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Issue: Awards that issue PDF certificates with replace strings strip out PDF accessibility tags

Related issues: 01918625

Steps:

1. Follow instructions, steps 1 through 8: Create a Custom Certificate that uses Replace Strings
   1. I used {FullName} and {AwardDate} replace strings
   2. Only change I made was on step 6 of the linked instructions, where I replaced the "Tooltip" property of the form field with a description of the field (to satisfy Acrobat's Accessibility checker). It did not impact the success of the replace strings.
2. Run Acrobat's Accessibility Report (screenshot 2i) and check reading order (screenshot 2ii) on the PDF I made, noting next to no accessibility issues.
   
   2i_accessibility-report.png
   
   
   2ii_reading-order.png
3. Follow instructions, steps 9 through 12: Create a Custom Certificate that uses Replace Strings
4. Run Acrobat's Accessibility Report (screenshot 4i) and check reading order (screenshot 4ii) on a PDF certificate issued by Awards tool, noting many accessibility issues. For example:
   1. Missing: Tagged PDF, Title, Tagged Content, Field Descriptions, Alternative Text and more
      
      4i_accessibility-report.png
   2. The two form fields that D2L injected replace strings into are not selectable in the reading order
      
      4ii_reading-order.png

Notes:

• If anyone from D2L would like to access the unredacted PDFs and accessibility reports, let me know and I can send them to you by email
• It would be worth testing if PDFs without replace strings also get their accessibility details scrubbed out upon the Awards tool issuing a certificate
  

Hi Emma, I think this is actually a quirk of how it's designed.

When people have not completed the checklist in its entirety, it will display like this:

When they have completed the checklist, the dot becomes a check, and it displays the completion time:

I imagine that what you were expecting is for it to say, for instance, '0 of 3 items completed'?

I can't see a request for this in the Product Idea Exchange, but I'd start by putting one there.

Hello, professors have the option to filter their view by Users or Groups when assessing students in assignments, assessments, discussions, or the gradebook. This is the simplest way of achieving your goal.

https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/3548-enter-grades-in-the-grades-tool#enter-grades-tab-overview

Alternatively you could look at using course sections. More information can be found here:

https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/3340-about-groups-and-sections

https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/3329-create-a-section  

Thank you for asking the question:
I looked into it, and applying late penalties for assignment submissions in Brightspace can be challenging due to the lack of an automated feature. Here are some insights on how other institutions are managing this:

Current Practices:

Manual Calculation: Many institutions still rely on manual calculation of late penalties, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors

Grade Item Formula: Some use a grade item with a formula to calculate the penalty for each assessment. This method requires setting up a formula that deducts a percentage based on the number of days late

Negative 'Bonus' Grade Item: Others use a negative 'Bonus' grade item to apply the penalty. This method involves adding a grade item with a negative value to deduct points from the student's score

Challenges:

Inconsistencies: Manual methods can lead to inconsistencies in how penalties are applied, such as differing interpretations of when the first 24 hours start or whether the penalty is deducted from the maximum value or the student's mark

Student Confusion: The use of a 'Bonus' grade item can be confusing for students, as it appears as a bonus in their gradebook view

Potential Solutions:

Standardized Policies: Establishing clear, standardized policies for late penalties can help reduce inconsistencies. This includes defining when the penalty period starts and how the percentage is calculated.

Automated Scripts: Some institutions have developed custom scripts or tools to automate the calculation and application of late penalties. These scripts can be integrated with Brightspace to streamline the process.

Feedback and Advocacy: Engaging with the Brightspace Product Idea Exchange (PIE) to advocate for the development of an automated late penalty feature can help bring attention to this need

Example Formula Setup:

Grade Item Formula: Create a grade item with a formula that deducts a percentage based on the number of days late. For example, if the penalty is 5% daily, the formula could be: Final Grade = Original Grade - (Days Late * 5%).

Negative 'Bonus' Grade Item Setup:

Bonus Grade Item: To apply the penalty, add a grade item with a negative value. For example, if the penalty is 5% per day and the assignment is 2 days late, the bonus grade item would be -10%.

By implementing these practices and advocating for automated solutions, institutions can better manage late penalties and ensure consistency across courses.

Is there a specific method you're considering or need more details on?

Brightspace Community Discussion on Late Penalties