Product Updates

This week, we’re rolling out a major product update across all YuJa Enterprise Video Platform instances. The highlights for this update include an option to customize the Media Library Sidebar for consistent branding alignment, a reorganized Media Library sidebar to prioritize key sections, an option to specify the Media Player’s language when linking or embedding videos, and more.

1. Enhanced Audio Description Now Supports Multi-Stream Videos
   Enhanced Audio Descriptions can now be added to multi-stream videos, allowing you to use our built-in editor to create descriptions for specific streams or our AI capabilities to auto-generate descriptions for selected streams.
   
2. Reorganized the Media Library Sidebar to Prioritize Key Sections
   The Media Library sidebar has been reorganized to prioritize key sections over others, such as the Course Channels now appearing in your Personal collection.
   
3. Customize the Media Library Sidebar for Consistent Branding Alignment
   Expanding on existing branding options for the login page and navigation bars, administrators can now customize the header font and background colors of the Media Library Sidebar, ensuring consistent brand alignment across the Video Platform.
   
4. Improved the Visual Display of information for Media Content
   We’ve refined the Media Player Page to present media-related information in a more structured and accessible format. Key updates include:
   • Tags and chapters are now displayed separately for direct and easy access.
   • A structured word cloud view with color-coded responses groups similar terms together for quick identification at a glance.
   • The document tab now includes file-type icons and a download button for improved navigation.

   

5. Share Live Stream Links Via Email
   As an administrator, you can now email the link to live stream sessions directly to your audiences from within the Video Platform, allowing for quicker distribution and broader access to your live events.
   
6. Specify the Media Player’s Language When Directly Linking or Embedding Videos
   To meet multilingual accessibility standards across websites, the YuJa Video Platform now allows you to specify the language of the Media Player interface before embedding or directly linking to a video. The supported languages are Dutch, Finnish, Portuguese, French, and Spanish. Simply copy the link of a media file and add “&lang=” followed by the short form of your desired language.
   
7. Share Direct Links or Embed Codes of Media Files with Enhanced Audio Description Enabled
   After generating Enhanced Audio Descriptions for your media files, you can now share the media link or copy the embed code with Enhanced Audio Descriptions automatically enabled.
   
8. Bulk Import an XML File to Upload Metadata Values for the Multi-Select Feature
   If you have a predefined list of metadata values to import as an XML file, you can now do so when creating a Multi-Select metadata field. Simply upload the file or paste its link to auto-fill your values.
   
9. New Option to Edit Comments
   Need to correct your comment? You can now simply edit it instead of having to delete and rewrite your thoughts.
   
10. Redesigned Login and Authentication Pages to Match Our Updated Branding
    The sign-in, password reset, and 2-step verification pages have been redesigned with a modern and consistent interface, offering a more intuitive login experience.
    
11. Revamped the Visualization of the Loading Spinner in the Media Player
    We’ve improved the loading visualization in the Media Player with a new rainbow spinner to provide a clearer view of when videos are loading.
    
12. New API to Automatically Update the Account Status of Users
    We have added a new API that allows you to update the status of users on your platform to Active or Suspended.

Exciting news! This week, we’re rolling out an update to our YuJa GenAI PowerPack! This update includes an option to auto-generate descriptions for video and audio files.

1. Use GenAI to Auto-Fill the Description Field for Video and Audio Content
   You can now use GenAI to analyze and understand caption files to automatically create accurate and engaging descriptions for your video and audio content.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa EqualGround Accessibility Governance Platform instances residing in the US, Canada, Australia, and the European Union. The release introduces groups to organize web pages for independent scanning, an option to create teams and assign them for website management, customize the severity levels of issues, perform website crawls to locate new web pages for accessibility scanning, support for usability and SEO engines in the browser extension, and more.

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa AutoPilot AI Platform instances residing in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the European Union. This update includes the option to download and edit a template, which can then be uploaded into Power BI.

1. New Report Template for Presenting AutoPilot Analytics in Power BI
   As an administrator, you can now present your AutoPilot analytics easily in Power BI using our report template. Simply upload the template along with your exported report in a JSON format to visualize your AutoPilot report.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa AccessNotes Note-Taking Platform instances residing in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the European Union. This update includes sharing audio recordings, supporting external audio devices, importing images from a web search, and embedding articles in tags to describe complex concepts.

