MindTap
Releases under this section are available in ALL MindTap solutions
Update Dates and Times for Multiple Activities Using Batch Editing
With a recent release, instructors can now quickly edit activity dates and times in bulk using the batch editing functionality. For multiple activities, you can:
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Select an available date/time and due date/time
- Shift the available date/time and due date/time.
- Remove the existing available date/time and due date/time.
MindTap World Languages
Update Dates and Times for Multiple Activities Using Batch Editing
With a recent release, instructors can now quickly edit activity dates and times in bulk using the batch editing functionality. For multiple activities, you can:
- Select an available date/time and due date/time
- Shift the available date/time and due date/time.
- Remove the existing available date/time and due date/time.
MindTap Collections
SAM Projects – Student Workflow Update
A simplified and improved student workflow in SAM features a NEW one-page experience.
- Easier File Downloads: Students can choose to download individual project files or download all files at once (instruction files, SAM start files and any supporting files)
- Clearer PC/MAC Instructions: Students receive improved notifications about downloading and completing projects on PC/MAC if operating system detection is enabled for a project
- Save Work to SAM: Students can save their in-progress project file directly to SAM, minimizing lost work
- Error Messages for non-SAM Start Files: SAM will alert the student if it detects that the start file was not downloaded prior to uploading the file.
- Ease of Access to Reports: Students can easily view their most recent Graded Summary and Study Guide Reports
- SAM Upload and Download Icons for Textbook Projects: Displayed to let students know when to start and submit a Textbook Project
- View Submission History: Students can easily see their history of assignment submissions
MindTap Collections users can now add SAM Reports to their MindTap Learning Path
Once the Reports plank is available in the Learning Path, it can be deep linked into your LMS if you have integrated your MindTap Collections course.
To add this link to SAM within your MindTap course:
- Click + Add/Create Activity.
- Click SAM-Assignment.
- In the Assignments tab, click Add Reports.
Filter Reports by Section
You can now filter SAM reports to see data only for a selected section.
Session Expired Notification When Submitting a Project
If a student's session has expired when attempting to submit a SAM project, a message displays letting them know that they must sign in again to submit their project.
Updated SAM Textbook and Training Remediations for Office 365/2019
To ensure that your Illustrated, Shelly Cashman Series, or New Perspectives Collections includes the latest training/exam textbook remediations, we recommend creating a new MindTap Collections course for Fall 2021 classes or verify existing remediations in your current SAM assignments.
Click here to learn How to Refresh your MindTap Collections course(s).
Archives
2021
MindTap Spring 2021
Enhancements In Mobile MindTap Reader
A new release brings intuitive new improvements for students accessing their MindTap Reader eBook in the Cengage Mobile App:
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Page numbers now appear in-line, so students always know where they are in the electronic text.
- Tap the screen to show the page number. Tap again to hide it.
- A new “Go to Page” search function enables students to immediately locate content by entering a page number.
- The Table of Contents has been streamlined to help you find chapters and content faster.
Download the Cengage Mobile App for your iPhone or Android.
2020
MindTap Fall 2020
Password Protect Your MindTap Activities
Instructors can now password protect their MindTap activities to prevent students from accessing them until distributing the password. You can:
- Set a password when adding an activity to the activity list or when editing that activity later
- Set a separate password for each activity or use batch editing to set the same password for many activities
Provide Extensions for Your Students in Bulk via the Progress App
- MindTap provides you with the option to accept late work with or without a late penalty
- MindTap lets you grant extensions for a single activity to one or many students
Now, you can easily grant extensions for many activities in MindTap. Within the Progress App’s Gradebook tab, you can now select students and extend due dates from the batch menu.
Select the activities or chapters you want to extend.
Pick specific dates or extend all assignments by the same amount of time (e.g. one week).
Create A Virtual Classroom and Find Page Numbers With These Enhancements
Find Page Numbers Quickly in Your MindTap Online Textbook
By popular request, MindTap page numbers can be found quickly in the online textbook—making it easier to match content in a hardcopy to an online version.
- In MindTap, visit the Full Book App in the app dock
- Use the new “Go to Page” feature and enter your page number
- Select your page number in the drop-down list to view the specific page
Create Your Virtual Classroom with Bongo
The Bongo App has been added to ALL MindTap courses with start dates through April 15th
The Virtual Classroom meeting space in Bongo empowers instructors to engage, assess and gather feedback from students using video.
Bongo Best Practices:
- Set up your virtual meeting through the Bongo App. A URL is created that you can add as a Web Link Activity to your MindTap Learning Path.
