Squiz Matrix Newsletter #357
09 DecWe have most definitely hit the home stretch of 2011 and, as we are now close to the holiday season, Squiz Labs is feeling in that giving mood.
Squiz Matrix versions 4.4.5 and 4.6.1 were released earlier this week, each containing a number of new features, minor enhancements and bug fixes. These will be our last releases of the year.
Version 4.6.1 is also available for download on the Squiz Matrix site as a virtual machine image.
For more information on these releases, including patch notes, new features and download links, view the release post, right here on the Squiz Labs blog.
Please be sure to follow the relevant user guides when updating or installing your systems.
This week we have two new features to report, including a new Interactive Mode for the Online Quiz asset. Continue reading below for more information on all this week's developments.
Online Quiz Interactive Mode
Due for release in versions 4.8.0 (March 5th 2012)
A new Interactive Mode has been added to the Online Quiz asset. This mode transforms the regular listed quiz format into a one question per page format, with the option of allowing users to retry incorrectly answered questions.
Interactive Mode is enabled via a new field on the Details screen of the Online Quiz asset.
Enabling Interactive Mode will display the Question Pooling settings. These settings allow you to select the root node(s) to extract the multiple-choice questions from, as well as set the number of retries available to users for each question.
Interactive Mode utilises a new feedback page on completion of each question. Response feedback can be specified for each response on the Details screen of an Online Quiz Multiple-Choice Question.
When a user answers a question on the form, the Online Quiz will display whether or not the user selected the correct answer and present any feedback that has been configured. If the user has given an incorrect answer, they will able to retry the question, with another selected from the question pool and presented to them.
Listing item classes are allocated for each option on the feedback form, as well as span tags for the response feedback. These can be used to stylise (CSS etc.) the feedback information and listed options, for example, a tick or cross for the option the user has selected.
New keyword replacements have been added to format the layout of the Online Quiz in Interactive Mode:
- %interactive_question_number%
- %interactive_question_note%
- %interactive_question_text%
- %interactive_question_response_form%
- %interactive_button%
In addition to these changes, a new scoring system has been implemented for the Online Quiz. Scores will now be stored in the submission assets of the Online Quiz.
You are also able to specify the format of the %quiz_score% keyword replacement, used in the submission logs, and the Thank You and Page Contents bodycopies. This format is configured on a new Score Format field on the Details screen of the Online Quiz asset.
Email Form Reply-To Address
Due for release in versions 4.6.2 (January 3rd 2012)
The Squiz Matrix email options allow you to configure the settings for outgoing emails from the Matrix system. These options can be found in numerous locations within the system, including the Custom Form asset, and the Send Email and Send Email Submission trigger actions.
This minor enhancement adds a Reply-To setting to the email options, allowing users to specify an address for recipients to reply to.
This enhancement has been introduced to combat the occasional issue where mail from Matrix was being flagged as spam on some mail servers due to the use of keyword replacements in the From field of the email.
The Reply-To setting will allow Matrix to send the email from a legitimate address (e.g. noreply@matrix.squiz.net) whilst configuring a reply address that recipients can respond to, using the reply function on their mail client.
Please note that this field has been added to all existing email options settings within Squiz Matrix. Use of this field is optional; if no Reply-To value is specified, the header will not be sent.