Docent - Teacher

How can students keep track of what content they have already viewed?

Updated on

Completion tracking

Completion Tracking allows students to keep track of what content they have already viewed. Students can check the box of an item (topic) they have completed. In the Table of Contents of the course the number behind the name of the modules shows how many items are in a module. Every time a student completes an item this number is updated; this allows students to easily see how many as well as which items they have to view and complete for each module.

Completion tracking is turned off by default (status: Not Required). When you turn the completion tracking on there are two options: RequiredAutomatic and RequiredManual.

  • When you choose RequiredAutomatic, Brightspace will automatically check off the items when the students have undertaken the required actions.
  • With RequiredManual students will have to check off the boxes themselves when they have viewed or completed an item.

It is advised to use Required: Manual if you choose to use completion tracking, because this gives the students more control. If you use the setting Required: Automatic  it can happen that an item is checked off before the student is actually finished. For example, a PDF-file will be checked off the moment a student opens it - but opening it does not have to equal reading it or finishing it. Below you will see which items are checked off automatically at what point:

  • Documents: when a student opens the topic.
  • Information blocks (Files): when a student opens the topic.
  • Links: when a student opens the item.
  • Checklists: when a student has checked off all items.
  • Discussions: when a student posts something.
  • Assignments: when a student hands something in.
  • Quizzes: when a student hands in a quiz.
  • Surveys: when a student hands in a survey.

Set up completion tracking for the entire course

You can set up completion tracking for the entire course at once. You can always choose to change the completion tracking for each topic later.

  1. Click Content in the navbar of your course.
  2. Click Settings in the top right of the screen.
  1. Scroll down and click the arrow below Completion Tracking.
  2. Select the desired option. Remember that Required: Manual is advised.
  3. When you select a new option, an additional option will appear, namely Update all existing topics to use selected completion status. Select this option if you want all existing topics to get the same type of completion tracking you are currently selecting.
  4. Click Save.

Set up completion tracking for a (sub)module

  1. Navigate to Content in the navbar of your course.
  2. Select the desired (sub)module.
  3. Click the fold-out arrow next to the name of this (sub)module.
  4. Click Set All Completion.
  1. Select the desired option.
  2. Click Update.

Set up completion tracking for a topic

  • Navigate to Content in the navbar of your course.
  • Click the desired (sub)module with the desired topic.
  • Select the desired topic.
  • Click the fold-out arrow below Activity Details and select the desired option.

Student display

The image above shows the content page of a course as students see it. Completion tracking is activated.

  1. The submodule Lezen en Doen  (Readings and Activities) of Collegeweek 2 (Week 2) is opened. It contains three topics with completion tracking (see the number 3 behind the name of the module in the Table of Contents): two literature files and a quiz.
  2. The student has not yet looked at any of the three topics. You can see this because of:
    • the number in the Table of Contents;
    • the progression bar (0% 0 of 3 topics complete);
    • the checks behind the items.
  3. This means the student has not yet checked off any topics.
  1. In this image, the student has viewed and checked off two out of three topics: the literature files have been read, but the quiz is not yet completed.
  2. The progression bar is filled for two thirds now (66,67% 2 of 3 topics complete).
  3. The number behind the name of the module in the table of contents is updated every time a box is checked off. This means that in the example the number has changed from three to one (because one of the three topics is not yet completed).
Previous Article How do I add a checklist to Content?
Next Article How do I create an Announcement?