- For the best experience, schedule your meeting in advance. Do not click “now” when scheduling meetings.
- Click Manage Invitees, then Sync Roster, and Invite Students and SAVE, before copying the URL to your MindTap Learning Path. This will ensure all students can join.
- Instructors must launch the meeting from the Bongo App to start the meeting.
- Record your virtual meeting for students to review later.
For more information about using the Bongo App in MindTap, contact your Cengage representative.
MindTap World Languages Spring 2020
April 2020
A New eBook Available:
A new VitalSource eBook is now available for Stationen 4th Edition and located at the bottom of the Learning Path (outline view) in MindTap.
Please Note: In-line audio and video links within the VitalSource eBook to appear seamlessly throughout the year.
Online Testing Updates:
Additional Online Testing Options for French, Italian and German
Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero is now available for MindTap titles for Introductory and Intermediate French, Introductory Italian and Introductory German. Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero is a full-featured, online assessment system that allows instructors to create tests from publisher-provided content as well as write new questions. With the test generator you can:
- Create tests from publisher-provided question sets
- Edit publisher questions
- Write your own questions
- Tag questions with learning objectives, rubrics, and other meta-information
- Print tests or deliver them online through a learning management system (Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace)
Available with the following titles:
- Atelier, 1st Edition
- Encore Intermediate French: Niveau intermédiaire, 1st Edition
- Horizons: Introductory French, 7th Edition
- Liaisons: An Introduction to French, 3rd Edition
- Piazza, Introductory Italian 2nd Edition
- Vorsprung: A Communicative Introduction to German Language and Culture, Enhanced 3rd Edition
Note: Introductory and Intermediate Spanish MindTap titles Testing Programs were made available in February 2020.
Learn more about Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero.
March 2020
Organize Gradebook with New Display Settings
Under Display Settings in the gradebook, instructors can group assignments to view by chapter/units and folders in two ways:
- Chapter or Unit: assignments are grouped by the top level of organization in the outline view of the learning path. They are not broken up into any subsequent units or folders.
- Sub-Chapter or Sub-Unit: assignments are grouped by the bottom level of organization in the outline view of the learning path.
NEW: Student Getting Started Videos
A new Student Getting Started Video has been added to all World Language MindTap Courses at the top of the Learning Path and is assignable. The Student Getting Started Video is tailored to the specific MindTap course and provides a helpful overview for students on how to navigate the MindTap course, get a brief introduction to the 5 step learning path, locate their eBook options and understand where to find their grades and how to access the free Cengage Mobile App to access their course materials and study tools.
New Content Available for Introductory German
A sample chapter for Welten: Introductory German, Enhanced, 1st Edition is now available for instructors. This sample course includes Learning Path activities for Chapter 3 and the Chapter 3 eBook. This sample course added to the Instructor Resource Center by searching for ISBN 978-035-744574-7.
Performance Reports
Instructors using Horizons, Introductory French, 7th edition have access to a new Performance Report Tab. Here you can:
- View class performance against learning objectives
- View individual student performance against learning objectives
- Download performance data for reporting needs or evaluations
- Customize the filter settings of data
Please Note: The Performance tab is currently only available for Instructors using Plazas 5th edition, Conectados 2nd edition, Juntos 1st edition and Exploraciones, 3rd edition and Horizons 4th edition.
New eBooks Available
A new VitalSource eBook is now available for the Japanese titles and located at the bottom of the Learning Path (outline view):
- Nakama 1 Enhanced, Introductory Japanese: Communication, Culture, Context, 3rd Edition
- Nakama 2 Enhanced, Intermediate Japanese: Communication, Culture, Context, 3rd Edition
Content Updates
Instructors and students using Conectados Communication Manual, 2nd Edition automatically have access to new content updates.
Please Note: If a student has not taken the activity, these changes are reflected in the course right now. If a student has taken the activity, the changes do not appear for that particular activity. If an instructor copies his/her course for next semester or creates a new course, the updates are reflected.
Please Note: In-line audio and video links within the VitalSource eBook to appear seamlessly throughout the year.
February 28, 2020
Online Testing and Content Updates
Additional Online Testing for Spanish:
Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero is now available for Introductory Spanish and Intermediate Spanish MindTap Titles. Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero is a full-featured, online assessment system that allows instructors to create tests from publisher-provided content as well as write new questions. With the test generator you can:
- Create tests from publisher-provided question sets
- Edit publisher questions
- Write your own questions
- Tag questions with learning objectives, rubrics and other meta-information
- Print tests or deliver them online through a learning management system (Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace.)
