Add Release Conditions on items in D2L Brightspace

Overview

Release conditions allow you to create a custom learning path for students through the materials in your course.  When you attach a release condition to an item, students cannot access that item until they meet the associated condition.  For example, you could create a condition that required students to view a content topic before gaining access to a quiz, or one that sends them an intelligent agent reminder email when they have not yet completed a required quiz or assignment in the course.  This later scenario for using release conditions with the “not” operator. 

Important: Once a student meets a release condition, the condition is cleared for that student and cannot be reset.  For example, you attach a release condition to a discussion topic requiring students to achieve more than 60% on a quiz before they can access that topic.  One of your students receives 72% on the quiz.  You later adjust the learner’s grade to 55%.  That specific student will be able to access the topic because they did meet the requirement at one point.

Tools that support conditional release

You can put release conditions on the following items:

• Awards (badges and certificates)
• Announcements items
• Assignment folders
• Checklist items
• Content modules and topics
• Discussion forums and topics
• Grade items and categories
• Intelligent Agents
• Quizzes
• Surveys
• Widgets (custom)

Types of release conditions

You can create and attached these types release conditions on the above course tools:

• Assignment folders
• Awards (badges and certificates)
• Checklists
• Classlist
• Competencies
• Content modules and topics
• Discussion forums and topics
• Grade items and categories
• Quizzes
• Surveys

Add release conditions

You set up a release condition from the edit page of the item you want to restrict.  For example, if you want to attach a condition to an announcement item, you would go to the edit page for that announcement item and create your condition from there. 

Add a condition on an item

1. Navigate to the course item you want to add release conditions to.
2. From the drop-down menu of the course item, click Edit [course item].
3. Do one of the following:
   • To access release conditions for an announcement item, scroll to the Additional Release Conditions area.
   • To access release conditions for content module or topic, click the Add dates and restrictions field.
   • To access release conditions for a discussion (forum or topic), checklist, assignment, grade (item or category), quiz, or survey, click the Restrictions tab.
   • To access release conditions for an award, locate under the Release Conditions area (Edit Properties screen).
   • To access release conditions for an intelligent agent, scroll to the Release Conditions area.
   • To access release conditions for a custom widget, click the Release Conditions tab.
4. Select the Condition Type and complete the Condition Details.
5. Click Create.
6. Select whether access to the item is dependent on meeting all or any of the conditions.
7. Save or update the course item’s Edit page.

Special considerations

Use these best practices with release conditions

• Set up conditions before students access the course - This gives you a chance to ensure material and activities are released correctly before the course is available to students.
• Release content based on learning performance in a course – You can include additional content in your course specifically for students who need extra help and release this content to students who score below a specified threshold on a quiz or grade item. Alternatively, you could release a special assignment to course students who attain a high score.
• Use a checklist to organize activities – You can create a checklist that lists the activities students should complete throughout the course. For example, a checklist for the first week might include reading the course’s introductory content, posting to an introductory discussion topic, and submitting a list of learning goals to an assignment. You can set release conditions based on students checking off items from their checklist, such as release an announcement after students completed the first week’s activities.
• Use intelligent agents to monitor user activity or non-activity – You can set up intelligent agents with release conditions using the “not” operator to intervene with students who have not completed course work. For example, create an intelligent agent that sends a reminder email to students who have not yet completed a quiz attempt or submitted an assignment to an assignment.
• Avoid unnecessary, contradictory, or impossible conditions - Each condition for students to satisfy must be necessary and possible. When in doubt, reduce the number of conditions and the places they are attached.

Scenarios for using release conditions

• Scenario: You want a student to only be able to access the discussion after submitting an assignment for the same week/module/unit. To do this: When creating/editing the discussion topic, expand the availability dates & conditions section. Click Add Release condition > Create New. In Condition Type, under the Assignments options and select "Submission to folder". In Condition Details, select the assignment and click Create. Remember to click Save and Close on the Discussion page to save the change. Now, students are required to submit to the assignment before they have access to the discussion. This is a good option if you want to pace the release of your activities in your content. 
• Scenario: You want to release additional materials for students if they self-enroll in a group. In Groups, create a self-enrollment group for students with special needs to enroll in themselves. In Content, edit a module and click 'add dates and restrictions'. Click Create under Release Conditions. In Condition Type, under the Classlist options, select "Enrolled in Group. In Condition Details, select the self enrollment group. Click Add to associate it with the module's content. Remember to click Update on the module page to save the change. Now, the module is only available to students who self-enroll in that group. This is a helpful option if you do not want other students to have access to the additional course materials.