Sakai 19 Known Issues

Known Issues/Workarounds

Assignments: When saving an Assignment as a draft, the "Add Assignment to Gradebook" setting doesn't persist

• Issue: In Assignments, create an assignment, choose the setting "Add Assignment to Gradebook", select "Save Draft". The "Add Assignment to Gradebook" setting is not saved for drafts but is saved for posted assignments.
• Workaround: When editing a draft assignment, update the "Add Assignment to Gradebook" setting before posting the Assignment.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41968

Forums: After choosing to Grade a Topic, the instructor must select the Gradebook item

• Issue: When setting up a Topic in Forums, the instructor can select a Gradebook item to which grades will be sent. When you're ready to grade, and you click on Grade for a Topic, the Gradebook item should appear in the upper right. However, it doesn't, and you must select it from the drop-down menu.
• Workaround: Instructors will need to select the Gradebook item each time they go to grade a Topic.

Sakai documentation: SAK-33703

Lessons: Automatic Checklist links don't import (copy) to another site

• Issue: A new feature in Sakai 19 allows instructors to set up Checklists (in Lessons) in a special way so that items are automatically checked off when students complete them. For example, when a student submits a quiz, that item can be checked automatically in the student's Checklist (if the instructor sets up a special "link" within the Checklist). The feature works well, but when the course content is imported to a new site, the automatic "links" within the Checklist do not import, and the instructor must set them up again in the new site.
• Workaround: After importing a course into a new site, edit any Checklists that contain automatic links and set up the links again.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41593

Rubrics: Ratings/Comments not saved if you click on Add Attachments (in Assignments and in T&Q)

• Issue: When grading, if an instructor fills out a rubric with ratings and comments, then adds an attachment, when the instructor saves or updates changes, all rubric ratings and comments that were entered are wiped out. Only the total score is retained. The instructor isn't aware of the rubric ratings/comments being deleted unless they reopen the rubric to look at it after saving. This occurs in Assignments and in Tests & Quizzes. These are the only tools that you can grade with a rubric and attach a file for the student.
• Workaround: When grading with a rubric, save changes before attaching a file for the student.
  • In Assignments, after adding rubric ratings and comments, and optionally adding instructor summary comments, save your changes by clicking on either "Save and Don't Release to Student" or "Save and Release to Student". Your rubric ratings and comments will be saved. Now you can click on "Add Attachments" and add file(s) for the student. Again, save your changes.
  • In Tests & Quizzes, after adding rubric ratings and comments, click Update to save your changes. Select the student again, attach your file, and click Update.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41849

General: PDFs uploaded to Sakai may not open in Adobe Acrobat for Chrome users

• Issue: For most Chrome users, when you click on a PDF link (or attachment) in Sakai, the PDF will open in the Chrome browser (in a new tab) and you can view it. However, depending on your configuration, you may also see an option to "Open in Acrobat" -- when you click this, an error will appear, the PDF will not open in Acrobat, and you will be logged out of Sakai.
• Workaround: If it's important for you to view the PDF in Acrobat (rather than in a browser tab), you can set Chrome to Download PDF files instead of automatically opening them in Chrome. Then, when you click a PDF link in Sakai, the file will be downloaded to your computer and you can open it in Acrobat.

Sakai documentation: SAK-42109

General: Audio files created with Text Editor record button will not import to another course site

Note: This is not a new problem with Sakai 19. This problem existed in the prior version (Sakai 11) as well.

• Issue: After Importing a course with audio files that were created using the Text Editor's "Record Audio Clip" tool, audio files won't play for students (but will play for instructors).
  • For example, in Lessons, if an instructor used the Text Editor-Record Audio Clip tool to create an audio file, both instructors and students can play the audio file.
  • BUT after using Site Info > Import from Site in a new course site, in Lessons, the students won't be able to play the audio files in the new course site.
• Solution: Please contact sakaihelp@durhamtech.edu.
  • We'll download the audio files, convert them to a smaller size (file type MP3) using Audacity, and upload your optimized audio files to your new course site's Resources area.
  • You can then link to the audio files located in Resources.
  • The audio files can be imported with your Resources files in future; both instructors and students will be able to see the audio player and play the audio files in new courses.
• To Avoid Future Issues: Create audio recordings using Vocaroo or another tool, such as Audacity.
  • In the Sakai Text Editor, click on the Source button. Paste the embed code provided by Vocaroo. Save the changes.
  • Note: Vocaroo does not keep recordings forever, sometimes not even for a whole semester! After creating a recording in Vocaroo, below the link/embed code, it states "Download as"; click on the MP3 link, to download the MP3 audio file on your computer.
    • Upload the MP3 file into your course's Resources area, with an easily identifiable name, as a backup to use in the future. If needed: Here's a refresher on how to upload a file to Resources
    • If the MP3 file is too large to upload to Resources, make sure the file is in a location you can easily find on your computer in the future.
  • Accessibility Recommendation: Please upload a text transcript to accompany your audio clips.

