Release Conditions is an option on the visibility menu. All new content created or uploaded is Hidden from students by default. This can be changed manually via the availability menu or Batch Edit (see guide on Batch Edit – visibility)
The availability menu gives the options:
- Visible to students
- Hidden from students
- Release conditions
The availability menu is on every Learning Module, Folder, file, Document, Assessment etc. in the Course Content.
Please note that once marks are posted to the Gradebook, students can still view their marks and feedback for an assignment even if the submission point is hidden with release conditions. If you want to hold back marks and feedback once posting has occurred, you will need to set the availability to “Hidden from students” instead of using a release condition.
Release Conditions
Release Conditions will allow you to set up rules dictating the availability of the item depending certain conditions:
- Specific members or groups
- Date and Time
- Show or Hide Content
- Performance
- Using Multiple Rules (For Example with Turnitin)
- Edit Release Conditions
Specific members or groups
Under the option Specific members or groups you can select individuals on the course or a group set up on the course.
Select the members you wish to make the item available to by:
- selecting an individual student from the drop down list
- selecting a group from the drop down list
- use the Create a new group set link to create a new group
If you choose to create a new group you will be taken to the Create Group page, you will have to close this page to return to the Release Conditions panel to select that new group.
NB* Groups created via the assessment assign groups option will not appear on the dropdown list – please see our guide Using Groups in Release Conditions for further details.
Once you have selected your group or individuals select Save.
If you have not selected date or performance a statement will appear before the Save button explaining that “this item is visible in the content list to the members you have selected. You can limit their access with date/time and performance conditions.
This makes it very clear that the visibility conditions will be effective immediately and there are no other conditions restricting student access.
Date and Time
The Date and Time option allows you to set a specific time and date range that the item is available to students.
Show or Hide
When you have stipulated the date and time, you are given the option to either show or hide the item before it is available.
- Show – all course members can see this item in the content list, but they can’t open it until all release conditions (start date or performance) are met
- Hide – hidden items don’t appear in the content list until the conditions (start date or performance) are met.
This means that students can see content will be made available, and not empty, but cannot interact with the content until they meet the required date or performance criteria.
There are scenarios where you may want to chose either of these options. For example if a test is being released at a specific time it may be reassuring for students to see the test before it is actually available for them to access.
Performance
The Performance option allows you to select any assessment on the course and stipulate the required mark to be achieved before the item becomes available to the individual students.
The mark requirements will adjust to whichever assessment you have selected.
A range will appear in a list such a 50 or higher, 60 or higher etc. Select the point you want to stipulate as the trigger to allow access to the item you are placing this Release Condition on.
You will be give the Show or Hide options as well for students to see content before they meet the performance criteria.
Add New Rule
All release conditions are set up as a rule. You have the option to create multiple rules within your release conditions. Once you have saved one rule, click Add new rule to create a new one.
This allows you to release to specific people or groups with specific performance. For example a Turnitin assignment will already have the start date as Rule 1. You may need to assign to specific groups or in some cases individuals. You will need to add a new rule for this.
We would caution that using too many rules may cause some conflicts, so please do try and test these scenarios before any release condtions are added to important content.
Edit Release Conditions
To edit any of the rules or release conditions click on Edit release conditions.
You can edit within each rule or delete rules altogether.
Guide last updated on November 18, 2024
