Conditional Item Logic Template Behaviors
This article will be most useful for Concourse Admins, Domain Admins, and Domain Editors.
Overview
Conditional Item Logic allows syllabus editors to set a condition that has to be met in order for an item to present to users with view permission. Conditional Item Logic is an especially powerful tool because it allows content that does not align with an institution’s domain structure or template hierarchy to be managed on templates as Conditional Items without creating additional layers of system complexity. Conditional Items function on templates much the same as other syllabus items with a few exceptions. Continue reading for more information about Conditional Item Logic on syllabus templates.
Conditional Item Logic on Linked Templates
Conditional Items added to syllabus templates are inherited by lower-level linked templates, including the item's content and associated Conditional Logic. On the lower-level template, neither item content nor the condition can be changed; modifications must be made on the template where the Conditional Item was added. When Conditional Item Logic is added to a higher-level template, its last modified date and audit trail are updated; the last modified date and audit trail of lower-level templates inheriting the Conditional Item are not updated.
Since Conditional Item Logic applies to items that can be added in multiples, editors on lower-level linked templates can add new subitems containing Conditional Logic. If the lower-level template’s conditions are not the same as the higher-level template (domain or applied course tags), then Conditional Items may not display on lower-level templates the way they do on high-level templates.
Just like regular template content, when new subitems are added to a template, all lower-level templates display the new subitem as the last subitem of the item category. If the order of presentation matters, editors on lower-level templates should be advised to reorder Conditional Items as needed.
Cloning Conditional Items from Templates to Live Courses
When syllabus templates are cloned to create live courses, the Conditional Items they contain are also cloned into the live courses. Conditional Item Logic can be cloned into live courses by:
- launching LTI transactions that auto-create courses
- manual cloning by a user with Create Courses permission
- processing course feeds
Live courses inherit both the content from the template and the associated Conditional Logic. Live courses are not linked to course templates, and any changes to Conditional Item Logic on templates will not be reflected on live courses. If changes to Conditional Item Logic are required after live courses have been created, a System Admin can process a copy feed to push those changes from templates to live courses.
If a live course does not match the cloned template’s conditions (domain or course tag specified), then the Conditional Item may not display as it does on the template. Note that live courses inherit the course tags of their templates and may inherit the template's domains, so changes to conditions from templates to live courses may occur due to your course creation process or manual intervention. In other words, if there’s a mismatch between Conditional Item Logic that displays on a template and its live course, either the domains or course tags of the live course were changed in a separate process. See Setting Course Tags for more information about how course tags can be changed on live courses.
Keep in mind that users who can edit an item on live courses are also able to edit its associated Conditional Logic. Even if Conditional Item Content is not intended to be added or changed on live courses at your institution, this functionality exists, so editors should be trained according to your institution’s expectations.
Best Practices and Recommendations
As with any changes to syllabus templates, the addition of Conditional Item Logic has the potential to make sweeping changes within your system. We recommend that you attempt all procedures in your sandbox prior to making any changes to syllabus content that instructors and students view in the production site. We also recommend that you consider the following best practices prior to using Conditional Item Logic on syllabus templates.
- Review your domain hierarchy and course tags to make sure that your understanding of Concourse organization matches system data. This is a crucial step to ensure that you apply Conditional Item Logic so that it displays as anticipated.
- Content on templates can be overwritten by adding items on a higher-level template. It is important to assess all template content before adding any items to your current template hierarchy. We recommend generating a Multi-Item Report to review current template content.
- All users with permission to edit items on syllabus templates can enable Conditional Item Logic. Confirm who these users are–just Domain Administrators and Editors or other user groups as well–and train these users carefully before tasking them with adding any Conditional Logic to templates.
To learn more about this feature, check out the following help articles:
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