Sakai documentation: SAK-33674

General Tip

Clearing the browser cache can often resolve problems

• Issue: When working on a dynamic website like Sakai, old content can get stuck in the browser cache and cause problems. (This is especially true right after a major upgrade.) If things start acting a little weird, clearing your cache is a good thing to try.
• Solution: How to clear your browser cache

HTML notice

• Issue: A few instructors have reported a notice in a yellow box (as shown below) popping up in their sites. The notice may appear on the course home page, or after copying/pasting content into a text editor box somewhere in Sakai.
  
• Solution: The notice indicates that content that you've entered into Sakai (most likely, content that you copied from somewhere else and pasted in) contains some behind-the-scenes code that is problematic. In some situations, the boxes appear once and then go away forever, and all is fine. However, in some cases, they may pop up every time you visit the page. In the latter case, please contact sakaihelp@durhamtech.edu and let us know which site and wherein the site the notices are appearing, and we should be able to clean things up for you.

Lessons: Some column breaks don't display correctly to students

• Issue: The column break feature in Lessons lets you display two "boxes" of information side-by-side on a page or subpage. This does not work properly when both of these conditions are true:
  • (1) the column break is on a subpage, and
  • (2) the column break is at the top of the page (i.e it is the first content on the page).
  • When the above conditions are true, the columns will display correctly (side-by-side) to the instructor, but when viewed as a student, the right-side column box displays underneath the first box.
• Solution: Avoid using columns as the first item on a subpage. As a work-around, you can put something on the subpage (such as some text), then add the columns below it. Try "view as student" to make sure it displays the way you want it to.

Lessons: Automatic Checklist links don't import (copy) to another site

• Issue: In one site, in Lessons, create a Checklist with automatic Checklist links. In another site, use Site Info > Import from Site, and import all tools, including Lessons and Resources. All Lessons items import and required items are still "required". But in the Checklist, the links are not copied for each Checklist item to its corresponding required item. Therefore, when students perform required tasks (such as posting to a topic), the corresponding Checklist item is not automatically checked off the Checklist.
• Background: In Lessons, previously, you could create a Checklist of items that students could check off themselves. You can still create that type of Checklist item. In addition, you can now require activities that you want students to perform; these required activities will automatically be checked off the Checklist for the student. There are three steps you must perform:

1. Add, then edit and require items such as a link to a topic, assignment or test; or add and require a link to a file or web site.
2. Add a Checklist and add checklist items with the required tasks, such as "Post to this week's topic".
3. For each required Checklist item, such as "Post to this week's topic", link it to its corresponding required item, such as the link to the specific topic.
4. In this example, after a student posts to the required topic, the corresponding Checklist item will automatically be checked.

• Workaround: After importing tools, including Lessons with Automatic Checklists and Resources, in Lessons, edit the Checklist. Re-add the links from each required Checklist item to its corresponding task.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41593

Tips

Clear web browser cache

When using dynamic web sites like Sakai, web browsers might show you an outdated version of a page (what is called a "cached" version of the page).

• By default, browsers keep previous versions of a page to improve response time. But this behavior might prevent you from displaying the latest information.
• Here are the instructions for clearing your web browser cache for Firefox, Chrome or Internet Explorer

Lessons: Displays "Download file" when linking to a document

In Lessons, after adding a link to a document (such as a Word, PowerPoint or text file), a "download file" link and "message" appear, as shown below:
Why is this happening? If you click Add Content or on a "plus" sign (+), then click on:

• Add Content Links, a link will be created to your document or presentation, as desired.
• But if you click on Embed content on page, you are trying to display or show your document, like you would a video or image.
  • Important: Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files can't be displayed in a web browser; therefore, a download file link and "instructions" are provided.

