Updates for Spring 2026

1. MyConversationTrainer Available Through vhlcentral Licensing

MyConversationTrainer (MCT) is now available in the vhlcentral licensing system, making it easier for instructors and institutions to purchase and access MCT for the 2026–2027 academic year.

• Standalone or bundled options: Institutions can purchase MCT on its own as a supplement or bundle it with a Vista Higher Learning program, offering greater flexibility in adoption and course planning.

• Streamlined student access: Licensing integration allows student access to be managed automatically through existing enrollment processes.

• Clearer workflows for institutions: Centralized licensing reduces complexity for instructors, administrators, and bookstores—especially for institutions with strict purchasing requirements.

2. Platform‑Wide Accessibility Enhancements

MyConversationTrainer (MCT) has made significant accessibility improvements across the platform to better support diverse learners and instructional needs, aligning with WCAG 2.2 AA requirements.

• Stronger screen reader experience: Pages now include meaningful titles, clearer link descriptions (i.e. Back button will be read as “Back to Section List”), announced status messages and language of parts, and skip navigation to reduce repetitive reading.

• Clearer structure and navigation: Headings follow proper hierarchy, and full keyboard navigation is now supported across the app—important for both students and instructors.

Headings with clear hierarchy: 

• Improved visual accessibility: App‑wide contrast improvements, clearer focus indicators, updated button and link styling, and added alt text to logo and images make content easier to see and navigate.

Section edit icon with contrasting color: 

Create/Edit Conversations focus ring with contrasting color:

3. Improved Accessibility for AI Conversations

Students now have greater control over when AI conversations begin. Conversations no longer start recording automatically when an activity opens. Instead, students are explicitly prompted to start the conversation when they’re ready, helping prevent confusion or unexpected recording.

• Student‑initiated conversations: Microphones turn on only after students select Start, giving them control over when recording begins.

New conversation start page:

• Clear start prompts: On‑screen messaging guides students to begin the conversation, making expectations clear before speaking.

• Improved contrast in conversation bubbles: Text is easier to see and read during conversations, supporting accessibility and readability for all learners.

Conversation with improved contrast:

4. More Accurate Grading and Clearer Activity Setup

Updates to grading logic and activity setup help ensure evaluation scores, AI feedback, and conversation flow align more closely with instructor intent.

• Fairer auto‑grading for evaluation activities: Scores for evaluations are now calculated based on the total number of questions configured—not just the number answered—resulting in more accurate grades when time runs out.

• Improved AI feedback in Spanish and French: Additional response examples help calibrate AI feedback, reducing overly harsh or overly lenient grading in grammar review and evaluations.

• Required conversation settings: Instructors must complete all required fields before saving conversation settings, helping prevent missing prompts or skipped questions during student activities.

Conversation settings validation:

Updates for Fall 2025

1. New AI Avatars

A new collection of more diverse avatars and voices are available in Chat Settings when creating new activities. Activity creators are able to preview an audio sample of each avatar and edit their existing activities to select a new avatar.

2. Click-and-Drag Lesson Reordering

Lessons in any course or template can now be reordered by instructors via a two-step click and drag action. This reordering feature is available both within an individual instructor’s account for all their courses, as well as on the template level. Changes to lesson order are not retroactive to any previous shares. An Institutional Administrator will either need to share the updated template, or the instructor with the prior shared version will need to make changes in their own account.

How-to Steps:

1. Click the edit icon next to the lesson name.

2. Look for the cross icon display on the top right corner of the lesson.

   

3. Click and hold the cross icon, then drag the lesson to the desired position.
4. Look for a success message to display after the lesson has been successfully placed in its new location.