Notes on the joule 1.3 release

As we approach the one year anniversary of joule's launch (coming up in November), releasing version 1.3 of our enterprise platform is a testament to how quickly and extensively learning technologies can evolve.

While joule 1.3 adds enhanced site design capabilities, upgrades to the Conduit systems integration tool, and updates to the Assessments module, perhaps the most exciting addition is the joule Mobile smart phone application integration.

In light of its inclusion in the newest release, we wanted to provide a few more details on joule Mobile (available on the iPhone v3.x - 4).


joule mobile includes:

• The ability for users to view course overview information, upcoming events, recent changes and grades.
  
• Directory and Roster modules which enable users to look up classmate and facilitator contact details, add users to their friends list, and contact other users directly through their native email application.
  
• The capability for course facilitators to access grades for all students in their courses and even specify if created activities will require grading.
  
• Ability to access the latest news via RSS feed and receive joule Notifications directly
  

But joule Mobile not only enables users to access joule-specific features remotely via their smart phones, it provides users the ability to harness the features and functionality of a smart phone to create and share content and interact with fellow users.

With the addition of the Locations block in joule, administrators can create a more connected campus by identifying buildings on interactive maps and make them accessible in the Maps module (this can be done for multiple campuses in a university system). Additionally, course facilitators can associate meeting time information with a location in courses.

Perhaps the best part about joule Mobile is seeing how users leverage smart phone features to create new uses for it. What would you like joule Mobile to do for you? Let us know.