Release Content

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Release content with dates

On the Course Content page, you can access the visibility setting for each item and folder in your content list. In the visibility menu, select Conditional availability to open the item's panel.

With your keyboard, tab to the visibility list and press Enter to open the menu. Use Alt/Option + the up and down arrows to select an option.

You can show, hide, or use rules to release content to students.

You can release an item or folder on an exact date, until a certain date, or during a defined period of time.

Example: Content is covered in a specific order. You want students to access content only after you've discussed it in class. You don't want students to work ahead.

Example: Release your final test during your institution's scheduled final tests week.

After you choose dates and times, you can also show or hide the content for students before they have access.

• Visible to students. If you choose to show the content to students before they can access it, your date and time choices are shown with the item on the Course Content page. Students see the date and time the content will be released and when they can no longer access it. After students' access ends, the content is still visible but they can't access it.
  
• Hidden from students. If you choose to hide the content from students before they can access it, the content is only visible to students when they're able to access it. Students don't see the dates and times when they can no longer access the content. After students' access ends, the content is hidden from their view.

If you set a folder for release on a specific date, students can't expand or view the contents in the folder until that date, even if you make the folder visible before students have access. After the release date, if all the contents have no date restrictions, students can view content in the folder.

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Release content based on performance

On the Course Content page, you can access the visibility setting for each item and folder in your content list. You can release an item or folder when a student achieves a certain score on an item or gradebook column in your course. You can also find visibility settings at the top of your screen when you open course content items.

Example: Students need to complete coursework in a specific order and after they've demonstrated understanding. You want students to progress to the next item only after they score a B or above.

Identify the piece of content you want to release to students and select Conditional availability in the visibility menu. On the Conditional Availability panel, select Performance to release the content based on a student's score on another item in your course. Select the graded item you want to base the rule on. The Grade requirement list appears with a range of scores, based on the item's grade schema and maximum point value.

Example: You want to create a conditional release rule based on a quiz worth 100 points. Students need to score 70 points or higher to access the Chapter 1 Test.

1. Select Conditional availability in the Chapter 1 Test's visibility menu.
2. Select Performance and select the quiz in the Graded item menu.
3. Under Grade requirement, select the grade a student must achieve on the quiz. In this example, the requirement is 70 points or higher.
4. Save the rule.

Students can access the Chapter 1 Test and submit attempts after they complete the practice test and earn a score of 70 points or higher.

If you choose more than one condition for your content, students must satisfy all conditions before the content is available.

If you don't find a grade requirement that suits you, you can specify a custom grade range. Select Custom range and additional fields appear. When you use a custom range, you can base the rule on the item's grade schema and maximum score, or you can use score percentage.

Visibility settings

As you create conditional availability rules, you can choose whether the item appears in the Course Content list when students don't have access.

Select Visible to students to show the content to students before they can access it. Students see the conditions they need to satisfy before they can access the content.

Select Hidden from students to hide the content when students don't have access. When you select this setting, the conditions don't appear to students. The content appears only when they can open it, just as other pieces of content in your course that are set to Visible to students.

What do students see?

You can choose to show items with conditional availability to students before they can access the content.

If you show the content when students can't access it, they can see the conditions they need to satisfy first. Items also appear on the course calendar and the Grades page. The content doesn't appear in students' activity streams.

If you don't show the content when students can't access it, students won't see it anywhere.

If you base a rule on an item that's hidden to students, they won't have the opportunity to satisfy the access rule. However, the item with conditional availability may still appear on the Course Content page based on the visibility settings. In this case, students see a message that they can't access the content and to contact their instructor.

Fix a broken rule

Conditional release rules break if you delete the content the rule is based on. An alert appears on the Course Content page that students are unable to access content due to broken rules. Open the Conditional Availability panel to set up a new rule.

Remove a rule

To remove a conditional release rule, select Visible to students or Hidden from students in the visibility menu for the content item. Open the Conditional Availability panel again if you want to set up a new rule.

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Release content in sequence

You can use learning modules in your course as a container for organized collections of content. Modules let students navigate from one content item to the next without distractions or extra clicks.

If you use a textbook or other materials as the basis for your course curriculum, modules are an effective and logical way to group content to match the pace of these materials. To support this pace and logic, you can require students to access module materials in a chosen order.

You can only set the Sequence condition if students haven't started working in the module. You can remove the condition after students start working, but you can't reapply it.

1. On the Course Content page, you can access the visibility setting for modules the same way you do for other content. In the visibility menu, select Conditional availability to access the module's panel.

   With your keyboard, tab to the visibility list and press Enter to open the menu. Use Alt/Option + the up and down arrows to select an option.

2. In the Define Conditions section, select Sequence. You can only apply this option to learning modules.
3. You can also make modules available for students based on date or performance.
4. Select Save. Conditional availability rules appear alongside content on the Course Content page so you know when it's available for students.

Control access to individual pieces of content within the module. You can show or hide content within the module and the visibility setting is preserved even when the module is visible. You can also make this content available based on other conditions.

Be careful not to set conflicting conditions within a learning module. Consider the order of items in the learning module before you set other availability conditions based on date and performance.

What do students see?

When a module is visible, students can also view all visible content within the module, including due dates. A message appears to show students that they need to open and complete the content in order, along with other conditions you set.