What's New in Nexus/Moodle 4.5?

Quick Reference: What’s New

Feature Area	Key Benefits for Faculty
Course Navigation	Cleaner interface; focus on one section at a time
Question Types	New interactive “ordering” questions
Content Editing	Subsections, easier media handling, and improved editor usability
Enhanced Assignment Workflow	Smoother grading, auto-resubmission, modern UI
Badging	Streamlined sharing and management of badges
Media Features	Rich media in content & built-in screen recording
Notifications	Automated reminders reduce administrative effort

New Features Explained

A. Clear, Focused Course Navigation

• Single‑section view:

  • Click to open just one section at a time—reducing clutter and helping learners focus on current content.
    

• Custom section format & new activity icons:

  • Sections look cleaner and more accessible, with updated icons and file‑type indicators that make activity types immediately recognizable.
    

B. Question Types: Smarter Activity Design

• Ordering questions:

  • Create interactive questions where learners sequence items—words, phrases, or even images—for reinforced understanding.
     
    
    

C. Content Editing

• Subsections:

  • You can now create subsections within sections to better organize content. This is great for breaking up large sections into smaller, logical chunks—e.g., having a “Week 1” section with subsections for “Lecture Materials,” “Readings,” and “Assignments.
    

  • Subsections can be moved, collapsed, or expanded independently, making courses easier for students to navigate.
    

• Upgraded editor experience (TinyMCE):

  • The new default editor is more intuitive, especially when uploading or managing images—making content creation smoother.
    
    
    

D. Enhanced Assignment Workflow

• Improved assignment interface:

  • Enjoy a streamlined layout with sticky headers and footers, filters, and bulk actions for smoother grading.
    
    
    

• Automatic resubmission capability:

  • Students can make extra attempts when allowed—supporting continuous feedback without manual intervention.
    
     

E. Smarter Badge Management

• More flexible badge handling:

  • Easily import, export, copy, and even duplicate badge names across courses. Improved workflows make managing achievement recognition straightforward.
    
    
    

F. Better Media Integration & Recording

• Media Improvements:

  • Audio and video embedding is faster and more intuitive within the editor.
    

• Screen recording tool:

  • Record your screen directly within the editor—ideal for quick tutorials and student demonstrations, with no external software needed.
    

G. Expanded Automatic Notifications

• Built‑in reminders for students:

  • Use new notification options like upcoming quizzes, due assignments, and overdue alerts to help learners stay on track—reducing the need for manual reminders.
    
    
    

 

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How can you start using these features now?

• Try editing one of your existing courses to explore the new section view and see how intuitive it is.

• Experiment with an assignment to browse the new layout and test resubmission settings.

• Add media—maybe record a screen capture tutorial directly through the editor to trial its ease.

• Explore notification settings in a course to automate student reminders.

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If you are having difficulty or you have unanswered questions, please contact the Help Desk through the ITS Service Catalog or call (518) 388-6400.

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