Set release conditions and special access in Assignments

Set release conditions for an assignment

Release conditions allow you to associate an assignment with other items in Brightspace. For example, you can require that users meet some criteria, such as reading a set of lecture notes in Content, before they can submit their work to an assignment. You can also make submission to the assignment a criterion for accessing another item, such as a quiz.

To set release conditions for an assignment using the create and edit assignment experience:

1. On the navbar, click Assignments.
2. On the Assignments page, from the context menu of the assignment you want to set release conditions for, click Edit Assignment.
3. Expand Availability Dates & Conditions.
4. From the Add Release Condition drop-down menu, do one of the following:
   • Click Create New. Select the Condition Type, select the Condition Details, and click Create.
   • Click Add Existing. From the View Conditions for drop-down list, select the tool in which you want to view existing release conditions, select the release condition you want to attach, and click Attach.
   • Click Save and Close.

Add special access to an assignment

Special access permissions allow you to set different availability dates and times for specific users. For example, you could extend the deadline for users who require remedial help or who are submitting work beyond the original scope of the assignment. You can also add special access after an assignment’s end date has passed for users who have a legitimate excuse for missing the deadline or for users you want to submit additional material, such as planning notes or a bibliography. The special access icon displays on the Assignment list page beside any assignment that includes special access settings.

To add special access to an assignment using the new assignment creation experience:

1. On the navbar, click Assignments.
2. On the Assignments page, from the context menu of the assignment you want to set release conditions for, click Edit Assignment.
3. Expand Availability Dates & Conditions.
4. Click Manage Special Access and select one of the following options:
   • Allow users with special access to submit outside the normal availability dates for this folder
   • Allow only users with special access to see this folder
5. Click Add Users to Special Access.
6. To give learners that have special access a different assignment due date, select the Has Due Date check box and set the due date for the assignment.
7. Under Availability, select the Has Start Date and Has End Date check boxes and set the date availability for when you want users to have special access to the assignment.
8. In the Users area, select the users you want to give special access to.
9. Click Save and Close. The special access icon, the number of users with special access, and the condition appear under Special Access.

To add special access dates to an assignment from the Submissions page in the Assignments evaluation experience:

1. On the Assignments page, click a submission to evaluate.

2. On the right evaluation pane, click the ellipsis drop-down menu.

3. Click Special Access Dates.

4. Set Due Date and Availability Properties, then select the user(s).

5. Click Save.

Special Access Dates inherits the date properties as follows:

• When the parent assignment has an availability date set, its Date property is inherited by the corresponding special access date. For example, if the assignment is hidden before a start date, then the special access start date is also treated as hidden.

• When the parent assignment does not have an availability date, the special access date inherits its Date property from the course default. For example, if the assignment does not have an end date, then a special access end date is set for a learner. This also occurs if the course default for assignment end dates is submission-restricted, making the special access end date be treated as submission-restricted.