What are the steps to add a link to a document? Watch this one minute video and/or do the following:

• In Lessons, at the top, click on Add Content or click on a "plus" sign (+) to the right or below your content
• Click on Add Content Links NOT Embed content on page
• Click on the Choose or Browse button to select a document or click on "Or select existing files from Resources"
• After selecting your file, either click Save or Continue, then Save. Your link to your document will now display correctly.

Turnitin

• If desired, you can allow students to submit multiple attachments on a single assignment, and all attachments will be checked by Turnitin.
• On the Assignment grading screen in Sakai, instructors will see a Turnitin column. Each document submitted will show an icon. Point to the icon to see additional information.
  • For example, a yellow triangle icon can mean a couple of different things:
    1. the attachment has been submitted and is pending review (wait 15-30 minutes for results to be returned) OR
    2. an error occurred and Turnitin could not process the document (contact sakaihelp@durhamtech.edu for assistance).
• When setting up a Turnitin-enabled Assignment, if you choose an option (e.g. "Inline and Attachments") that allows students to enter comments along with their attachment(s), those comments will be checked by Turnitin -- but only if the comment text exceeds 20 words.
  • This is a general rule for Turnitin: any documents or text containing fewer than 20 words are not checked, and will return an "error" stating that the content could not be processed.
  • This error is represented by a yellow triangle.
    
     
    

Favorite and Hide Course Sites

• You can favorite and unfavorite sites that display at the top of your Sakai page. Follow the instructions below:
  • In Sakai in the upper right corner, click on Sites, then click on the "gray" star to the left of a site you want to be displayed at the top of your Sakai page; the star will turn "yellow"
  • After you click on the "X" in the upper right corner of the Sites drop-down box, in the top middle of your page, you can click on a link to "reload" your page, to see your favorites listed across the top of your page
  • Also, in Sites, at the top right of your Sakai page, you can also "un-favorite" sites, by clicking on the yellow star to the left of the course site(s) -->

Resolved Issues

FIXED: Rubrics: Ratings/Comments not saved if a comment contains > 240 characters

• Issue: When grading, if an instructor fills out a rubric with ratings and comments, and if one of the comments entered contains more than 240 characters (including spaces) when the instructor clicks save, nothing in the Rubric is saved except the total score. All ratings and comments that were entered are wiped out. The instructor isn't aware of this unless they reopen the rubric to look at it after saving. This occurs in Gradebook and in Assignments (and likely in Forums or Tests & Quizzes). Also, if the instructor formats the text, even fewer characters can be entered.
• * FIX: A patch was installed on 8/5/19. You can now add more than 240 characters; you can add up to 500-750 characters now to your Rubric comments.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41841

FIXED: Assignments: When grading an Assignment, clicking "Add Attachment" appends two zeroes to student's grade

• Issue: In Assignments, click GRADE below the assignment. Click on a student's name, and enter a Grade, such as 85. Scroll down and click "Add Attachments". Whether you attach a file and click Continue or click X in the upper right to close the window, the grade will now have two zeroes appended on it: such as 8500. You can correct the grade and save.
• FIX: A patch was installed on 6/21/19. Instructors can add attachments without affecting the student grade.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41805

FIXED: Assignments: Inactive students receive reminder emails that an Assignment is due in 24 hours

• Issue: In Assignments, when creating or editing an assignment, instructors can check beside "Send a reminder email 24 hours before the due date". Reminders are sent 24 hours before the due date to students who have not submitted, as expected; HOWEVER, students who are no longer enrolled in the course are also sent reminder emails.
• FIX: A patch was installed on 6/11/19. You can now select the option on Assignments to "Send a reminder email 24 hours before the due date". Reminders are sent 24 hours before the due date to students who have not submitted the assignment. Students who are no longer enrolled in the course are NOT sent reminder emails.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41865

