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Adaptive Release

Summary

Adaptive Release provides a way to release content to users based on a set of rules provided by an Instructor. The rules may be related to availability, date and time, individual users and user groups, scores or attempts on any Grade Center item, or review status of another item in the course.

Resources

Using Adaptive Release

Which tools to I use?

If you’ve used Blackboard before, you will be aware that when you create a content item, folder, Test etc, you have the option of making the item “Available”, and/or choosing dates of availability. The “Basic Adaptive Release” and “Advanced Adaptive Release” features ALSO allow you to make the item available between/after/before a certain date. Here’s a simplified guide to which tool you should use:

If you want to… you should…
Show or hide content manually (ie, set it to Available/Unavailable) … select Edit from the drop down menu next to the item, and check/un-check the “Permit users to view this content” box.
Make content appear/disappear before or after a certain date, or between two dates … select Edit from the drop down menu next to the item, and set the dates in the “Display after…” and “Display before …” sections.
Show or hide content based on one “rule” that involves dates/times, group membership, completion/attempt of a Test/Survey, and/or Review Status. (Example: make a content item available only to students in one Group; or make a document available to all students that have got less than 50% in a Test). … select Adaptive Release from the drop down menu next to the item. If you use Adaptive Release, select Edit from the menu first, and ensure that the item is Available, and that you haven’t specified any times or dates – these settings will interfere with the Adaptive Release settings!
Show or hide content based on more than one “rule” that involves dates/times, group membership, completion/attempt of a Test/Survey, and/or Review Status. (Example: Students in Group A who have reviewed a document can then take Test A, but students in Group B who have reviewed the same document can take Test B). … select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the drop down menu next to the item. If you use Advanced Adaptive Release, select Edit from the menu first, and ensure that the item is Available, and that you haven’t specified any times or dates – these settings will interfere with the Advanced Adaptive Release settings!

Adaptive Release

Using the Adaptive Release function allows you to use one Rule that determines the availability of the content. Each rule may contain multiple criteria – for example, it can contain criteria based on group membership, grade or completion of a Test or Survey, and date restrictions. To add an Adaptive Release rule:

  • Find the content you wish to use
  • Select Adaptive Release from the drop down menu next to the item
  • Fill out the criteria on this page, as required (you can use one or more of the following criteria):
    • if date restrictions are required, click the “Display after and/or “Display Until” boxes, and choose dates from the drop-down menus;
    • type in the username of a student in the “Username” box (or click “Browse” to select them from the class list);
    • click on the names of any groups that you’ve already set up (you will need to create them in the Advanced Group Manager first), then click the right-facing arrow to add them to the “Selected Course Groups” box;
    • Select one grade center item (Test/Survey/Assignment, or any item that you’ve added to the Grade center), then choose a condition (note: if you choose the “Grade center Item – Item has had at least one attempt” option, the student must submit the Test/Survey and RECEIVE A GRADE FOR IT. If the Test/Survey contains a question, like a short answer or essay that has to be marked, you have to mark the question and assign the student a grade before this criteria is satisfied);
    • Select any one item that students have to Review by clicking on “Browse”, then select the item from the pop-up window.
  • If you add multiple criteria (such as Group Membership and grade/completion of a Test) then students must satisfy ALL criteria before they can see the item.
  • When you’ve finished adding your criteria, click Submit.

Advanced Adaptive Release

If you need to use more than one “Rule” to determine your content availability (for example, if you want to use more than one Group membership, grade center, or Review criteria), then you need to use the Advanced Adaptive Release feature, which allows you to create multiple Rules.

  • Find the content you wish to use
  • Select Adaptive Release: Advanced from the drop down menu next to the item
  • Click the Add Rule button
  • Give your Rule a name and click Submit
  • Build your Rule by clicking on the Date, Group Membership, Grade center Item, and/or Review Status buttons to add your own criteria. Note that ALL criteria within a Rule must be satisfied, in order for students to be able to see the item! Also, if you choose the “Grade center Item – Item has had at least one attempt” option, the student must submit the Test/Survey and RECEIVE A GRADE FOR IT. If the Test/Survey contains a question, like a short answer or essay that has to be marked, you have to mark the question and assign the student a grade before this criteria is satisfied.
  • Click OK when you’ve finished creating a Rule.
  • Continue to add additional Rules, as required. Keep in mind that each new Rule you add will effectively add an “OR” component to the content availability. In other words, if a piece of content has three rules attached to it, then students must satisfy ALL the criteria in Rule 1, OR ALL criteria in Rule 2, OR ALL criteria in Rule 3, to be able to see the item.
  • When you’re done, click OK.

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