Arbor Labs enables schools to test new features and provide feedback before full release. Schools need specific permissions to manage these features, which can be enabled or disabled on the Arbor Labs page. Not all features are available to every site, and users can opt out of testing at any time.
Arbor Labs allows schools to test features before widespread release, allowing us to gather critical feedback to better improve our newest product updates. To provide feedback on Arbor Labs, just head to the Arbor HQ here and let us know your thoughts. Arbor Labs is currently available for school sites, and will be coming to MAT sites soon.
You can go to School > Arbor Labs to get started!
Permissions for schools and MAT sites
If you are on a school site, you will need the new School: Arbor Labs: Administer permission in order to enable and disable Arbor Labs features, although all users will be able to view the Arbor Labs page and see the features currently enabled and disabled. If you are a MAT staff member logging into a school site, you will need the same permission on your profile.
- For schools, this permission is assigned to the Head Teacher business role by default.
- For MATs, this permission is given to the CEO and Data Manager business roles by default.
This can also be added as an ad hoc permission to other trusted users' profiles by anyone with the Permissions: Administer permission. For more information on assigning permissions to users, see our article here.
Switching on Arbor Labs features
On the Arbor Labs page, you will see a list of all of the features currently being tested, and the tick or cross in the Status column shows whether or not the feature has been enabled.
You can see if your site is eligible to test a feature by clicking onto the About this feature button. If you are eligible and you have the School: Arbor Labs: Administer permission, you will see a description of the feature and you will be able to click the Switch Lab On button.
Please note: Enabling a feature will turn the feature on for all users, and those with the relevant permission to access that feature can now do so.
Not all features are available to all sites. For example, there may be a feature that is only for a specific school phase i.e. Secondary schools, or a feature may only be open to a limited number of sites. If the feature is not available for your site to test, you will see a red banner explaining why you cannot use that feature.
Disabling an Arbor Labs feature
If you no longer want to take part in the test and wish to turn off a feature, you just need to click on the About this feature button for the field in question in the Arbor Labs page and click the red Switch Lab Off button.
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