Add Palm blog posts and reorganize Palm's Release Notes (#532)

* Add Problem Editor post
* Add Palm discussions blog post
* Add Palm's ORA improvements post
* Add verifiable credentials post

source/community/release_notes/old_releases.rst

@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ fixes and features. These older releases will not receive any of those.
    :maxdepth: 2
 
    quince-landing
-   palm
+   palm-landing
    olive
    nutmeg
    maple

source/community/release_notes/palm-landing.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Open edX Palm Release
+#####################
+
+These are the release notes for the Palm release, the 16th community release
+of the Open edX Platform, released in June 2023. You can also review details
+about :doc:`index` or learn more about the `Open edX Platform`_.
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+
+   palm/feature_release_notes
+   palm
+
+.. _Open edX Platform: https://openedx.org

source/community/release_notes/palm.rst

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 .. _Open edX Palm Release:
 
-Open edX Palm Release
-#####################
+Open edX Palm Release - Developer & Operator Notes
+##################################################
 
 These are the release notes for the Palm release, the 16th community release of the Open edX Platform, spanning changes from October 11, 2022, to April 11, 2023.  You can also review details about `earlier releases`_ or learn more about the `Open edX Platform`_.
 

source/community/release_notes/palm/discussions_improvements.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+Improvements to Discussions (Palm)
+##################################
+
+In the latest Open edX release, Palm, the default Discussions tool has had a
+number of incremental improvements that provide a better discussions experience.
+These improvements build on the many new moderating and authoring tools launched
+in the Olive Release.
+
+What has changed? We'll cover six smaller, but still significant, changes that
+have been added to Palm.
+
+#. Comments and responses can now be sorted in reverse order. A “Product tour”
+   has been added to the Discussions experience that shows off this feature to a
+   user until they click “Okay”:
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss1.png
+
+   The default is “Newest first”, but that can be switched to “Oldest first”:
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss2.png
+
+#. There is also a Product Tour for a new filtering option: you can now filter by discussions with no responses.
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss3.png
+
+#. The actions menu that appears on hover on post/comment:
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss4.png
+
+   has now been made keyboard accessible. `This video`_ displays the keyboard
+   navigation of the Discussions page, including selecting this actions menu.
+
+#. Previously, topic info was only shown on posts that belong to a
+   content-specific discussion topic. Now, this info is shown for course-wide
+   discussion topics as well, in a “Related to” note at the bottom of the post:
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss5.png
+
+#. The Posts page has been streamlined, allowing users to see more information
+   at once. This was done by increasing the content density for posts,
+   responses, and comments. Stylistic changes include decreasing the font size
+   for various elements, moving elements around to be inline or hidden (such as
+   putting post time next to author name and hiding Like and Follow icons if
+   there are no likes or follows), and changing the height of various UI
+   elements.
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss6.png
+
+   Note there are no “Likes” shown in this page. Using the top right context
+   menu on a post, a Like can be added and will then show on the post.
+
+      .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/discuss7.png
+
+
+#. The loading time of posts has been improved significantly! Previously, when
+   clicking on a post, there was a delay before the post was loaded. This has
+   been fixed.
+
+How can I get this?
+===================
+
+The Discussions improvements are available as of the Open edX Palm release.
+`Upgrading your local installation to Palm
+<https://docs.tutor.edly.io/install.html#upgrading>`_ will guarantee that your
+system is up-to-date with the latest features, including the Discussions MFE
+(Micro-Front End).
+
+.. _This video: https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/73840786/222527569-2b7da65a-8e98-4358-92d7-63b571ebcbfe.webm

source/community/release_notes/palm/feature_release_notes.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+Open edX Palm Release - Feature-Based Notes
+###########################################
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 1
+
+   new_problem_editor
+   verifiable_credentials
+   ora_improvements
+   discussions_improvements
+
+.. toctree::
+   :maxdepth: 2
+
+   feature_roundup
+
+Information for site operators and developers, including information on how to
+enable and/or configure new features that require additional work, can be found
+in the :doc:`../palm`.