Available Titles include:
- Conectados, 2nd Edition
- Exploraciones, 3rd Edition
- Exploraciones curso intermedio, 2nd Edition
- Juntos, 1st Edition
- Plazas: Lugar de Encuentros, 5th Edition
- Rutas, 1st Edition
Learn more about Cengage Learning Testing Powered by Cognero.
Content Updates:
Instructors and students using Exploraciones Curso Intermedio, 2nd Edition automatically have access to new content updates.
Please Note: If a student has not taken the activity, these changes are reflected in the course right now. If a student has taken the activity, the changes do not appear for that particular activity. If an instructor copies his/her course for next semester or creates a new course, the updates are reflected.
February 2020
New eBooks Available
A new VitalSource eBook is now available for Spanish titles and located at the bottom of the Learning Path (outline view):
- Plazas: Lugar de Encuentros, 5th Edition
- Éxito comercial, 7th Edition
Please Note: In-line audio and video links within the VitalSource eBook to appear seamlessly throughout the year.
Instructor Feature: Easily Enter Language Accents and Characters
Instructors can now select accented letters and other characters from a Diacritics Toolbar when commenting on assignments within the Gradebook.
The special character toolbar displays under comment boxes. Select the language accents/characters from the toolbar instead of using keyboard shortcuts:
January 2020
New eBooks Available
A new VitalSource eBook is available for French and German titles:
- Encore Intermediate French: Niveau intermédiaire, 1st Edition
- Horizons: Introductory French, 7th Edition
- Liaisons: An Introduction to French, 3rd Edition
- Vorsprung: A Communicative Introduction to German Language and Culture, Enhanced, 3rd Edition
Enhanced Functionality for All Users
“Expand all” button is restored and allows users to collapse and expand folders and activities on the Learning Path with one button.
New eBooks to Find Page Numbers
By popular request, a new VitalSource eBook including page numbers, pages that match the print text, and search capabilities is now available for several Spanish, French and Italian titles—making it easier to match content in a hardcopy to an online version.
- In MindTap, scroll to the bottom of the Learning
- Click on the VitalSource eBook link
- Instructors must launch the meeting from the Bongo App to start the meeting
- Easily navigate to your page number
Please Note: In-line audio and video links within the VitalSource eBook to appear seamlessly throughout the year.
Available titles include:
- ¡A Que Sí!, 5th Edition
- Atelier, 1st Edition
- Conectados Communication Manual, 2nd Edition
- Exploraciones, 3rd Edition
- Exploraciones Curso Intermedio, 2nd Edition
- Juntos, 1st Edition
- Piazza: Introductory Italian, 2nd Edition
- Rutas: Intermediate Spanish, 1st Edition
MindTap World Languages Fall 2020
September 2020
Provide Extensions for Your Students in Bulk via the Progress App
- MindTap provides you with the option to accept late work with or without a late penalty
- MindTap lets you grant extensions for a single activity to one or many students
Now, you can easily grant extensions for many activities in MindTap. Within the Progress App’s Gradebook tab, you can now select students and extend due dates from the batch menu.
Select the activities or chapters you want to extend.
Pick specific dates or extend all assignments by the same amount of time (e.g. one week).
MindTap Collections 2020
Project Incident Reporting Notifications
Instructors can opt to receive email notifications of project incidents when scheduling a project.
- Toggle on Edit in the MindTap Learning Path
- Select Edit to the right of the SAM Project in the Learning Path
- Select Edit Activity Options
- On the Project Settings page, Choose Receive Project Incident Notifications
NEW Projects Released in 2020
- SAM Project C - Critical Thinking Projects for Excel and Access were released in the Shelly Cashman Series and New Perspectives Collections.
- Introductory level Integration Projects serve as a mega capstone for the Introductory level allow students to work across Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access and submit multiple project files.
- Office Online Projects are a set of series agnostic projects that can be assigned for Introductory Word, Excel and PowerPoint (three projects per application).
Default Project Version
When you create a new course, or schedule new Office 2019 projects that have both Mac and PC versions, Project Version is set to PC & Mac by default.
Project Assignment Submission Attempts Recommendation
You can view the recommended number of attempts for project assignments by hovering over next to Max Number of Submission Attempts.
A warning displays if you set Max Number of Submission Attempts to 1 for project assignments.
Start File Download Time
Individual and Section project reports now show the time students started downloading their project files.
