There is a video about this topic at the end of this article. Click here to go directly to the video.
You can set release conditions for nearly every item in Brightspace. In the list below, you can find severalexamples of release conditionsper item type.
Once you have set up a certain release condition, you can re-use this in your course! You will be able to choose this release condition from the dropdown menu.
You should always connect a release condition to the activity that you want to make available. For instance, if you want students to be able to see assignment B after scoring a passing grade for assignment A, then the release condition for that should be attached to assignment B. That assignment will be invisible to students until they fulfill the release condition of completing assignment A with a passing grade.
It is now possible to add the level of achievement of learning outcomes as a Release Condition in Brightspace. Instructors can select a specific "Achievement Level," which determines when content or activities are released.
Example of creating a New Release Condition
As you can see in the picture above, there are a lot of condition types you can use. You can use multiple conditions on one item, but you have to create them separately. For example; student can only visit assignment 2 after:
- Finishing assignment 1 (Assignments submission to folder)
- Looking at the powerpoint of week 2 (Content visited content topic)
In the example below you can see how you can create a New Release Condition.
If you are making use of release conditions in the course, make sure the students are aware of this at the beginning of the course. This way, they will know that not all content will be available for them and that they are responsible themselves for releasing the content of the course. If you do not communicate this clearly, students can have different expectations because they have not seen all the content of the course.
Please note: when setting the dates, the release conditions of the content items will appear in the calendar. It is not possible to hide this.
Assignments
For example;
- Students need to hand in assignments 1 and 2 before they can see the final exam.
- Students should post five messages on the discussion board before they can see the corresponding assignment.
When you set up or edit an assignment, you can see the Availability Dates & Conditions tab where you can set up or edit release conditions. You can attach existing release conditions, or create and attach new release conditions.
Content
For example;
- Students have to finish everything in the first module before they can access the second module.
- Students must take the week 2 quiz before they can watch the video for week 3.
There are two ways to add a release condition to a content item.
When you add new content using Create New or Add Existing, you can assign a release condition to this content in the same way as for assignments. You can do this via the Availability Dates Conditions tab. This tab is located on the right-hand side of the screen when you first create or edit the content.
You can also attach release conditions to a content item in another way.
Once you have created a content item, you can click on the three dots next to Add existing and Create New. The second option, View Release Conditions, allows you to create a new release condition or select an existing condition.
Discussions (forum and topics)
For example;
- Students have to make three posts in any topic in order to reply to other students' posts.
- Students need to have watched the video in module 2 to gain posting rights for the corresponding topic in the discussion forum.
When you set up or edit a forum or discussion, you can see the Restrictions tab where you can set up or edit release conditions. You can attach existing release conditions, or create and attach new release conditions.
Grades (items and categories)
For example;
- Students must have completed all quizzes in the course in order to receive a grade.
- Students are required to place seven posts in the discussion board before receiving their grade.
When you set up or edit a grade item or grade category, you can see the Restrictions tab where you can set up or edit release conditions. You can attach existing release conditions, or create and attach new release conditions.
Quizzes
For example;
- Students must have posted at least three messages in the discussion board before being allowed to take a quiz.
When you set up or edit a quiz, you can see the Restrictions tab where you can set up or edit release conditions. You can attach existing release conditions, or create and attach new release conditions.
- Choose which kind of conditions students must meet. We chose Grade value on a grade item. A student must obtain a certain grade on Assignment 1 to be able to access Assignment 2.
- Fill in the details of the conditions. We want students to obtain a Grade of 60% or more on Grade Item Assignment 1 to access Assignment 2.
- Click on Create.
- Subsequently, set up whether the student needs to meet all conditions or one of the conditions.
Best practices for release conditions
In case you are thinking of using (a lot of) release conditions, it is important to keep in mind the following practical matters:
- Set up release conditions before students have access to your course; this gives you time to check whether all release conditions function as they should by carefully going through them again.
- Avoid unnecessary release conditions; if you use too many release conditions, Brightspace will have more trouble loading your pages.
- Avoid circular release conditions which students cannot meet. For example, if you set up that students first need to look at document A before they are able to post messages in the discussion, and you also set up that students first need to post a message in the discussion before they can see document A, it becomes impossible for students to meet the conditions of the course. Therefore, carefully keep in mind which release condition you connect to which part of a course.
- Once release conditions have been made, they will be saved in the course. This is useful if you want to reuse complex release conditions.
Video on how to create Release Conditions
Click here for a video or watch that same video below (THUAS login is required).