Release conditions in Brightspace courses

Instructors use release conditions in Brightspace to control students' access to selected course elements (e.g., content, activities, and assessments) based on certain criteria. Release conditions are used to structure the learning experience and map clear pathways for students based on demonstrated competencies or achievements. They also help personalize the course by providing a more individuated experience and increasing perceived teacher presence.

Comparisons with similar features

Dates and groups

Setting start and end dates on quizzes, assignments, and announcements and using group discussion topics are examples of conditional access. Release conditions add to the list of available criteria or condition types.

Quiz special access

Special access to a Brightspace quiz is granted to a specific student. When adding release conditions, a student's name cannot be used as a criterion.

Intelligent agents

Intelligent agents are rules that trigger the delivery of automated email messages written by the instructor to students who meet the conditions. Unlike release conditions, which are evaluated by Brightspace continuously and automatically, intelligent agents are triggered, either at a scheduled time or manually by the instructor, at which point the conditions are evaluated and an email message is sent.

What can be released conditionally?

Release conditions can be applied when using these Brightspace tools:

• Announcements. The announcement is only displayed on the course homepage of a student who meets the conditions.
• Assignments. Only a student who meets the conditions can see the assignment folder and add submissions to it.
• Awards. Distribute an award badge only to students who the conditions.
• Checklists. Display checklists only to students who meet the conditions.
• Content. Only students who meet certain conditions can access the content module or topic.
• Custom homepage widgets. A widget is only displayed on the homepage of a student who meets the condition.
• Discussion forums and topics. Add release conditions to discussion forums or specific topics within a forum such that only students who meet those conditions can see the forum or topic and post to it.
• Grade items and categories. Add release conditions to categories of grade book columns or specific columns such that only students who meet those conditions can see those corresponding grades.
• Intelligent Agents. Configure your course to send email messages to students who meet certain conditions automatically.
• Quizzes and surveys. Add release conditions to a quiz or survey such that only students who meet those conditions can see and take them.

Multiple criteria

Instructors can set multiple criteria when adding release conditions and determine whether all or any of the criteria must be met, allowing the configuration of more complex access rules. For example, a student might only gain access to the next content module after completing the previous module's checklist and scoring 80% or better on the previous module's "Test Your Knowledge" quiz.

List of release condition criteria

When adding release conditions, these are the general condition types (i.e., events, achievements, variables) that can be used as criteria. Each condition type has specific condition details (i.e., properties, states, values) that can be used to specify the terms of the condition.

Assignments

• Submission to a folder
• Receive feedback on submission
• Score on associated rubric
• No submission to folder

Awards

• Award earned

Checklist

• Completed checklist
• Completed checklist item
• Incomplete checklist
• Incomplete checklist item

Classlist

• Group enrollment
• Org unit enrollment
• Section enrollment
• Role in current org unit
• Date of enrollment in current org unit

Competencies

• Competency achieved
• Learning objective achieved
• Score on associated rubric
• Competency not yet achieved
• Learning objective not yet achieved

Content

• Visited contact topic
• Visited all content topics
• Not visited content topic
• Completed content topic
• Not completed content topic

Discussions

• Posts authored in topic
• Score on associated rubric
• No posts authored in topic

Grades

• Grade value on a grade item
• Score on an associated rubric
• No grade received
• Released final grade score

Quizzes

• Score on a quiz
• Completed quiz attempt
• Score on selected questions
• Score on assoicated rubric
• No completed quiz attempt

Surveys

• Completed survey attempt
• No completed survey attempt

More wiki articles

• Add release conditions to Brightspace announcements
• Add and remove Brightspace release conditions
• Release conditions in Brightspace courses

External links

• Best practices for creating release conditions

 

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