The new Carmen logo features a sneaker as an attempt to draw attention, said Valerie Rake, the Carmen support team leader for the Office of Distance Education and eLearning.

Courtesy of OSU

Ohio State's digital interface connecting students to faculty, carmen.osu.edu, got an farthermost makeover that was unveiled May 4 in efforts to bring a number of technological improvements to its users.

These improvements, dubbed "Carmen ten," came to pass afterward a yr-long collaboration among pupil and faculty informational groups that met to accost everything from Carmen features and functionality to go-alive dates for the new and improved site, said Katharine Keune, director of Function of the Chief Information Officer advice, in an email.

Two areas of improvement the advisory groups focused on most were ameliorate site navigation and tablet performance, said Michael Hofherr, associate vice president for the Office of Distance Education and eLearning.

The Office of Distance Education and eLearning website lists several boosted fundamental things users should know about the new Carmen:

one. "The new interface is designed to let the full arrangement work smoothly on desktop / laptop computers and tablets. The smartphone interface is nevertheless all-time suited for checking news, reading content, or participating in discussions."

My thoughts:

Similar any OSU student who has at one betoken not been able to admission to the full desktop version of Carmen during a frantic pursuit to check grades, I blench at the idea of having to log into Carmen's mobile version, "Carmen2go," on my iPhone, but because finding posted grades seems incommunicable. If you are similar me, you probably await for the site to load and then you can scroll to the bottom of the folio for the link to the full Carmen site. Although the new version of Carmen for smartphones nevertheless has a like set-up with the dropdown menus and tabs, its much more than enjoyable to utilise by and large because form fabric actually loads. (Although I still prefer the full desktop version for familiarity's sake.)

As for the accessing Carmen on my iPad, the Carmen team did a superb job of making Carmen easier to navigate. That'south considering Carmen looks the aforementioned on the web browser of your iPad as it does from the screen of your desktop computer. This ways the earth to u.s.a. iPad users who long for the luxury of the full Carmen site in the classroom without the extra bulk of having to lug our xv-inch laptop around.

2. "All grade navigation bars take been set to the new style. The default tool set includes a larger number of options than in the past. In addition, instructors can access more tools from the Edit Course menu and can provide access for students by linking to course activities from Content."

My thoughts:

This new style includes a "my courses" sidebar on the left side of your home screen where you will notice all of your OSU courses past and present grouped past term and subject field. There is also a search bar to notice classes quickly and easily. I like this new fix because it allows for a news feed in the eye of your habitation screen for alerts and updates about the new site from the Carmen team.

Ane of the new features that professors will most probable appreciate is the option to either "publish" feedback or "salvage as a draft" on dropbox submissions. I know what y'all're thinking: this gives professors a take chances to filibuster feedback even more, only wait on the brilliant side. In the meantime, y'all tin can update Carmen with your interests and hobbies, your favorite Idiot box shows, your favorite websites and your futurity goals in the new "profile" tab.

Yes, y'all can now update Carmen with your very ain profile. And yes, this profile comes complete with an pick to upload your most precious selfie. (If but you could upload your critically acclaimed Vines, too.)

Maybe my favorite aspect about the new Carmen design is the ability to send emails from your Buckeye Mail account via the letters tab at the top right corner of your Carmen home screen. This means an stop to the hassle of opening separate tabs for Carmen and Buckeye Post. (Enter: Readers' throwing up a hand while soulfully maxim "Hallelujah!")

3. "Use the notifications area in your Profile bill of fare to sign up for e-mail or text messages about new information and due dates in courses."

My thoughts:

This new Carmen feature shows that students participated in the Carmen improvement advisory groups. I call back this is a fantastic new feature because students can have notifications sent to their email accounts or mobile phones to tell them nearly upcoming quiz due dates, when new information is added to the form page by an instructor, when a grade is posted (which means an end to obsessively logging into Carmen to check your Chemical science 2510 form afterwards the midterm wasn't quite what you expected) and when a dropbox due date is approaching. Even amend, students tin cull to get none, some or all of the notifications from present or even past courses. All of this can be customized afterward clicking the dropdown pointer followed by the "notifications" button located at the superlative right corner of your Carmen home page.

Overall, I give the new Carmen 10 two thumbs up. The changes that were fabricated, including the ability for notifications, meliorate mobile accessibility and an overall simple but tactful new blueprint, requite something I think most students and kinesthesia were looking for with Carmen: an easier-to-use interface with enhanced features that allow its users an even better OSU experience.

OSU did not pay whatever additional expenses for the new and improved Carmen because the software update was included in OSU'south contract with the software vendor and was implemented by the existing Carmen staff at OSU'south Part of Distance Instruction and eLearning, Keune said.