Adaptive Release Rules and Criteria

An Adaptive Release rule consists of a set of criteria that defines the visibility of a content item to users. If a rule has multiple criteria, the user must meet all criteria before the item is available. Adaptive Release Advanced enables you to create multiple rules for a single content item, and each rule can consist of multiple criteria. For example, suppose you add a rule for an assignment to allow users in Group A to view the assignment after a specific date. This rule would consist of membership criteria and date criteria. Another rule for this assignment can allow all users in Group B to view the assignment once they had completed Homework #1. This rule would consist of membership criteria and Grade Center completion criteria. However, only one membership criterion and one date criterion can be created for each rule. Multiple Grade Center criteria and review status criteria can be added to each rule.
 

Differences between basic Adaptive Release and Adaptive Release Advanced

Basic Adaptive Release enables you to create one rule for a single item. That rule can contain multiple criteria. Adaptive Release Advanced enables you to create multiple rules for a single item. If you want to create different criteria for different users on the same item, more than one rule is needed. For example, you can set up a rule for Group A that enables these users to view Test 1 after completing Assignment A. You can set up a separate rule for Group B that enables them to see Test 1 after completing Assignment B.
 

Visibility of items with Adaptive Release rules

Once any Adaptive Release rules have been established for an item, visibility of that item is restricted to those users who meet the criteria of those rules.For example, suppose you create a content item called "Introduction" in a Content Area. At this point, all course users would be able to see that content item. Next, you create a rule restricting the item to Group A users. Now, only members of Group A can see Introduction — all other course users do not see it. Next, you add another criterion to this rule, restricting it to Group A members who have received at least 80 points on Test #1. Now, only members of Group A who have also scored 80 or greater on Test #1 will see Introduction. All other users, including Group A members who scored less than an 80 on the pre-test, will not see Introduction.If no Adaptive Release rules have been created, the item is available to all users in the course depending on the item availability and date restrictions set during item creation or editing.Note:  If an Adaptive Release rule is created, but no criteria for it are defined, the content will display to all users. This is true even if there are other rules associated with the item. One blank criterion will allow the content display to all users.
 

View availability of an item on user progress page

You can create one or more Adaptive Release rules to narrow the availability of a content item. It may be difficult to remember which users may access each piece of content. The User Progress page displays details on the visibility of a content item and the Adaptive Release rules pertaining to it on a user-by-user basis. If Review Status is enabled for the item, an icon is displayed to show if the user has reviewed the item along with a date and time stamp for when the review was registered for that user.If no Adaptive Release rules have been created for that item, the visibility column is based simply on availability of the item itself. For example, if the item is available, the Visible icon is displayed for all users.
 

Unavailable items and Adaptive Release rules

Item availability set on the Add Item page supersedes all Adaptive Release rules. If the item is unavailable, it is unavailable to all users regardless of any rules established. This allows course developers to develop rules and only make items available when finished with rule creation.
 

View content with rules through the course

If you view Content Areas through the course as a student would with Edit Mode set to Off, the student view is based on item availability and Adaptive Release rules. For example, if Adaptive Release is used to make an item available to a Group, and you yourself are not a member of the Group, you will not see the item if accessed through the Course Menu. The same is true for unavailable items. If an item is added to a course, but is not made available, the you will not see it when you access the Content Area through the Course Menu.
 

Adaptive Release rules during course copy, archive, and export

Adaptive Release rules and user progress information are only included during a full course copy that includes users, and during archive and restore operations. Rules and user progress information are not saved during a copy of course materials into a new course or during a copy of course materials into an existing course. They are also not saved during export and import operations.
 

Criteria are the parts that define an Adaptive Release rule. You can apply one or more criteria to each rule. For example, one rule may make content available after a specific date, while another rule, with multiple criteria, may make content available to a Course Group after a specific date. The following table describes available criteria: 

 

Date Criteria

Date criteria enable content to be displayed according to date and time. Content may be displayed after a specific date, until a specific date, or within a time frame. You can set date restrictions when creating or editing an item, when adding a date criterion in an Adaptive Release rule, or both. For example, suppose an item is made available during creation from December 1 to December 30. Adaptive Release could be used to extend the availability to a small group of users until January 15.Note:  If the date is changed on the item itself, for example on the Edit Item page, and Adaptive Release criteria already exist, a warning message appears. The same is true if you attempt to add Adaptive Release date criteria and a date for the item has been set on the Add or Edit Item page.
 

How to add date criteria to a rule

Date criteria are created with the same information for basic Adaptive Release rules and Adaptive Release Advanced rules. You can add more criteria to a rule, in addition to date criteria, to further narrow the availability of an item.Follow the steps below to add date criteria to an Adaptive Release Advanced rule:

1. Open a Content Area from the Control Panel.
2. Edit Mode is On.
3. Select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the contextual menu for the item. The Adaptive Release: Advanced page appears.
4. Click Create Rule.
5. Type a name for the rule and click Submit or select Edit from the contextual menu for an existing rule on the Adaptive Release page to edit its criteria.
6. Point to Create Criteria and select Date. The Date page appears.
   
   
   

 

Membership Criteria

Membership criteria allow content to be displayed according to user name and course groups. You can set up criteria that use one or both of these options. You can make this item available to a course group, or make this item available to a course group and other specific individuals.
 

Make content available to specific users

Membership criteria are useful for making content available to a specific user or set of users. For example, if a student requests a way to earn more points for class, you could agree, but decide to not offer this option to the rest of the students in the course. You would create an extra credit content item and only releases it to the single student through the membership criteria.
 