1. Add Descriptions to Your Tags to Understand Complex Terms
   When you’re unsure about a complex topic or concept and would like further clarification, adding descriptions allows you to search for and embed articles in your tags. By entering a few keywords, you can browse a catalog of search results to find the one that best clarifies the topic you’re struggling with.
   
2. Import Images to Tags Through the Built-In Web Search
   In addition to embedding images from your device to a tag, AccessNotes now supports direct image import from the web through the built-in search engine. This allows instant embedding of visuals or illustrations without the need to download images. Simply search for an image, choose the one you like, and add it to the tag.
   
3. Dedicated Option to Download Audio Transcripts as a TXT File
   We’ve updated AccessNotes to include a Download button in the Transcript panel, offering easier access to the audio transcripts in a TXT format.
   
4. Expanded Audio Source Options for Note Recording
   Previously, audio notes could only be recorded using your device’s built-in audio source. With this update, AccessNotes detects and displays all external audio sources connected to your device, allowing you to select the source that best meets your recording preferences.
   
5. Share Your Audio Recordings with Anyone
   AccessNotes now supports audio note sharing through email, allowing materials to be easily distributed amongst peers or colleagues. Once an audio note is shared, recipients can download the shared note without requiring an AccessNotes login. You can enable this feature as an administrator by navigating to Configurations > General Settings > Institution Settings.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa SmartSpeaker instances residing in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the European Union. This update includes the option to embed YuJa SmartSpeaker into course content, expanded support to read content in D2L quizzes, more options to adjust YuJa SmartSpeaker, and a report template for presenting analytics in Power BI.

1. Embed YuJa SmartSpeaker into Canvas and D2L Course Content
   As an instructor, you can embed YuJa SmartSpeaker into course content to allow students instant text-to-speech audio without them needing to highlight content manually. If you prefer using the SmartSpeaker widget as an overlay rather than embedded, you can simply adjust this preference in Default Course Settings.
   
2. YuJa SmartSpeaker Support for D2L’s Quiz-Taking Page
   Building on its existing capabilities to read aloud course content, such as in Announcements and Discussions, Yuja SmartSpeaker is now available on the D2L quiz-taking page, offering text-to-speech support for students when taking a quiz.
   
3. Redesigned YuJa SmartSpeaker Widget for a More Personalized Experience
   The YuJa SmartSpeaker Widget has been revamped with a redesigned UI and enhanced capability for a more customized listening experience. Key updates include:
   • Redesigned SmartSpeaker Widget UI with an expandable icon, allowing you to collapse the widget when not in use.
   • Included an on-hover volume bar for easy volume adjustment during audio playing.
   • New option to disable the rewind and fast-forward functions according to your listening preferences.
     

   

4. New Report Template for Presenting YuJa SmartSpeaker Analytics in Power BI
   As an administrator, you can now easily present your YuJa SmartSpeaker analytics in Power BI using our report template. Simply upload the template along with your exported report in a JSON format to visualize your report.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama LMS Accessibility Platform instances residing in the US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East, and the European Union. This update includes an activity tracker to view a history of events on YuJa Panorama, support for automatic file replacement in Moodle and D2L, real-time progress of course scans, enhanced screen reader capabilities, and more.

1. Comprehensive Activity Tracking and Audit Logging to Capture Platform Actions 
   The new Activity panel in YuJa Panorama now tracks activity by capturing detailed user actions across the platform, providing administrators with deeper insights into user behavior. Additionally, administrators can export activity reports for record-keeping or advanced data visualization.
   
2. Support for Automatic File Replacement in Moodle After Remediating the Document
   For documents added as files through the activity or resource section in Moodle, YuJa Panorama will support instant document replacement after accessibility issues have been remediated. This ensures that all resolved issues are automatically reflected in the original corresponding documents, providing students with the most up-to-date versions.
   
3. Support for Automatic D2L Document and HTML Content Replacement After Remediating the Document
   Whether you are remediating documents or HTML content in D2L, YuJa Panorama will automatically update the original files or content to reflect the changes without requiring you to manually reupload them.
   
4. View Real-Time Progress of Course Scans That Are Processing
   Institutions with YuJa Panorama enabled for selected accounts, organizations, or nodes can now access a detailed course scan log. This allows administrators to monitor the scan status of courses in real time, providing insights into whether the scan is in progress, complete, or has failed.
   
