Release conditions in Brightspace courses

Instructors use release conditions in Brightspace to provide access to selected course elements only after a student has met a criterion or set of criteria. Release conditions can be used to structure the learning experience and map clear pathways for students by controlling access to course content, activities, and assessments based on demonstrated competencies or achievements. Release conditions can also help personalize the course by providing a more individuated experience and increasing perceived teacher presence.

Comparisons with similar features

Dates and groups

If you use Start Date, End Date, or Groups, you are already controlling access to elements of your course conditionally. Setting start and end dates on quizzes, assignments, and announcements and using group discussion topics are all examples of conditional access based on time and group membership. Release conditions add to the list of criteria for controlling access.

Quiz special access

Setting special access on a Brightspace quiz differs from adding release conditions in that the criterion is the student's name (e.g., a specific student is granted extra time to complete the quiz). When adding release conditions, a student's name cannot be used as a criterion.

Intelligent agents

The Intelligent Agents Tool in Brighspace allows instructors to send automated email messages to students who meet a criterion or set of criteria. 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 is either sent or not sent.

What can be released conditionally?

Release conditions can be applied when using these Brightspace tools:

Announcements. Add release conditions to an announcement such that it's only displayed on the course homepages of students who meet those conditions.
Assignments. Add release conditions to an assignment folder such that only students who meet those conditions can see the assignment folder and add submissions to it.
Awards. Distribute an award badge only to students who meet certain conditions.
Checklists. Display checklists only to students who meet certain conditions.
Content. Only students who meet certain conditions would get access to certain content modules and topics.
Custom homepage widgets. Add release conditions to custom panels or widgets on your course homepage such that they are only displayed for students who meet those conditions.
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 events and achievements that can be used as criteria.

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

External links

Best practices for creating release conditions

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