3.6.0 (stable)

Very important notes for MySQL 4.1.x users:

If you update from ILIAS 3.4.0 or 3.4.1 and already used MySQL 4.1.x: Due to a problem in the UTF-8 handling some extra update steps are necessary. Please <b><u>click on this link and follow the instructions</u></b>.

If you just plan to update from MySQL 4.0.x to MySQL 4.1.x please read our Migrating from MySQL 4.0.x to MySQL 4.1.x instructions.

Please note that read permission for courses will grant access to courses now. This has been different in previous releases, where a user had to be course member to access a course. Please check your course permissions accordingly.

Known Issues

1. Page titles in Learning modules and Tests are not displayed properly

Page titles in Learning modules and Tests are not displayed properly if they contain special characters (e.g german umlaut). In some cases (e.g long hyphens) it is not possible to edit the pages.

To fix this bug, it is necessary to copy the patch file into the directory: ./content/classes/Pages

2. Import of learning modules and tests

Due to a bug in the meta data handling it is not possible to import learning modules, tests ...
Please copy the patch file in the directory ./sql and perform a database update in the ILIAS setup.

Please copy the following file to ./Services/MetaData/classes

3. Moving and Linking of multiple repository items fails

Moving/Linking/Pasting of multiple repository items within the repository will result in an error message.

To fix this bug, make a backup copy of the file classes/class.ilContainerGUI.php, then copy the attached file class.ilContainerGUI.php into the classes/ directory.

4. Deleting selected user results from a test causes serious damage!

Deleting selected user results from a test using the "Maintenance" tab also deletes all information on the question orders and the passes of these users in every test they already participated. The results of these users are still visible in the other tests but the users could start these tests again and they are not able to see their own results.

To fix this bug, make a backup copy of the file assessment/classes/class.ilObjTest.php, then copy the attached file class.ilObjTest.php into the assessment/classes/ directory.

New Features

ILIAS Core

• RBAC revision in groups and courses incl. RBAC intersection method, RBAC hierarchical protect permission (Stefan Meyer, Werner Randelshofer, Sascha Hofmann). Roles offer an additional property called "Protect permissions" now. If enabled, permissions cannot be detached in subordinated locations of the repository.

• Automatic local role creation on category import - you can now create local roles, adopted from chosen templates, associated to every category imported from an XML file. Have a look at the forum thread. (by Arturo González, CEVUG - University of Granada)

• Remote course creation - using SOAP to create a course and add course members - but no content - from outside of ILIAS (by Stefan Meyer)

• Object owner has all permissions on owned object. An owner of an object has now all permissions for this object due to his owner status, except "Change Permissions" and "Create Subobjects Permissions". However these rights can be granted to the user per RBAC as usual. (Stefan Meyer)

• SOAP interface extension for StudIP interface (Stefan Meyer)

• Information screen class: Features common/individual meta data of repository items and common functionalities (e.g. notes for repository items, ratings in the future) (Alex Killing), Test Cases: (1)

User Interface, Usability and Accessibility

• Customising object icons for categories, courses and groups in the repository (by Alexander Killing), Test Cases: (1), (2), (3), (4)

• Default template revision (by Alexander Killing): A new style called "Delos" will be introduced. This style solves some usability issues with the old default style ("Blue Shadow"), e.g. higher contrast, reduced visual clutter, clear distinction between tabbed menues and action buttons. It also respects major accessibility requirements, e.g. using em/% instead of px font sizes and avoiding layout tables. Please note, that the maintenance of the old default style Blue Shadow may be stopped with ILIAS 3.7.0 or 3.8.0. For more detailed information see the stlye sheet changes page.

• Window handling revision - all contents displayed in content frame instead of new window (by Alexander Killing). This affects learning modules in 3.6.0. The option Open views inside frameset will not be available in the ILIAS administration anymore. Internal links will open learning modules within the same window (except links that explicitly target new windows).
  
  The general guideline prescribes to avoid opening of new windows due to accessibility reasons. See WCAG1 Guideline 10 and ILIAS Usability Guideline 2.