source/community/release_notes/palm/feature_roundup.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+Palm Feature Roundup
+####################
+
+In the latest Open edX release, Palm, there have been many improvements, big and
+small. In this blog, we've done a deep dive into :doc:`new_problem_editor`, the
+:doc:`ora_improvements`, and :doc:`discussions_improvements`. In this post,
+we'll check out some of the smaller changes that the Open edX engineering teams
+have contributed to this release.
+
+.. contents::
+  :local:
+  :depth: 1
+
+New Bulk Email Experience
+*************************
+
+The new bulk email experience for instructors is enabled automatically in Palm.
+It allows instructors to schedule bulk emails, instead of sending them
+immediately.
+
+The instructor editing experience is largely the same, with choices of who to
+send the email to, and places to author the subject and body of the email:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/roundup1.png
+
+There is an experimental feature enabling instructors to schedule emails to be
+sent in the future. This is not natively included in the Palm install, but
+system operators can view the release notes if they wish to implement the
+feature.
+
+This experience is part of the new Communications MFE.
+
+Improved “New Component” Interface
+**********************************
+
+When creating a new component in Studio, the New Component interface has been
+improved:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/roundup2.png
+
+
+Previously, “Advanced” components were hidden under the “Problem” menu, and the
+“Drag and Drop” problem type was hidden within Advanced components.
+
+Experimental Feature: New Learner Homepage
+******************************************
+
+The Learner Home MFE is included in Palm as an experiment - it is not guaranteed
+to fully work correctly, but is included in order to give the community a chance
+to preview it. The new Learner Home has many of the same features of the old
+learner dashboard, with some extended functionality and performance
+enhancements. It is accessible and easy to style with brand colors.
+
+Course cards show the course thumbnail, information about the course, and the
+ability to upgrade to a paid track or view/begin a course (if applicable).
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/roundup3.png
+
+Further course actions (e.g. unenroll, email opt-out settings, and social media
+share) have been moved to the menu/triple dot icon on the course card.
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/roundup4.png
+
+
+
+At the top of the Learner Home is a new button, :guilabel:`Refine`; clicking
+this button opens options to filter by course status or sort either by most
+recent enrollment (default) or title.
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/roundup5.png
+
+Courses on the homepage are now *paginated*, meaning only 25 courses will show at
+one time. This improves the loading time of the page.
+
+Rate XBlock
+***********
+
+A note that the Rate XBlock is no longer supported. We recommend using the
+`Feedback XBlock <https://github.com/openedx/FeedbackXBlock>`_.
+
+How can I get these changes?
+****************************
+
+These improvements are available as of the Open edX Palm release. `Upgrading your
+local installation to Palm <https://docs.tutor.edly.io/install.html#upgrading>`_
+will guarantee that your system is up-to-date with the latest features,
+including everything listed in this post.

