What is different in Vista 4

Navigation

• The navigation tools have been grouped better (left side menus) and can be found at the places where they are needed. Menu tabs at the top of the page have been reduced from 6 to 3! They are at the same place for students and teachers.
• Page customization is now placed on the page.
• Collapsing and expanding menus provide more space and better access.
• Course Content map (click two arrows top left) allows rapid access to all parts of the course

File Management

The different functions of managing files have been separated into 6 parts which reduces the confusion.

• There is now a Content Manager in the My WebCT containing 4 parts: My Files, Repository, Template Manager and System Files.
• The back-up files can be found under Administration and Utilities.
• Finally there is a File Manager with the section files that is accessed in the course tool menu.
• The long line with icons right side outside the window has been transformed into a dropdown menu per each file.
• Backup on section designer level has to be done in "Manage Course" where you have to create a special file if you want to up/download it. The .bak file is than copied into My Files.
• For file sharing a new system of publishing and giving rights improves the management. Linking is now a process where one looks for a file and than decides between copying or subscribing (if you have the required permissions)!
• Any place in the File Manager can be transformed with one click (!) into a drag&drop window (similar to WebDAV) IE only, but PC & Mac.
• Ability to delete any folder, to filter by file type, to delete more than 10 links at a time, and to create quotas by user type for the My Files area.
• The Edit page function on the top right corner of the lists, is now placed at the bottom of the list and does not open a popup window but a dropdown menu giving you the choice of 1-100 or 101 to 200 or all, depending on the number of files you got and has been renamed to Page:

New Functions or Tools

• Added level: Division. There are now 5 levels: Institution, Division, Group, Course, Section. Admin will find a Default Division and may now adapte the whole structure or just rename the new level.
• Manage Course. New on the left side tool bar and listing general organizational course management tools such as Back up, Reset, Import, but also tools for customising the course, deciding which tools to show, etc.
• Templates now come with 3 different options for the assignment.
• Reset: Ability to reset sections e.g. at the end of a semester.
• Section and other designer can create a Course Preview Area (former ‘welcome page’ in CE). Which is a file inside the course but accessible outside the course through the course list.

Improved Tools

• The My WebCT now gives direct access to Admin and other overall tools. Students get comments for Assignment and Assessment there.
• All URLs are now placed in a list that is always accessible to students.
• Learning Modules look and feel simplified! Numbered or unnumbered TOC. Can be shown permanently in left menu bar.
• Assessments can open in new windows, and instructors can provide students with the comparative statistics for the whole group.
• Grade Book column statistics can be given to students to show a better idea of their performance relative to the class.
• Backup is immediate. Takes no space on Disk. Can be repeated as often as desired.
• Easier and rapid course customization with predefined choices.
• New interface language Italian.
• Administrators can retain Grade Book Data for Un-enrolled Users and choose whether to hide or show that data to instructors.
• It seems that: ePack can now be added to courses without overwriting the original content of a section and that ePacks can be tried out during 15 days for free.
• Not completely new is the Cross-Listing that was not originally part of Vista 3 but has been introduced to it in SP3, 4 or 5.
• Edit Paging that was found on the right side above lists that contained more than 10 items has now been placed below the list again on the right side but is called "Page"

Functions Lost in Vista 4

• "File Link to:" a function found below File Manager item lists in Vista 3 and allowing to downlink a file into a course for example has been discontinued. Nothing similar in function can be found in the new "Repository".
• Content Inventory. There is no more overview of all tools in Vista, where you would have found, for example, the Question Database.
• Basic View. But its function is preserved, since it is the standard view for Vista 4.

Potentially Confusing or Annoying for Vista 3 Users

• FireFox 1.5 is not supported for Vista 4 and the number of know bugs seem to be as long as for Vista 3.
• Slower entry to course when starting
• Changed names for some of the tools and places.
• Changed location for some functions that have to be searched in new locations.
• Some functions (admittedly less frequently used) now take more clicks than before such as: Power View, Back-up, Settings and Reports.
• Shared Files are to be accessed through a new Tab: Content Manager.
• No more upload and unzip of zipped Files.
• Page number no longer on top right but bottom right.