters, please contact the developer of the filters to update them.
- Only user created reports can be selected. Embedded reports cannot be used within this block at present.
Thanks to Dennis Heany at Learning Pool for the contribution.
See Blocks for documentation.
TL-6684: Added new global report restrictions
Global report restrictions allows rules to be applied to a report restricting the results to those belonging to the users you are allowed to view. This allows you to define relationships between groups of users limiting the information a user can see to just information belonging to the permitted group or groups of users.
Notes:
- All users including the administrator can be restricted.
- Global report restrictions are only supported by report sources where data can be seen as owned by one or more users.
- There are internal limitations for some database backends. For example MySQL is limited to 61 tables in one join which may limit the maximum number of items in each restriction.
- Active restrictions may impact the performance of reports.
- Report caching is not compatible with Global Report Restrictions and is ignored when restrictions are active.
Thanks to Maccabi Healthcare Services for funding the development of this feature.
See Global Report Restrictions for documentation.
TL-7021: Added a new setting to the advanced features page that enables/disables Competencies
See Advanced Features for documentation.
TL-7246: Totara Connect Client
Totara Connect makes it possible to connect one or more Totara LMS or Totara Social installations to a master Totara LMS installation. This connection allows for users, and audiences, to be synchronised from the master to all connected client sites. Synchronised users can move between the connected sites with ease thanks to the single sign on system accompanying Totara Connect.
See Totara Connect for documentation.
For All Users
Text autosave
The Atto text editor will automatically save your text as you type, keeping your content secure before you publish it.
See Text Editors for documentation.
Drag and drop into Atto
It's now possible to drag and drop images directly into the Atto editor, for example when editing a course summary or when posting in a forum.
See Text Editors for documentation.
User Menu
A new user menu (customisable via the Theme settings) gives quick access to personal pages such as My home and profile settings. The user menu includes a new Grades page which display grades from all courses users are in, with links to the relevant user reports. Courses trainers are also displayed, with links to the relevant course gradebook.
See User menu items for documentation.
New Profile page
Accessed from the user menu, the new Profile page provides quick links to blog entries, forum posts, badges, and, depending on the user’s privileges, a variety of reports including a new browser sessions page. The page includes links formerly in the Navigation block.
See User Profile for documentation.
Browser sessions page
A new page displays your current browser sessions allowing you to check if you forgot to log off on a different computer (and log off now) and reassure yourself nobody is using your account.
See User Profile for documentation.
New Preferences page
AlI your preferences can easily be reviewed and altered from one page, accessed from the user menu. Easily change your choice of editor, update your forum notifications, change your password, and more. This page includes settings formerly in the Administration block.
See User Profile for documentation.
'Like' rating
This feature can now be implemented as a single-item scale, bringing the functionality of social media right inside Totara.
See Grade Scales for documentation.
Email to private files
With this new feature you can send yourself an email with an attachment and it will save to your private files for later use in your courses.
See File Picker for documentation.
Improved messaging
A messages button on profile pages enables you to send messages via pop-up box without leaving the page you are on.
See User Profile for documentation.
Search Server files
Users with permissions to access Server files can now use a search facility, allowing for easy location of files in other courses they have access to.
See Repositories for documentation.
Activity enhancements
Gradebook improvements
Improved Grader report
Many improvements have been made to the gradebook, with the grader report now functional across all devices with smooth scrolling. Cells can be quickly edited without reloading.
See Grader Report for documentation.
New Single view
A new Single view allows you to make quick edits to one item or one user.
See Grader Report for documentation.
New Grade history report
Track the grade history of specific users and specific markers in this new report.
See Grader Report for documentation.
Natural weighting
This new aggregation method combines grades simply with a clearer interface for using weights. Extra credit, excluded grades, and hidden grades are all supported.
See Aggregating Grades for documentation.
Forum improvements
Subscribe to individual discussions
You can now subscribe to individual forum discussions and get email copies of just the replies you want.
See Forums for documentation.
Better navigation through threads
Links taking you to the previous and next thread make it much easier to move between important discussions.
See Forums for documentation.
Email replies to forum posts
For added convenience, you can now reply to forum posts by email, and even include attachments.
See Forums for documentation.
Easily post to all groups in a forum
If your forum has groups, you only need to post once and your post is copied for each group.
See Forums for documentation.
Quiz, Choice and Assignment improvements
Improved Quiz edit screen and completion settings
The Edit quiz page has been rewritten for improved accessibility, making it much easier to add and manage questions. You can also set completion conditions based on a passing grade or when all available attempts have been used up.
See Quiz for documentation.
Quiz presentation improvements
Quizzes can now have section headings and questions can be shuffled on different pages. It is now possible to require that a particular question be answered before a subsequent one may be accessed, and quizzes along with responses and feedback will now display attractively when printed from the browser.
See Quiz for documentation.
More than one choice with Choice
You can now allow users to select more than one choice when creating a Choice.
See Quiz for documentation.
Additional files for assignments
Trainers can now attach files for learners when setting up assignments, such as example submissions or answer templates.
See Assignment for documentation.
Lesson improvements
Along with enhancements such as group support, user and group overrides better logging and improved essay grading interface, the lesson activity now boasts a new completion condition 'Require time spent'.
See Lesson for documentation.
Database and Glossary improvements
Along with displaying user pictures in the database, you can set certain fields as 'required'. When importing glossary entries, embedded images and attached files will also be included.
See Database and Glossary for documentation.
Activity results Block
As well as displaying quiz results in competitive league table style, a new Activity results block can show scores from any graded or rated activity in your course.
See Blocks for documentation.
Grade to pass
If you are using graded activities it is now possible to set a passing grade during the activity set up process instead of having to edit the gradebook directly.
See Course Activities for documentation.
Analytics and Reporting
Stay in touch by subscribing to events
Event monitoring allows teachers, managers, and admins to create and subscribe to events.
See Event monitoring for documentation.
New events
More detailed logging and events have been added, particularly in relation to grades.
See Event monitoring for documentation.
Audiences
Audiences can be created on upload
Admins and managers can create audiences using a csv file either, either from the Audiences screen or when uploading users. Trainers can now by default enrol audiences visible to them.
See Uploading audiences for documentation.
A new 'All Audiences' screen for admins
Administrators can now have a clear overview of all system and category audiences from the new All audiences screen.
See Audiences for documentation.
Course management
Delete course sections
A new option in each course section allows you to completely remove the section and its content, regardless of where the section is located on your course page.
See Creating Courses for documentation.
Keyholder
A new capability enrol/self:holdkey will make it easy for certain members of your organisation, not necessarily teachers, to be the keyholder to self-enrolled courses.
See Creating Courses for documentation.
For System Administrators and Developers
New template library for renderers
A new element library will make it easier to create and style the user interface, give Totara a more consistent look, and feel and improve site performance.
Add custom file types
A new admin tool lists all existing file types and allows you to add new ones specific to programs your organisation might be using. This will make the display of such file types clearer and downloading them less confusing.
See File Types for documentation.