source/community/release_notes/palm/new_problem_editor.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,173 @@
+A New Problem Editor Experience (Palm)
+######################################
+
+
+In the latest Open edX release, Palm, the Problem Editor has been enhanced to
+provide a smoother editing experience for Studio authors.
+
+.. contents::
+  :local:
+  :depth: 2
+
+What has changed?
+*****************
+
+In Studio, selecting :guilabel:`Problem` from the component selection widget:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped1.png
+
+brings you to a full page where you can select which problem type you can use:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped2.png
+
+
+The right side of the page visually shows an example of what the problem type
+looks like, as well as a link to documentation.
+
+Selecting a problem type brings you to a full-page editing screen, where you can
+easily input the question, an explanation of the answer, the answer choices,
+scores & attempts, and hints.
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped3.png
+
+
+The problem renders in the LMS as usual:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped4.png
+
+
+For authors who prefer to customize problems using OLX, the new editing
+experience retains this function by clicking on “Switch to Advanced Editor”
+(nested under “Advanced Settings” on the right sidebar). It's worth noting that
+once a problem has been converted to OLX via the Advanced Editor, it's not
+possible to revert to the Visual Editor.
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped5.png
+
+
+For a description of all the visual editor capabilities, plus more on raw OLX
+editing, see the end of this article.
+
+Author Impact
+*************
+
+Previously, the Problem Editor rendered in a small pop-up and required course
+authors to understand a technical language called Markdown to define problems.
+Changing the problem weight or maximum attempts required accessing a Settings
+menu.
+
+With a new, full-screen editing experience that provides a visual editor that
+can be typed directly in without use of Markdown, course authors can focus on
+what they do best: authoring courses. With the settings displayed right next to
+the problem editor itself, authors do not need to switch between two screens to
+update problem weight and other settings.
+
+Advanced Problems Advanced Problems also take advantage of the new full-screen
+editor. Selecting an advanced problem, such as Custom Javascript display and
+grading, brings you to a full screen display where you can edit the component in
+its raw form:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped6.png
+
+
+How can I get the new editor experience?
+****************************************
+
+The editor experience is available as of the Open edX Palm release. `Upgrading
+your local installation to Palm
+<https://docs.tutor.edly.io/install.html#upgrading>`_ will guarantee that your
+system is up-to-date with the latest features, including this editor.
+
+Once you've upgraded to Palm, you'll need a system administrator to perform the
+following steps:
+
+#. Enable the Course Authoring MFE feature flag
+#. Add the ``new_core_editors.use_new_problem_editor`` waffleflag to the CMS
+   Django Admin
+#. Set the value of the waffleflag to “Yes” for everyone
+
+Visual Editor Features: What's New
+**********************************
+
+Select Problem Type
+===================
+
+* On click of the “problem” button under the “Add New Component” section in
+  Studio, the user is brought to a new page where they can select one of several
+  problem types (select problem type page below).
+
+  * Each problem type, when selected on the select problem type page, reveals a
+    preview on the right hand side of the page.
+
+* Advanced Problem Types Selector: A user can select an advanced problem type
+  and be taken to the raw editor. Selecting the problem type:
+
+     .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped7.png
+
+  Then, advanced problem type can be selected:
+
+   .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped8.png
+
+
+Visual Editor
+=============
+
+* Problem types are changed using the “Type” setting to the right of the editor
+
+* Multi-select questions were previously called checkbox questions
+
+* Single select questions were previously called multiple choice questions
+
+* Hints and feedback can still be used with the same problem types as before,
+  but these configurable settings now exist as editable widgets for greater ease
+  of use
+
+* Content previously written in markdown will now present/render in the visual
+  editor, and will be preserved safely
+
+* Questions are entered in the provided question field with TinyMCE tools for
+  improved styling
+
+* Editing tools include a button to label the question for screen readers for
+  improved accessibility
+
+* Course authors can specify correct answers using checkboxes and radio buttons
+  instead of manually specifying these using markdown
+
+* Adding and deleting answer choices, answer-specific feedback, group feedback,
+  and hints can all be edited visually using buttons and text fields in the UI
+
+* Problem settings, which previously lived on a separate screen, have been
+  included in the main editing experience and can be configured side by side and
+  in-context with the problem authoring experience
+
+* Settings with a pre-set default value now include links to the advanced
+  settings page where the default value can be configured
+
+* Below the question field is an explanation field in which an explanation for
+  the correct answer can be provided. The TinyMCE toolbar is included here as
+  well. There is a tolerance setting widget and an answer range option on
+  Numerical Input Problems:
+
+     .. image:: /_images/release_notes/palm/ped9.png
+
+
+Raw OLX Editor
+==============
+
+* When selecting “advanced problem types” within the “select problem type” page,
+  user is sent to raw editor
+
+* Inside the visual editor, there is a “show advanced settings” button which
+  shows additional settings and a link to get to the advanced editor. That link
+  takes you to the advanced editor
+
+* A course author will be taken to the advanced editor page if the parser cannot
+  render the problem options in the visual editor experience
+
+* Raw OLX Editing Capacity: the Code Editor is inside the raw editor. The
+  block's OLX can be edited there.
+
+* It uses xml syntax highlighting (not HTML)
+
+*Note: the Raw Text Editor still works for HTML editing*