Falcon Online Updates - July 2025
Assignments – Flexible text or file submission options for enhanced learner choice | New
This feature enables instructors to create a new assignment type that accepts submissions in the form of an uploaded file, text entered in Falcon Online Editor, or both.
To create this new type of assignment, instructors must go to the New Assignment page, expand the Submission & Completion panel, open the Submission Type dropdown, and select the new File or text submission option.
For these assignments, learners can choose how they want to demonstrate their learning. For example, if the assignment is an essay, learners can upload a file, paste a link to an external file in the text box, or type the entire essay into the text box. For assignments restricted to only one file, learners still have the option to add a text submission. Learners will also see an expanded Brightspace Editor for text submissions on the assignment submission page.
Previously, the available Submission Types were: File submission, Text submission, On paper submission, and Observed in person.
Note: Text submissions are not supported by the Annotations tool.
This feature implements the following PIE item:
- D4773 (Assignment Folders should accept BOTH a file and a text submission type not just one or the other)
Groups – Bulk enroll and unenroll users by CSV file import | New
Instructors can now bulk enroll or unenroll learners in existing groups using a comma-separated values (CSV) file in the Groups tool. This feature adds a new Import button to the Manage Groups page and an Import option in the Category drop-down menu. Clicking Import opens a guided workflow with detailed instructions for correctly formatting the CSV file. Each line in the file must represent a single action: either enrolling or unenrolling a learner from a specific group in the course. CSV file modifications are limited to learners currently enrolled in the course.
Once uploaded, the system validates the CSV file. If the file contains no errors, the enroll or unenroll actions are performed, and once completed, the import results are displayed immediately. If there are any errors found in the file, the process stops and generates a list of errors found.
Cancelling the process does not reverse completed actions. Only one import process can run at a time.
Administrators can configure the CSV file format in the Form Elements tool using the new form element BulkGroupEnroll. The following form element properties are customizable:
- Username
- Org Defined Id
- Group Name
- Group Code
Either Username or Org Defined Id, and Group Name or Group Code, are required to ensure there is enough information to complete the enrollment or unenrollment action.
The new workflow is available to roles with the Groups and Sections Management > Create/Edit/Delete Groups and Categories permission enabled.
After uploading a file, the Import page displays the process and checks for errors in the file.
This feature implements the following PIE items:
- D8710 (Group enrollment from a file)
- D7963 (Improve Group enrollments for 100+ students)
- D294 (Create Groups and/or enroll students in Groups using a CSV Spreadsheet)
- D6790 (Enrolling students in groups)
- D11671 (Allow instructor to bulk enroll students across ALL group categories at once)
Homepage Widget Expansion Pack – Improved completion reporting in Visual Table of Contents Widget | Update
To improve consistency across Brightspace tools and ensure more accurate tracking of learner progress, the Visual Table of Contents widget now determines module completion based on topic completion status. Previously, the widget relied on a topic’s visited state and did not recognize manually completed topics as complete.
With this update, the Visual Table of Contents widget now determines completion based on topic completion status, not visited state. Manual completion topics are considered complete as soon as they are marked complete in the Content tool and the widget now accurately displays progress for manual completion topics. Other topics types including quick links to quizzes, assignments, and discussions are unaffected by this change. This behavior now aligns with how completion is tracked throughout the Content tool.
Note: In the Content tool, users can mark a manual completion topic complete without opening it.
Only users in roles that appear in Classlist will have their progress tracked and displayed in the Visual Table of Contents widget. Users in roles not visible in Classlist will still see the progress meter, but it will not reflect actual progress.
Quizzes – Reopen a submitted quiz attempt | New
Instructors can now reopen the most recently submitted quiz attempt, allowing learners to resume from where they left off. The new feature supports scenarios where learners run out of time or submit their attempt by mistake, reducing frustration from auto-submissions and improving overall quiz management flexibility.
Previously, instructors could not reopen a submitted quiz attempt. This update introduces the ability to return quiz attempts to an unsubmitted state and adjust time limits if needed.
This feature implements the following PIE items:
- D1993 (Allow instructors the ability to unsubmit a quiz attempt)
- D6069 (Re-Open a Quiz)
- D6230 (Resume Quiz with Set Time Limit)
- D7653 (Un-submit quiz option for instructor)
- D7804 (Change Reset Quiz Attempt Workflow)
This continuous delivery update is scheduled for July 25th.
Please refer to the Falcon Online for Faculty InfoGuide for additional information on all the Falcon Online tools.
Faith Testerman
Coordinator IV - IT Instructional Resources
Faith.Testerman@DaytonaState.edu
IT Service Catalog