Improvements
Goals Templates – Dedicated Review Step
We've improved the Goals template editor by making Review its own step in the template creation process.
Why this matters
Previously, users had to select Review from within the Tasks step. Review now has its own dedicated place in the left-hand navigation, making it easier to access and review a template before publishing.
Key benefits
- Easier template maintenance: Make changes and return directly to Review without having to navigate through every step again.
- A more consistent experience: Aligns the Goals template editor with the review process used by other template types.
Appraisal Reviewer Selection
We've improved the way reviewers are selected for appraisals to ensure they meet the requirements for accessing and reviewing an employee's appraisal.
Why this matters
Previously, the reviewer selection list could include users from archived or pending branches, and account managers who only had access permission to the company. These reviewers could subsequently be removed by the nightly update.
Key benefits
- More accurate reviewer lists: Only eligible reviewers are available for selection.
- Consistent reviewer assignments: Manual and automatic assignments follow the same eligibility rules.
- Fewer unexpected changes: Prevents reviewers from being repeatedly removed and reassigned by the nightly update.
Reporting – Translated Grouping Options and Column Headings
We've improved how organisational levels are displayed across reports that support grouping, ensuring that standard labels such as Branch, Area and Region are displayed in the user's selected language when a company hasn't configured custom labels.
Why this matters
Previously, reporting level options and table column headings could appear in English, regardless of the language selected in Flow. This affected reports such as the Compliance Summary.
Key benefits
- Consistent translations: Reporting options and column headings display in the user's selected language.
- Improved reporting experience: Users can navigate and interpret reports more easily in their preferred language.
- More reliable reporting across languages: Reduces issues caused by differences between translated and untranslated column names.
Bug fixes
- Compliance Report – Allocation Accuracy: Learners opening an already-assigned compliance module through Explore Learning or Global Search will now use their existing allocation, ensuring their completion continues to count towards the Compliance Report.
- Noticeboard – Archived Items: Adding a new business unit will no longer reactivate archived Noticeboard items, ensuring that only active items intended for that business unit are made available.
- Goals – Removing Objective and Task Descriptions: Users can now remove existing descriptions from objectives and tasks in Goal templates and assigned Goals, with the changes saved correctly.
- Competences – Manager Ratings: The Rate Competences action will now respect the manager rating setting, preventing manager ratings from being recorded for competences where this option is disabled.
- Collections – Job Title Changes: Collection assignments are now handled more reliably when an employee's job title changes, preventing duplicate collections and ensuring learners see the correct collections and learning items in Mapal One.
Studio
More course import options
Articulate Storyline importing is now available more widely, alongside new support for importing Rise and EasyGenerator xAPI packages. Import compatibility has also been improved for content created with Quizmaker and Mighty.
Why this Matters
Makes it easier to bring existing learning content into Mapal Studio and continue working with it without rebuilding everything from scratch.
More themes and templates
Advanced theme styles, the full theme catalogue and default lesson templates are now available to all authors. Authors can choose from a wider range of preset styles or create their own, while admins can manage organisation-wide lesson templates from Settings.
Why this Matters
Gives authors more flexibility over the look and feel of their learning while helping organisations create more consistent content.
Course version history and staging
Version history and staging are now available at course level, extending the functionality already available for individual lessons.
Why this Matters
Makes it easier to manage course updates, review changes and return to previous versions when needed.
More AI assistant capabilities
The AI assistant can now build 3D interactive activities and use uploaded images within AI-generated video scenes. Authors can also rewind a course-level AI conversation to restore the course to the state it was in before a particular change.
Why this Matters
Expands the types of interactive content authors can create with AI while giving them greater control when making larger changes to a course.
More PDF export options
Lesson storyboards can now be exported as PDFs from the Share menu, and branching lessons can also be exported to PDF.
Why this Matters
Makes it easier to review and share learning content with stakeholders outside Mapal Studio, including more complex branching experiences.
More flexible narration
Individual tiles now include their own narration controls, allowing authors to manage narration more precisely within a lesson.
Why this Matters
Gives authors more control over where narration is used rather than applying it more broadly across their content.
Note: Narration functionality is available on eligible plans.
Improved video accessibility
Learners can now control videos using their keyboard, including Space or K to play and pause and F to enter fullscreen mode.
Why this Matters
Improves accessibility and makes video content easier to navigate without relying on a mouse or touchscreen.
Easier Media Library organisation
Files can now be dragged directly between folders within the Media Library.
Why this Matters
Makes it quicker to organise and manage reusable media when working with larger content libraries.
Faster loading
Performance improvements have been made across Mapal Studio, including significantly faster loading of the learner course page on slower connections.
Why this Matters
Creates a smoother experience for learners, particularly when accessing learning on slower or less reliable connections.