FIXED: Forums: Short description not displayed on Topic page

• Issue: When students click on a Topic in the Forums tool, or when they follow a link from Lessons to a Forum Topic, they do not see the "short description" that the instructor entered when setting up the Topic.
  • Students (and instructors) see the "short description" only on the main Forums page (the page you see when you click Forums in the course menu).
• Workaround: For each Topic in Forums, if you have important info in "Short description" that you want to make sure your students see, put that info also in the larger "Description" box (aka full description). You should let your students know that they will need to click "View Full Description" to see the information.
• FIX: A fix was applied on 5/23/2019; instructors and students can see the topic short description when clicking on a link from Lessons to the Forum topic and when they click on a Topic in the Forums tool. As they could previously, instructors and students can see the topic short description on the main Forums page (the page you see when you click Forums in the course menu).

Sakai documentation: SAK-41769

FIXED: Forums: Instructors can't delete attachments from Topics

• Issue: Instructors are unable to delete attachments from topics. They can click Remove and it appears to work fine, but when they click Save, an error screen appears and the attachment is not deleted. Deleting an attachment from a Forum works fine.
• FIX: A fix was applied on 7/18/2019. Instructors can now delete attachments from Topics and Forums.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41896

FIXED: Gradebook: By default, Gradebook allows students to see class-wide grade distributions

• Issue: The Settings area in the Gradebook contains a new "Statistics" section which allows instructors to Display assignment statistics to students and/or Display course grade statistics to students. By default, these options were checked, allowing students to see these statistics without the instructor realizing it.
• Fix: As soon as this issue was discovered, we ran a process that deselected these options in all existing courses (2019SU and 2019FA), so students could no longer see these statistics. Going forward, these options will be deselected by default in all new courses created in the future. Students no longer see grade statistics by default, but instructors can choose to enable these options if desired (by going to Gradebook > Settings > Statistics).

FIXED: Tests & Quizzes: On short answer/essay questions, students cannot see model answer or instructor comments

• Issue: If instructor chooses settings to release all feedback to students, students cannot see any feedback for short answer/essay questions – students cannot see model answer or feedback entered on the question, and they cannot see any comments or attachments added by the instructor when grading.
• FIX: A patch was installed on 7/17/19. Students can now see feedback, comments, etc on short answer/essay questions.

Sakai documentation: SAK-42015

FIXED: Tests & Quizzes: Instructors cannot preview Tests/Quizzes in draft mode

• Issue: In Tests & Quizzes, beside any "draft" test or quiz, from the Action drop-down, select "Preview". Click the Begin Assessment button. Instead of seeing a test question, the instructor is returned to the main Tests & Quizzes page. (This was a consistent problem in Chrome. Occasionally this would work in Firefox, but not reliably.)
• FIX: A patch was installed on 6/13/19. Instructors can now preview test/quiz drafts.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41786

FIXED: Tests & Quizzes: In Firefox and Edge: Instructors cannot insert additional answers on multiple choice questions

• Issue: In Firefox and Edge: In Tests & Quizzes, add a multiple choice question to a quiz or test. Scroll below the four answer options provided. Beside "Insert Additional Answers", choose a number from the drop-down, such as "1". Nothing happens. Instead, the screen should refresh and a fifth answer box should appear. This works fine on Chrome.
• FIX: A patch was installed on 6/13/19. Instructors can use Firefox, Edge and Chrome to insert additional answers on multiple choice questions.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41900

FIXED: Tests & Quizzes: In a few Sakai sites, some test/quiz submissions were not scored correctly by Sakai

• Issue: From 5/23/19 to 5/31/19, some students' tests/quizzes were not scored properly by Sakai. Instructional Technologies was able to identify all student submissions that were affected and worked with instructors to get them corrected. Only six classes were affected.
• FIX: A patch was installed on 5/31/2019 to prevent this from happening again. All affected student scores have been corrected.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41876

FIXED: Tests & Quizzes: Chrome only: If students click on a Lessons link to a test/quiz, students can't see questions or submit answers

• Issue: On Chrome: When students click on a Lessons link to a quiz or test, the test is displayed in a small box. Students can't see questions or submit answers.
• Workaround: As an interim measure, students were advised to use Firefox when taking tests & quizzes.
• FIX: A fix was applied on 5/23/2019, and students may now use Chrome or Firefox to take tests & quizzes.

Sakai documentation: SAK-41799