February 2025 Newsletter

Greetings
Hello and welcome to our second Newsletter of 2025. While many of us are looking forward to Spring, we’re excited to share some things you don’t have to wait for! Read on for some exciting product updates, new resources, and as always, fun events you can take part in to get the most from your Cidi Labs tools.

Product News

DesignPLUS Flip Cards!

Everyone is flipping out over this new, interactive element that can be easily added to courses using the DesignPLUS Sidebar. Flip Cards are currently available as a Beta feature in the Sidebar, and will be available to all users as of March 6th. To learn more about this new feature, refer to the DesignPLUS User Guide.

Enhanced Accessibility Scoring & Reporting in UDOIT Advantage

Our accessibility assistant for Canvas – UDOIT Advantage – has received a significant update today, which includes a customizable, interactive accessibility scorecard that measures the state of accessibility within and across your Canvas courses. Additionally, new reports are available at both the course and account levels to help measure progress made on your accessibility journey.

UDOIT Admin issue type report

UDOIT Admin users will now see the Scorecard at the account level, as well as new settings to turn on the Scorecard at the course level when your institution is ready to do so. Here are some ways you can learn more:

If you’d like to discuss these new features further, please Request a Customer Success meeting.

Coming Soon: New ReadyGO Reports!

We’d like to remind all ReadyGO customers that the Beta version of the much-anticipated new ReadyGO is now available for you to install. Getting started during the beta phase means a waived implementation fee and more time to discover all the valuable new features! Speaking of which, ReadyGO Reports are coming soon, to include the ability to see aggregate completion data for Checklists across all the courses a checklist is assigned to.

ReadyGO Checklist Report

Additionally, we’ve been adding helpful new articles to our Knowledge Base to help you get the most from this powerful new version of ReadyGO, including use cases that map the functionality to your goals.

To arrange your installation of the NEW ReadyGO, please reach out to your account manager.

Releases this Month

To learn more about what was released this month in each product, please refer to the respective Release Notes:

Helpful Resources

On-Demand DesignPLUS Customizations Training

In this comprehensive training video, we walk you through mastering DesignPLUS customizations for Canvas. Learn how to tailor your courses with custom themes, content blocks, snippets, and more to create a cohesive, engaging learning environment for educators and designers.

New Whitepaper!

At Cidi Labs, we recognize accessibility work as a journey, not a destination. When it comes to current accessibility work, your institution’s focus may be ensuring all courses are Title II compliant, or perhaps you’re gearing up for a specific portion of your journey, such as tackling all those untagged PDFs across courses. Regardless of your next desired destination, our hope is to share some practical guidance that enables you to take an easier, less-stress path on your journey to more accessible Canvas courses.

Events

Today at 12pm MT: It’s Not Too Late to Register!


The University of Denver (DU) has prioritized a holistic approach to course design and accessibility, benefiting instructional designers, faculty, and students. By focusing on quality design practices, DU has streamlined processes, elevated student engagement, and fostered a sense of ownership among faculty. Join us as we delve into the specific strategies and tools that have contributed to DU’s success, providing valuable insights for anyone seeking to enhance their online course design and delivery.

How Will Consistent Course Design Affect my Learners?


This month’s Design Matters topic focused on the value of consistency in course design, and what the research says about the impact it can make on learners. Read the Design Matters Digest article here and access the webinar recording below:

Don’t miss our forthcoming Design Matters LIVE! webinars, which you can register for here.

Save the Date!

Our semi-annual Customer Gathering will be held on Wednesday, April 9th, from 10am – 1pm Mountain Time. We’re still working on the agenda, but as always, we will ensure it is packed with valuable content AND structure it in a way that you can join for the portions that are of interest to you. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have ideas for topics that you’d like to see us cover!

Upcoming In-Person Events

Here are the events that we will be attending in the next few months – we hope to see you on the road! March 2025
  • ITC: 2-5 in Charleston, South Carolina
  • NCTIES: 5-7 in Raleigh, North Carolina
  • Spring CUE: 20-22 in Palm Springs, California
  • TxDLA: 30-2nd of April in Denton, Texas
April 2025 May 2025

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Wishing you positive trends in all your accessibility reports,

The Cidi Labs Team

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