Make content available to groups

Membership criteria may be used to manage content for groups within a course. For example, suppose a class is divided into three groups and each group has a different assignment. They are instructed to learn the topic and then present the material to the entire class. You have materials specific to each group's assignment. You would load the material for Group 1 as content items, and release the material only to Group 1. Then, you would the material for Group 2 as content items, and release that material only to Group 2. This same process is used for Group 3. When a group presents the material to the class, you may then change the release rule on that material so it becomes available to the entire class. (Alternatively, if you know the date of presentation ahead of time, the date criteria may be used to make the content available for the rest of the class.)
 

How to add membership criteria to a rule

Membership criteria are created with the same information for basic Adaptive Release rules and Adaptive Release Advanced rules. You may add more criteria to a rule, in addition to membership criteria, to further narrow the availability of an item.Follow the steps below to add a membership criterion to an Adaptive Release Advanced rule:

1. Open a Content Area from the Control Panel.
2. Edit Mode is On.
3. Select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the contextual menu for the item. The Adaptive Release: Advanced page appears.
4. Click Create Rule.
5. Type a name for the rule and click Submit or select Edit from the contextual menu for an existing rule on the Adaptive Release page to edit its criteria.
6. Point to Create Criteria and select Membership. The Membership page appears.
   
   
    

 

Grade Center Criteria

Grade Center criteria can be used to release content based on item attempt, item score, or a calculated column. A number of different score values may be selected, including the following:

• A score greater than a set value
• A score less than a set value
• A score that equals a specific value
• A score that falls within a range of values
   

Make content available based on Grade Center attempt

Grade Center criteria are useful if you want to make content visibility dependent on attempts made by students on tests or assignments. For example, suppose you prepare a pre-test for students to complete before review materials are made available. This enables students to discover for themselves which topics they should study more. End-of-term surveys are another use for attempt-based criterion. Some institutions require that an end-of-term survey is attempted at least once before the final exam is made available.
 

Make content available based on Grade Center score or calculated column

Grade Center criteria can make content available based on a specific score or a calculated column in the Grade Center. Many courses rely on progression, where students must learn one topic before moving to another. If you want students to have passed the assignment on basic verb conjugation before viewing the material on advanced verb conjugation, you can create a rule that allows only students who have received at least a 70 on the basic verb conjugation assignment to view the advanced verb conjugation material. You can also establish a range of values for content release, such as releasing an extra credit item to users who scored between 60 and 80, and releasing a different item with more intense remediation for students scoring below 60. In this case, you create two content items and releases one to users who fall into the 60-80 range and releases the other to students who received less than 60.
 

How to add Grade Center criteria to a rule

Grade Center criteria are created with the same information for basic Adaptive Release rules and Adaptive Release Advanced rules. You may add more criteria to a rule, in addition to Grade Center criteria, to further narrow the availability of an item.Tip:  Only one Grade Center item can be selected for each Grade Center criterion. However, multiple Grade Center criteria may be added to a single Adaptive Release Advanced rule. For example, within a single rule, you can specify a criterion that makes Project A available after Survey #1 is complete and another criterion that makes Project A available after a score greater than 70 on Test #2 is recorded. In this example, only students who have completed Survey #1 and scored higher than 70 on Test #2 may view Project A.Follow the steps below to add a Grade Center criterion to an Adaptive Release Advanced rule:

1. Open a Content Area from the Control Panel.
2. Check that Edit Mode is On.
3. Select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the contextual menu for the item. The Adaptive Release: Advanced page appears.
4. Click Create Rule. The Add Rule page appears.
5. Type a name for the rule and click Submit or select Edit from the contextual menu for an existing rule on the Adaptive Release page to edit its criteria.
6. On the Action Bar, point to Create Criteria and select Grade. The Grade page appears.
   
    
7. Select the Grade Center item for this criterion in the Select Grade Center Column drop-down list. Grade Center items are listed by their categories, such as assignment or discussion. Possible points are also included to help you determine the score range.
   

 

Review Status Criteria

Review status criteria are used to release content based on the user's review of a specific content item. For example, you can create a criterion that makes Assignment #1 available only after students have marked Homework #1 reviewed.
 

How to Add Review Status Criteria to a Rule

Review status criteria are created with the same information for basic Adaptive Release rules and Adaptive Release Advanced rules. You can add more criteria to a rule, in addition to review status, to further narrow the availability of an item. Review status may be applied to a Learning Module but may not be applied to individual files within a Learning Module.Follow the steps below to add a review status criterion to an Adaptive Release Advanced rule:

1. Open a Content Area from the Control Panel.
2. Check that Edit Mode is On.
3. Select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the contextual menu for the item. The Adaptive Release: Advanced page appears.
4. Click Create Rule. The Add Rule page appears.
5. Type a name for the rule and click Submit or select Edit from the contextual menu for an existing rule on the Adaptive Release page to edit its criteria.
6. Click Review Status. 
   
    
7. Select Browse to open the Course Map. Click an item in the map to select it for review status criteria.
   

Review Status will be turned on for this item. Users must mark the item reviewed before the content including this rule is available.
 

Checking a Reviewed Status

Instructors can view when a student has reviewed an item from the contextual menu. 

1. Find the item that has Review Status enabled in your course. 
2. Select the drop-down arrow to the right of the item's name and click User Progress.
   
    
3. The check mark in the Reviewed column indicates the user has marked the item as reviewed, and in the date they reviewed it is to the right.