A note from Scott Finkeldei
February 01, 2007 by Scott Finkeldei
There are many exciting things happening in the Axio Learning Community and in this second issue of Axio Quarterly we want to update you on our most recent features, plans for Version 3.0 and the addition of the Survey System. Also in this issue are some tips and tricks, community information and an article highlighting the Gamma Phi Beta sorority, which uses Axio for online advisor training.
The year started off with the addition of a new feature to Axio — RSS. An option was added to the Manage Files tool that allows you to enable RSS subscription feeds for folders in your course. RSS stands for “Really Simple Syndication” and is a service that automatically sends information about changes and updates to the folder of anyone who subscribes to the RSS feed. It is often used to distribute podcasts. You can find out more about RSS, podcasting and other ways you might use this new feature in the article “RSS comes to Axio Learning” on Page 4.
The Axio team is hard at work on Axio Learning Version 3.0, scheduled for release in August. There are many new features and updates in the planning stages and we need your input to make them great. Feedback is extremely important, as your suggestions directly impact the Axio Community. At the 2006 Axio Learning Community Meeting and Conference, a plenary brainstorming session resulted in lots of great ideas and suggestions and many of those will make their way into future versions of Axio. Now we need your input for Axio 3.0. In the next several weeks you will receive a survey asking your opinions on some of the new features. As these new tools get closer to completion, you will also be given the opportunity to try them out by receiving access to a pre-release version of Axio 3.0.
Some new features planned for Version 3.0 include an attendance tool, student course activity reports, improvements to the Course Organizer, new navigation to make it easier to get to the features you need most, a Course Recycle guide that assists you in preparing your course for the next offering and gate options that allow you to control access to content based on an assignment score or prior file access. More information about these new features will also be included in upcoming issues of the Axio Quarterly.
Coming soon, look for a new link in the Assessment Suite of your Axio course called Survey System. The Survey System has been developed and refi ned over the last several years while in use at several Axio Community member institutions. The integration of the Web-based Survey System with Axio Learning will allow all instructors to easily create and administer surveys, and then automatically offer them to participants on their Rosters. Look for more information soon.
We hope you enjoy this issue of Axio Quarterly, and if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me at curtain@axiolearning.org