Setting Up Advanced Adaptive Release Rules

Advanced Adaptive Release allows instructors to create multiple rules and criteria to govern the release of content to students. This guide will demonstrate how to create Advanced Adaptive Release rules.

Advanced Adaptive Release functions on two levels: Rules and Criteria. Within a Rule, instructors can specify multiple Criteria. Within a rule, each criterion functions as an "AND" logic, meaning that students must meet all criteria specified in the rule in order for the rule to be applied to them. Multiple rules function as an "OR" logic, meaning that the content would be released to students if they fulfill the criteria related to at least one of the rules.

Content item with Adaptive Release rules applied to them will have the following text below the item name: Enabled: Adaptive Release.

Enabling Adaptive Release for Content

Image of a content item in blackboard with the contextual menu button appearing to the right of it. below the item is a menu on screen. Instructions on screen show an arrow pointing to the contextual menu button with instructions to click the button next to the item name. In the menu, the Adaptive Release: Advanced option is highlighted with a red circle and an arrow is pointing to it. Instructions indicate to click on Adaptive Release: Advanced

To enable or edit advanced Adaptive Release settings for a content item, hover over the item, and click the button that appears to the right of the item title. From the menu that appears on screen, select Adaptive Release: Advanced.

There are four types of criteria that can be set up:

Date Criteria

Grade Criteria

Membership Criteria

Review Status Criteria

Getting Started With Advanced Adaptive Release

Image of the Adaptive Release: Advanced screen with the Create Rule button highlighted with a red circle.

You will now see a screen labeled Adaptive Release: Advanced. To get started, click the Create Rule button.

Creating a Rule

Image of the Add Rule screen with an arrow pointing to the Rule Name field with instructions to enter a rule name here. An arrow is pointing to the Submit button in the bottom right corner with instructions to click Submit when finished.

You will now see a screen labeled Add Rule. Enter a name for the rule in the Rule Name field and click the Submit button when finished.

Creating Rule Criteria

Creating Rule Criteria

You will now see a screen labeled Manage Criteria that will allow you to add specific criteria to the rule. Within each rule, each criterion functions as an "AND" logic, meaning that students must meet all criteria specified in the rule in order for the rule to be applied to them. Multiple rules function as an "OR" logic, meaning that the content would be released to students if they fulfill the criteria related to at least one of the rules.

  1. To create a criterion based on Date, Grade or Membership, click on Create Criteria, and select the appropriate type of criteria to create.
  2. To create a criterion based on Review Status, click the Review Status button

Creating a Date Criterion

Image of the Date screen showing the date selectors and the Submit button in the bottom right corner. An arrow points to the Submit button with instructions to click the Submit button when finished.

To create a Date criterion, select the Date option from the Create Criteria menu. You will now see a screen labeled Date. Use the date selectors to select a date in which the content would be visible to students. When finished, click the Submit button.

Note: It is recommended to leave the availability date restrictions open on the main content item if you wish to use the adaptive release date feature. Otherwise, the dates may come in conflict and the item may not be available during the time specified.

Note: In order for students to have access to the item in question, the option Make item available/Allow students to view this content should be set to Yes. Otherwise, students will not be able to access the item.

Creating a Grade Criterion

Image of the Membership section of the Adaptive Release screen. At the top is a section labeled Username, followed by a blank field, and a browse button. An arrow with a number 1 points to the browse button. At the bottom is a table labeled Course Groups, with the left column labeled items to select, and the right column labeled selected items. Between the two columns are arrows for moving items between the two columns.

To create a Grade criterion, select the Grade option from the Add Criteria menu. The Grade criteria allows users to specify release criteria for an item based on students' performance on a previous item.

  1. Select a Grade Center Column: Use the dropdown menu to select a grade column as a basis for releasing the item to students. Note: If you are setting up an Adaptive Release rule for an assessment, selecting the column that corresponds to the assessment will prevent students from being able to access the content:

Select Condition: You can release the item to students following a specific performance condition:

  1. User has at least one attempt for this item: Selecting this option will release the content when students have an attempt or grade recorded in the prerequisite grade column
  2. The first set of radio buttons allows users to release the item if students achieve a score or percent greater than, less than or equal to, or equal to the stated value.
  3. The second set of radio buttons allows users to specify a score or percentage range that students must score within in order to release the content.
  4. When finished, click the Submit button to save changes.

Creating a Membership Criterion

Image of the Membership section of the Adaptive Release screen. At the top is a section labeled Username, followed by a blank field, and a browse button. An arrow with a number 1 points to the browse button. At the bottom is a table labeled Course Groups, with the left column labeled items to select, and the right column labeled selected items. Between the two columns are arrows for moving items between the two columns.

The Membership criteria allows users to restrict access to specific users or groups. To create a Membership criterion, select Membership under the Create Criteria menu.

  1. Course Users: To select individual users, click the Browse button to bring up a list of individual users to select.
  2. Course Groups: To select groups, select the name of the group(s) in the left column, click the right-facing arrow button in the center, and selected groups will appear in the right column.
  3. When finished, click the Submit button to save changes.

Creating a Review Status Criterion

Image of the Review Status section of the Adaptive Release screen showing the select an item field with an arrow pointing to the Browse button with instructions to Click Browse to select an item. An arrow is pointing to the Submit button with instructions to click Submit when finished.

To create a Review Status criterion, click on the Review Status button. The Review Status section allows users to release an item based on whether or not students have marked another item in the course as Reviewed. To select an item, click the Browse button. Once you have finished setting up your Adaptive Release rule, click the Submit button at the bottom of the page.

Confirmation

Image of an advanced Adaptive Release rule showing criteria created

After you have created your desired criteria, they will now be listed on the page.