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#156 SEB Win Keyboard layout feature does not display actual keyboard
Issue 1: The issue here is that the SEB keyboard switch button says “keyboard layout” but what is being displayed is the 'language', not 'keyboard'.
For example, when you hover over the language toggle, DEU is displayed as Keyboard Layout: German (Germany). A user is unable to see which German keyboard is selected if there are 2 keyboards added for German - ‘German (Germany) – German keyboard’ and ‘German (Germany) – US International keyboard’
The display message on hover in SEB and / or the keyboard selection panel should display the 'keyboard' as well, as it does in the Windows OS keyboard switcher.
Issue 2: The Windows OS keyboard switcher icon is displayed as a transparent icon within the browser window.
This has been an issue for a while but does interfere with the test form and navigation buttons in some of our test forms. Will any attempt be made to address this and stop its display within the SEB browser? Is there a way to prevent it from displaying in SEB.
Discussion
These issues are on the roadmap for version 3.2, with issue #2 already being fixed.
@dbuechel - Thanks for the prompt response - that is very positive news. Good to see such progress.
I had another query related to keyboards but in the Mac version - Are there any changes being proposed to enable switching the keyboards on Mac without having to make the Mac 'menu bar' visible. When the menu bar is enabled, the student for instance is able to switch and login to another account and disrupt or even close the test.
Switching to another account is the only relevant issue with a visible Mac menu bar which we're aware of, as third party menu bar items are being terminated automatically if the user clicks on them.
Switching the user is also possible when forcing the Mac to sleep (for example by closing the lid on a MacBook). Until now there was no way how to prevent that. Also any computer can be force restarted into the safe boot mode, where SEB isn't restarted automatically. That's why SEB displays the red lock screen which can only be unlocked with the quit password (and in the next major update we will add a challenge/response one-time unlock code for remote exam scenarios).
The new Mac version 2.3 (release is happening right now, the website will be updated later today) features the new AAC Assessment Mode when running on macOS 10.15.4 or newer. There the menu bar is always hidden and the user account cannot be switched by putting the Mac to sleep (by closing the lid). The most important control from the menu bar, the battery indicator is now available in the SEB Dock, the next control coming in an update will be the WiFi control.
But unfortunately we have to prioritize, providing replacements for all the menu bar items in the SEB Dock on Mac is having low priority. There are a lot of way more important features which we need to implement first. Students can switch the keyboard before starting SEB. You just have to instruct them properly.
Last edit: SEB Support 2021-02-23
Thanks for the pertinent advice at the end of that reply - it is what we have also stated to our end users previously and so we shall re-state that.
Cheers
Unfortunately I know from experience that even the best instructions will be ignored by some students :-) And it doesn't help that at the moment with remote exams it's not so easy to unlock a SEB client as soon as the exam is started, as you ideally wouldn't have to tell the quit password to the student. I hope we can soon release updates with those new features (one-time unlock key and SEB Server support, where the exam administrator/proctor/teacher can unlock specific connected SEB clients remotely). Our developer resources are unfortunately still limited.
Hi,
Our end users wanted to emphasize that they have exams where students need to switch keyboards in middle of the test, and there is no visible indicator as to which keyboard they have switched to if they are just using the shortcut keys without the menu bar visible . Hence why they regard this as a feature they would like to see sooner rather than later.
I look forward to checking out SEB Mac 2.3 .
BTW, when do you expect SEB Windows 3.2 to be released?
Thanks
The only way how to speed up features is when Gold (or higher) Contributors of the SEB Alliance request it, as we need more developer resources (= more financal means) to implement more features.
Sure , I understand.
Any indication when you expect SEB Windows 3.2 to be released?
The last indication I had for an expected release date was May.
In macOS, you can also switch keyboard layouts (input sources) using a keyboard shortcut. The default one is ctrl-space. But it seems like in macOS 11 Big Sur, this shortcut isn't enabled by default (at least that was the case on my system). The shortcut can be enabled in System Preferences / Keyboard / Shortcuts / Input Sources.