Video: Exemptions Overview
Using exemptions, an instructor can provide an implicit reason why a learner does not have a score for a grade item or an activity. A blank grade or a zero (0) grade can mean that the learner hasn't submitted the item, that the item has not been graded, or that the learner has failed the item. Having an exemption setting supports the differentiation for a legitimate exemption.
Instructors can exempt External Learning Tool links, Assignments, Quizzes, Discussion topics, and grade items that are numeric, selection box, pass/fail, calculated, formula, or text; instructors cannot exempt a learner from a final calculated grade or final adjusted grade.
When an instructor exempts a learner from an activity, the following pages are affected:
- Table of Contents page: In both Classic Content and in Learner Experience, the exempted topic title appears with an exempted flag, the due date is not shown, the completion method indicator is removed, and the count of required topics and module completion percentage excludes exempted topics.
- Topic details page: In Classic Content, when a learner clicks on a topic they are exempted from, a message displays stating that the learner is exempted from the topic and that the activity can be viewed but does not need to be completed. The updated count of required topics in the Table of Contents now excludes the exempted grade items. The completion method, being essentially not required, is removed from the Details page.
- Course Schedule: Exempted activities are not due, therefore not overdue, and do not appear on the Overdue items list in Classic Content. The Full Schedule and Upcoming sections of Course Schedule do not show exempted items.
- Calendar: The Calendar web pages and Calendar widgets do not show exempted items.
- Updates Widget: Exempted quizzes are not required to be submitted, and are excluded from the count of unattempted quizzes that appear in the Updates widget.
- In the Grade book, instructor view pages: Enter Grades, Grade User, Grade Category, Grade Items, Import Review
- Learner view pages: Exempted grade items appear with an exempted flag on the My Grades page.
- User Progress pages: Summary, Grades, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes tabs display exempted activities with an exempted flag. Exempted grade items do not appear in the bar graph of received grades, which displays under the Grades section of Summary and under the Grades tab.
- Work To Do: The Work To Do widget does not show exempted items.
- Assignments page: Exempted assignments appear with an exempted flag.
- Discussions List page: Exempted discussion topics appear with an exempted flag on the reading list of forums and topics.
- Quizzes page: Exempted quizzes appear with an exempted flag.
The process that exports and imports grade data includes exemptions. Post-processing during the import of grade data can differentiate between a learner with a grade, without a grade, and with an exemption. If you change the value that identifies an exemption to the import process after instructors have set export file values to depend on a particular value, such as the word Exempt, there may be unexpected results in the imported grade exemptions.
Note: To see and use Exemptions, you must have the required permissions applied to your role. These permissions can only be accessed by your organization administrator.
Setting an exemption for a learner
You can exempt a learner from a content item (a quiz, an activity, or a topic) from within the Content tool or from a grade item.
Important: To see and use Exemptions, you must have the required permissions and configuration variable applied to your role. These permissions can only be accessed by your organization administrator.
Managing an exemption for a learner from the Classic Content tool
Exemptions can only be set on the following content topic types:
- LTI links
- Assignments
- Discussions
- Quizzes
To set an exemption for a learner:
- In Classic Content, on the context menu of the activity you want to exempt a learner from, select Edit Properties In-Place.
- Click Add dates and restrictions....
- Under Exemptions, click Manage Exemptions.
- Search for and select the learners you want to exempt from the activity.
- Click Exempt.
- Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
- Click Update to save the restrictions.
Note: When activities are exempted, any associated release conditions on these exempted activities must still be met.
To remove an exemption from a learner:
- In Classic Content, on the context menu of the activity you want to exempt a learner from, select Edit Properties In-Place.
- Click Add dates and restrictions....
- Under Exemptions, click Manage Exemptions.
- Search for and select the learners for whom you want to remove an exemption.
- Click Unexempt.
- Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
- Click Update to save the restrictions.
Note: When activities are exempted, any associated release conditions on these exempted activities must still be met.
Managing an exemption for a learner from the Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes tools
You can add and remove exemption a learner from an assignment, quiz, or discussion topic from within the respective tool.
You can launch the Manage Exemptions page from the following tool pages:
Assignments:
- On the Assignments page, from the context menu of an assignment.
- On the Assignments page, from a button at the top of the page.
Discussions:
- On the Discussions List page, from the context menu of a topic.
- On the View Topic page,from the context menu beside the topic name.
- On the Assess Topic page, from a button at the top of the page.
Quizzes:
- On the Manage Quizzes page, from the context menu of a quiz.
- On the Grade Quiz page, as a button at the top of the page.
To set an exemption for a learner:
- In the tool, based on the locations listed above, click Manage Exemptions.
- Search for and select the learner you want to exempt from the activity.
- Click Exempt.
- Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
To remove an exemption from a learner:
- In the tool, based on the locations listed above, click Manage Exemptions.
- Search for and select the learner for whom you want to remove an exemption.
- Click Unexempt.
- Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
Important: When activities are exempted, any associated release conditions on these exempted activities must still be met.
Video: Create grade exemptions from the grade book
Setting an exemption for a learner from the grade book
- From the Enter Grades page of the grade book, locate the grade item that you want to exempt a learner from.
- From the context menu beside the grade item's name, select Enter Grades.
- Search for and select the check box beside the learner's name.
- Above or below the table, click Exempt to set an exemption.
- Search for and select the learner you want to exempt from the activity.
- Click Exempt.
- Click X to exit the Manage Exemptions page.
Removing an exemption for a learner
- From the Grade Item page, select the check box beside the learner's name.
- Above or below the table, click Unexempt.
- Click Save and Close.
Setting multiple grade item exemptions for a learner
You can set and remove multiple grade item exemptions for a learner from the Edit Grade Exemptions page in the grade book.
You can launch the Edit Grade Exemptions page from the following places in the grade book:
- On the Enter Grades page, in the context menu of a learner, select Bulk edit exemptions.
- On the learner-specific grade page, in the context menu beside the learner's name at the top of the page, select Bulk edit exemptions.
- On the Grade Item page, where you enter grades for an individual grade item, in the context menu of a learner, select Bulk edit exemptions.
- On the Grade Category page, where you enter grades for multiple grade items in a category, in the context menu of a learner, select Bulk edit exemptions.
To set multiple exemptions for a learner:
- Navigate to the Edit Grade Exemptions page in one of the locations listed above.
- Select the check boxes of the grade items that you want to exempt the learner from.
- Click Save and Close.
To remove multiple exemptions for a learner:
- Navigate to the Edit Grade Exemptions page in one of the locations listed above.
- Select the check boxes of the grade items that you want to unexempt the learner from.
- Click Save and Close.