5. The Flagged Broken Links Issue Will Provide Specific Error Codes
   When broken links are now flagged, specific error codes will be provided, helping you know what is wrong with the link without trying to access it.
6. New Search Bar to Locate Courses in the Scope Setting
   As an administrator, you can now use a search bar within the Scope Settings to more easily locate courses you wish to manage.
   
7. More Flexibility to Set a Default Language for Your Institution
   Building on our previous localization support for individual language customization, administrators can set a default language for all users within the institution. To select a preferred language, go to Global Settings > Institution Language.
8. Enhanced Compatibility with Screen Readers for Improved Accessibility
   We’ve improved compatibility with screen readers to ensure comprehensive content accessibility. Key updates include:
   • Enhanced screen reader support for the Fix Issue window and How to Fix Issue page
   • Updated narrative descriptions of accessibility icons to include distinct file names, ensuring accurate access to alternative formats for the desired documents.
9. More Comprehensive API Checks to Ensure a List of Instructors is Retrieved 
   Administrators will be able to test their LMS API access to ensure a list of instructors can be retrieved.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all instances residing in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the European Union. This update includes a new assessment hub to simplify test-takers’ experience with YuJa Verity, integrated guided assistance for assessing assessments, an updated live proctoring scheduling page with a tabular view of live sessions, and more.

1. New Assessment Hub: A Minimalist Experience to the YuJa Verity LTI App for Test-Takers
   As part of our more simplified workflow for test-takers, the YuJa Verity LTI app now features a single page that displays assessments in a newly organized tabular structure. This will let them know which assessments are ready to take, which are upcoming, and which need to be scheduled.
   
2. Integrated Guided Assistance to Help Test-Takers Access Verity Assessments
   Test-takers who attempt to access a proctored assessment without authentication will have access to launch YuJa Verity on their assessment page. They will then be presented with steps to complete their authentication, which will be updated in real-time.
   
3. Updated the Live Proctoring Schedule Page with an Organized Tabular View of Live Sessions
   Previously, the live proctoring schedule page displayed all live sessions in a single view. This could sometimes be cumbersome for courses with many sessions. To provide a more simplified view, we are introducing a new tabular structure that houses sessions based on their status: Active, Upcoming, Pending, and Completed.
   
4. Revamped Setup Pages for Browser Extension, Lockdown App, and the Mobile App
   The setup pages for the Browser Extension, Desktop Lockdown App, and Mobile Lockdown App have been redesigned with clearer instructions and helpful resources. Key updates include:
   • Browser Extension Setup: Enabling Incognito mode is included as a dedicated step with a guided video to ensure compatibility for taking assessments in Incognito mode. Once the entire setup is complete, students can click the “Assessments” button to navigate directly to the assessment page.
   • Desktop Lockdown App Setup: Included links to guides explaining the minimum system requirements for running YuJa Verity and instructions to identify the appropriate Mac version to download.
   • Mobile Lockdown App Setup: Updated with modernized iconography and pre-download reminders to ensure the devices are compatible before downloading.

   

5. Redesigned Standalone Assessment Proctoring Setup with Detailed Guidance
   Building on our existing proctoring setup wizard for automated and third-party assessments, YuJa Verity now offers a similar wizard for standalone assessments with enhanced guidance. The streamlined proctoring setup wizard breaks down settings like proctoring methods and exemptions into clearly defined steps, ensuring a clearer visualization of the key information required for setup.
   
6. Delete Recordings of Proctored Sessions Based on Your Institution’s Policies
   As an administrator, you now have the option to enforce your institution’s policies regarding recorded proctoring sessions. If a recording violates your institution’s guidelines, you can easily delete the recording while retaining a detailed log of any potential misconduct identified by YuJa Verity.
   
7. Retain Proctor Settings for Assessments Copied Between Courses in Canvas and D2L Brightspace
   When you copy a proctored assessment from one course to another in Canvas or D2L Brightspace, all associated proctoring settings are also included. This feature is similar to our existing functionality in Blackboard, and future updates will provide support for Moodle.
8. Enhanced Lockdown App Compatibility with Moodle to Redirect Test-Takers to Continue with the Assessment After an Error
   In instances on the Lockdown App where test-takers cannot access their assessment due to an error, such as a poor internet connection, YuJa Verity will provide a “Continue” button once it’s resolved, allowing them to continue with their current assessment.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Engage Student Response System instances. This release includes a redesigned poll-taking experience for participants to track the progression of their polls, a new results page to view the correct answer after completing a poll, and a revamped grading experience for both polls and attendance in the Grade Book.

