Set mastery rules for objectives

A mastery rule describes what success will mean for an objective once the platform computes mastery from learner results. You can set a rule on each objective or a Course mastery default that objectives inherit until they get their own rule.

Mastery is not computed or shown to learners yet. Rules you set today are saved with the course so they are ready when mastery ships.

What a rule means

Each rule has these fields:

• Mastery threshold (%) — A whole number from 1 to 100. Mastery will require at least this percentage of the available points on the objective’s linked scored questions and rubric criteria (combined).
• Minimum scored items — A whole number from 1 to 20. The learner must have results on at least this many linked scored questions or rubric criteria before mastery can be evaluated.
• Attempts that count — Which learner attempts count toward the threshold:
  • Latest attempt
  • Best attempt
  • All attempts
• Reassessment attempts (optional) — A whole number from 1 to 20. Leave empty if you do not set a cap on how many times a learner may reassess.
• Wait between attempts (hours) (optional) — A whole number from 0 to 720. Leave empty if you do not require a wait between reassessment attempts.

A threshold below 1 or above 100 shows Enter 1 to 100. under Mastery threshold (%) and is not saved. A wait below 0 or above 720 shows Enter 0 to 720 hours. under Wait between attempts (hours) and is not saved. The last saved value stays. The same checks apply to a Course mastery default and to an objective’s own rule.

Set a course default

1. Open Learning Design → Goals & objectives.
2. In the sidebar, find Course mastery default.
3. Choose Set a course default to start from 80% threshold, 3 minimum scored items, and Best attempt.
4. Edit the fields as needed. Choose Clear default to remove the default.

The note Applies to objectives without their own rule. explains that only objectives without an explicit rule use the default.

Set or change an objective’s rule

1. Select an objective in Goals & objectives.
2. Scroll to the Mastery rule section (below Framework levels).

If the course has a default and the objective has no rule of its own, the section shows the default’s values read-only with Uses the course default. Choose Set a rule for this objective to copy the default onto the objective so you can edit it.

If there is no default and no rule, you see No mastery rule yet. Choose Set a rule for this objective to start from 80%, 3 items, and Best attempt.

When the objective has its own rule, edit Mastery threshold (%), Minimum scored items, Attempts that count, and the optional reassessment fields. Press Enter or leave a field to save.

• If a Course mastery default exists, choose Use the course default to remove the objective’s rule and inherit the default again.
• If there is no course default, choose Remove rule to clear the objective’s rule entirely.

The line Mastery is computed from learner results in a later release; learners don’t see this yet. appears under the fields.

Read the design warning

When an effective rule (the objective’s own rule or the inherited default) needs more linked scored items than the course currently has, a warning appears under Mastery rule with a warning icon and text, for example:

Objective 1: its mastery rule needs 3 scored items, but only 2 are linked. Link more scored questions or rubric criteria, or lower the minimum.

When the rule comes from the course default, (course default) appears after rule in that message.

Below the message, Why this matters explains the warning and Learn more opens this section.

Link more scored quiz questions under Assessed by, or add rubric criteria that assess the objective, or lower Minimum scored items.

In Review

Review in the editor toolbar lists the same warning when an objective’s effective rule can’t be met with the scored items linked today. Selecting it opens Goals & objectives at that objective. Retired objectives are skipped. These warnings are advice; they don’t block sharing or publishing.