Best practices for using conditional release in online classes

Abstract

With advances in online course delivery methods, teachers have a variety of options to control the release of course content based on specific criteria. Despite the availability of such conditional release tools, no best practice recommendations are available to guide the implementation of these tools. In this paper, we define the concept of conditional release, review relevant literature, report a series of case descriptions and lessons learned from courses where conditional release was used, and generate a list of best practices for use of conditional release. These recommendations provide teachers and course designers with guidance regarding the use of conditional release tools. Implications for course design, delivery, and research using these tools are also discussed.