1. Redesigned Poll-Taking Page with Side Navigation Panel and Indication of Question Progress
   To help participants keep track of answered and unanswered questions, we have designed a new side panel that displays all poll questions, along with their respective points. As participants complete the poll, at-a-glance progression rings around questions will indicate answered, unanswered, and in-progress questions. 
   
2. New Progress Bar to Track the Completion of the Entire Poll
   The new progress bar on the poll-taking page offers a clear view of how much of the poll has been completed, helping participants manage their pace and complete the poll within the time limit.
   
3. New Results Page with Color-Coded Indicators for Correct Answers
   When participants review their responses after completing a poll, the results page will now feature new color-coded indications of whether they chose the correct answer, which will be highlighted in green, or the incorrect answer, highlighted in red.
   
4. Revamped Poll Grading Page with New Question Side Panel and Summary Badges
   The updated poll grading page features a side panel that shows all poll questions, along with new badges indicating the scores participants received for each question. It also includes overall summary badges displaying the participants’ final grades.
   
5. New Grade Book Question Statuses and Color-Coded Icons
   We’ve replaced the previous text-based grading statuses with modernized color-coded icons to ensure less visual clutter. This also introduces new grading statuses to accommodate different question types and conditions:
   • Non-Gradable: Questions without assigned points are now labeled as non-gradable.
   • Ungraded: Short-answer questions will be marked as ungraded until grades are provided.

   

6. The Grade Book Will Display Correct Answers Alongside Participant Responses
   When manually grading responses in the Grade Book, you will now see the correct answer for any response marked as incorrect. This will allow for more accurate grading for certain question types, such as fill-in-the-blank, where responses may vary but still be considered correct, allowing you to compare the participant’s answer with the correct one.
   
7. New Attendance Grading Window to Provide Greater Level of Details on Results
   The grade Book now includes a new attendance grading window to easily swap between participants and provides an overview of their geofence locations. This will help you more easily know the approximate location of the student to the geofence to ensure attendance accuracy.
   

We have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa FeedbackFlow Assessment Platform instances residing in Canada, Australia, and the European Union. This update includes the option to create interactive assessments featuring video-based questions and responses, customize grading methods for individual questions, embed YuJa FeedbackFlow Assessments to LMS with Grade Book Sync, and evaluate submissions using YuJa FeedbackFlow Grading Tool.

1. Create Unique and Interactive Assessments Featuring Video-Based Questions and Responses
   When text-based interactions aren’t enough, video-based questions and responses provide a richer, more dynamic range of expression. Simply record or upload a video of your question, and participants will respond with their own recording using YuJa FeedbackFlow’s built-in video recorder. 
   
2. Choose Your Preferred Grading Method for Individual Questions
   Each question can have its own grading method assigned to it to determine how many points the question is worth. These grading methods include:
   • Rubrics: For questions with multiple criteria for full points, you can create a rubric to define each criterion and allocate points based on how well the participant meets each one.
   • Scale Rating: Use a sliding scale to establish criteria with varying levels based on how well participants meet them. This method is ideal for non-traditional grading systems, such as letter grades, that aren’t based on points.
   • Comments: If you prefer not to assign points or levels to a question, you can add a comment to guide the participant on the type of answer you’re looking for.

   After creating your grading method, you can save it as a template to use in future assessments.
   

3. Embed YuJa FeedbackFlow Assessments in Your LMS with Grade Book Sync
   With the YuJa Video Platform’s Media Chooser, you can easily embed assessments as LMS assignments, allowing students to participate directly in their course. Once you grade the assessment, the results are automatically synced to the LMS grade book.
4. Evaluate Submissions Using YuJa FeedbackFlow Grading Tool
   As participants complete their assessment, you will be able to use the grading tool to evaluate results. After reviewing each answer, you can assign a grade based on the grading method that was chosen. To help participants do better for future assessments, you have the option to provide constructive feedback, offering help on how they can improve their responses.