Setting Up Release Conditions

The following article details the creation, use, and reuse of Release Conditions.

Please note that the course layout, steps, and screenshots shown below may differ slightly for your campus.

Release Conditions allow fine control of access to different parts of your course. This is done by using specific criteria that must be met by the learner before access is granted.

Adding a release condition

Release conditions can be added to most items in your course: assignments, quizzes, discussions, content items, content modules, grade items, and even announcements.

1. For items in Content
   1. Clicking on the Add dates and restrictions or clicking on the release date if you’ve already set one will expand out a series of additional settings, including Release Conditions. Click the Create button underneath Release Conditions to add a new condition. Ensure you click Update after applying your release condition.
      
      
2. For assessments (quizzes, discussions, assignments, surveys)
   1. Edit the assessment. Navigate to Availability Dates & Conditions on the righthand side and expand the menu. Click Add Release Condition and then Create New.
      
      
       
3. For grade items and categories
   1. Edit the grade item or category and then navigate to the Restrictions tab along the top. Release Conditions are at the bottom of this page. Click the Create and Attach button to begin.
      
      

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Reusing a release condition

After a release condition has been created anywhere in your course, you can reuse it anywhere else, including on different types of items than what you originally applied the release condition to. The Type, Detail, and any sub-selections are saved with the release condition.

1. For items in Content
   1. Follow the steps above but click the Browse button rather than Create button after navigating to date restrictions.
2. For assessments
   1. Follow the steps above but click the Add Existing option instead of Create New.
3. For grade items and categories
   1. On the “Restrictions” tab along the top, click Attach Existing rather than Create and Attach.

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Release condition types and details

This is an overview of Release Conditions types. For definitions for each of the types, see the article Release Conditions glossary.

1. Condition Type – These are the trigger types that can be chosen for your release condition, and are broken up into subcategories for the different types of elements of the course that a trigger can be directed to key off of. These are the True/False ‘questions’ that are asked about that specific element. If the answer to the ‘question’ is True, then the Release Condition is met.
   1. Assessments (assignments, discussions, quizzes, surveys) are all represented as subcategories, as well as course components like the presence of Awards, Grades, or membership in specific groups or organizations.
   2. Each subcategory has specific triggers that can be selected for it. For example, under Assignments there are four triggers to choose from: Submission to folder, Received feedback on submission, Score on associated rubric, and No submission to folder.
      
       
2. Condition Details – These are selected after the Condition Type is chosen and will indicate which specific parts of your course the trigger key off of. For example, if “Assignments – Submission to folder” was selected under Condition Type, a dropdown underneath Condition Details will appear where you can select which assignment (i.e. Labwork Submission) the trigger is looking at.
   
   
3. Once finalized, click the Create button to attach the new release condition. For a list of all condition types and their explanations, see the article Release Conditions glossary.

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If you need further assistance or have additional questions please contact:
SUNY Online Support Services Help Desk
1-844-673-6786 | sunyonlinehelp@suny.edu