Personal Desktop and General Services

• Context-sensitive help: This feature is implemented but will need to be postponed until the revision of the english documentation is finished. We expect the online help to be available with ILIAS release 3.6.1. (by Alexander Killing)

• Personal items ordering by location on personal desktop (Alex Killing), Test Cases: (1)

Learning and Content Management

• Add (optionally) ILIAS parameters (e.g. user IDs) to WebLink URLs: User ID, Session ID and User name can be appended to the URL (Stefan Meyer)

• Code Paragraph Plugin Architecture: Extend code paragraphs in learning modules with plugins
  (Roland Küstermann)

• Quick Edit mode for common meta data: Title, Description, Language, Authors, Keywords, Typical Learning Time can now be edited on one screen easily (Alex Killing), Test Cases: (1)

• Internal links support in glossaries (Alex Killing), Test Cases: (1)

• Synchronisation of Learning Module Explorer and Page Navigation (Alex Killing), Test Cases: (1)

Test, Survey and Exercises

• Case and error sensitivity for answers in text gaps
  Text answers in ILIAS cloze questions are compared case insensitive in the current version of ILIAS. To make the cloze questions more valuable for example for language tests a new feature error sensitivity should be introduced to cloze question text gaps. There are three steps of an error sensitivity that could be used:

  1. case insensitive text gaps (Standard, as usuable)

  2. case sensitive text gaps

  3. Levenshtein distance for text gaps

  The Levenshtein distance is introduced in this IOS board thread. Let's give a french example: the only and right solution for a test question is "aimée". But the student answers "Aimée". With case sensitive gaps the solution is wrong, with case insensitive gaps it is correct. If the levenshtein distance is set to 1 or higher the solution is also correct because at least 1 change is needed to get a correct solution (exchange the "A" with an "a"). The screen layout wouldn't differ that much from the original layout. The new feature should be added for a complete cloze question which means it works on all text gaps in that question in the same way. This would mean just one more line with a selection list in the head of the question properties. This feature would increase the flexability of the rating of text gaps (by Helmut Schottmüller)

• Different ratings in text gaps (by Helmut Schottmüller)
  A new feature to give different ratings for different answers in text gaps. The problem is that now every text answer in a text gap has the same rating: or it ist right or it is totally wrong. It would be very helpful for language teaching and testing if certain less important mistakes could be rated differently. Let's give a french example: the right solution is "aimée" (2 P.), and the student writes "aimer" or "aimé". Actually he wouldn't get any point, but as the answers are still (phonetically) acceptable I would give him at least 1 point. It is obvious that I have to preview all possible "light mistakes" of this kind and I have also to fix the number of points for each of them, so it's not the same as a typo tolerance which has been suggested and is also welcome. The screen layout in this case could be the same as in the case of the selection gaps where you already can give different ratings for the different kinds of answers.This feature would increase the acceptance of ILIAS language tests, which at present are feared by many students because they argue that manual evaluation ist more flexible and not so severe, and they are right. See: Forum thread for detailed information.

• Online status for question pools (by Helmut Schottmüller)
  Working with question pools in ILIAS Test & Assessment and ILIAS Survey allows every author to use questions from question pools where he/she has write permissions. Very often these write permissions are assigned to roles which are owned by more than one person in an institution. To prevent this (often) complicated creation of additional roles for these purposes, I want to propose the Online status for a question pool which can be set for every question pool. If a question pool is offline, no one could use questions of this question pool in a test or survey. This could prevent other authors from using questions of a question pool before an author has completed the pool. The default status of a new question pool should be "offline". An author must decide explicitly when he/she wants to make the question pool online for use in a test or survey. The online status could be set (and is indicated) in the properties tab of a question pool. If a question pool is offline, the status is also displayed in the repository.

• Overwrite existing names during Test import (by Helmut Schottmüller)
  Importing a test urges the user to select an existing question pool to store the test's questions in it. This new features allows select either an existing question pool or to define a new question pool to store the questions. Additionally the name of the test could be overwritten during import.

• Cut/Copy and Paste questions in a question pool to/from the clipboard to allow authors to copy/move questions from one question pool to another. It is also requested as a feature in an IOS forum thread (Helmut Schottmüller)

• Varying random tests. This is a new test type which allows to define a random test which is created new for every learner pass. The learner will be able to see all his/her previous results as well as the test author. The varying random test is also requested as a feature in an IOS forum thread (Helmut Schottmüller)

• Hide user answers for the next pass in a test. The author of a test should be able to enable an automatic hiding of the previous answers of a user in the next pass of test. This could work with assessment tests and self assessment tests. Default is the "old" behaviour that the previous answers are shown to the user in the next pass. (Helmut Schottmüller)

Communication & Syndication

• Notification of new postings in forums and threads - even when the posting has been done by someone else (by Stefan Meyer)

• Mail enhancements allowing to send mails to course roles (by Stefan Meyer)
  
  Sending mails to local roles and global roles has been postponed to release 3.7.

• Showing sender's photo in mails and inbox (by Alexander Killing), Test Cases: (1)

Groupware and Cooperative Work

• Notes (by Alexander Killing), Test Cases: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)

• Cascading groups: allowing to create groups within a group (by Werner Randelshofer)

• 'Member list for all' option in courses and groups (by Stefan Meyer and Sascha Hofmann)

Administration

• User tracking: Controlling learner's navigation (by Stefan Meyer)