Snap’s New Side Navigation: Key Educational Tools Are Just One Click Away

At Open LMS, we understand that quick access to essential tools is crucial for a smooth and effective learning experience. That’s why we’re introducing Snap’s new side navigation menu, designed to bring all the critical elements of the educational process and ensure they’re just one click away. This update enhances usability, improves accessibility, and ensures that both students and teachers have everything they need at their fingertips.

Effortless Access to Blocks: Enriching the Learning Experience

One of the biggest Snap theme improvements is the Block Drawer, which now makes blocks more visible and accessible than ever. Blocks play a crucial role in enriching both teaching and learning experiences, offering a wide variety of tools such as calendars, progress tracking, course summaries, and analytical insights.

With this update:
✔ Blocks are always visible on both the course and home pages for easy access.
✔ No need to search—blocks are now just one click away.
✔ Teachers and students can take full advantage of the wide selection of blocks available in Open LMS to enhance their experience.

Whether it’s checking the calendar, accessing the course checklist, or accessing key course resources, the Block Drawer ensures that everything you need is within easy reach.

Messages Drawer: Instant Access to Communication

Communication is fundamental to education, and we want to make it as seamless as possible. Previously, messaging in Snap was only accessible through a separate page, making it less convenient for real-time interaction.

Now, with the new Messages Drawer, messaging is:
✔ Integrated into the side navigation, making it available across all pages of the site.
✔ Always accessible, so you can keep conversations open while browsing other content.
✔ Designed to improve instant communication between students and teachers, making collaboration smoother and more efficient.

This update ensures that staying connected is effortless, whether users need to ask a question, provide feedback, or collaborate with classmates.

Snap Feeds: Keeping You Informed at a Glance

The Snap Feeds feature is a powerful tracking tool designed to help both students and teachers stay informed about important updates. With the new side navigation, Snap Feeds are now easier to access than ever.

Snap Feeds include:
✔ Grading Notifications – Teachers receive real-time updates when grades are submitted, keeping them informed and up to date.
✔ Forum Replies Section – Follow discussions effortlessly and never miss important conversations.
✔ Messaging Integration – View and respond to messages from one central location.
✔ Activity Deadlines – Stay on track with due dates and never miss an important task.

By bringing Snap Feeds into the side navigation, we’re ensuring that teachers and students can track everything they need in one place.

A More Cohesive and Streamlined Administration Experience

To further improve navigation and consistency, we have merged the Site Administration and Course Administration menus into the new side navigation. This update:
✔ Provides a unified way to access administrative tools.
✔ Ensures that both site-wide and course-specific settings are available in a single, streamlined location.
✔ Enhances efficiency by reducing the number of separate menus and clicks needed to manage your site or course.

This change ensures a more intuitive and cohesive experience, making it easier for administrators and instructors to find and manage the tools they need.

A Unified, Seamless Experience

With this new side navigation in Snap, we’re making it easier than ever to access the most important tools for teaching and learning. From managing courses and tracking progress to communicating instantly and receiving updates, everything is now just one click away.

This update ensures a smoother, more connected, and more efficient learning experience, empowering both students and educators with the tools they need—right when they need them.