.. _Use Randomized Content Blocks:

Use Randomized Content Blocks
#############################

.. tags:: educator, how-to

.. admonition:: To Do

   This article needs to be updated with how to randomize content using new-style
   libraries (see :ref:`Content Libraries Redesign Teak`).

To create randomized assignments that make use of components from content
libraries, you must have at least **User** level access to the libraries that
you want to use. If you do not have access to a library, members of your course
team who have **Admin** access to that library can grant you access.

The libraries that you create or have access to are listed on the **Libraries**
tab on the Studio Home page. For details about content libraries, see
:ref:`Legacy Content Libraries Overview`.

Using components from content libraries in your course involves two steps.

#. :ref:`Enable Legacy Content Libraries`
#. :ref:`Add a Randomized Content Block to Your Course`

.. note:: After adding a randomized content block to your course, be aware that
   if components in the source library change, you must manually update the
   components in the course outline if you want to keep the components
   synchronized with the version in the library.

For details about working with randomized content blocks in your course, see
these topics.

* :ref:`View the Matching Components in a Randomized Content Block`
* :ref:`Edit Components in Randomized Content Blocks`
* :ref:`Get the Latest Version of Legacy Library Content`
* :ref:`Preview Randomized Content in Student View`
* :ref:`View Specific Student Assigned Problems from Randomized Content Block`
* :ref:`Adjust Grades for a Problem from a Randomized Content Block`

.. _Enable Legacy Content Libraries:

Enable Legacy Content Libraries
********************************

Before you can add a randomized content blocks to your course, you must enable
the content library tool in Studio.

To enable the content library tool in Studio, you add the ``"library_content"``
key to the **Advanced Module List** on the **Advanced Settings** page. For more
information, see :ref:`Enable Additional Exercises and Tools`.

.. _Add a Randomized Content Block to Your Course:

Add a Randomized Content Block to Your Course
*********************************************

After you :ref:`Enable Legacy Content Libraries` you can add
library content to your courses using the Randomized Content Block advanced
component.

#. In Studio, open the course in which you want to add randomized problems from
   a content library.

#. Select **Content**, and then select **Outline**.

#. In the unit where you want to add a set of randomized problems, select **Add
   New Component**

#. Select **Advanced**, and then select **Randomized Content Block**. The
   randomized content block is added to your unit.

#. Select **Edit**.

#. In the randomized content block settings, specify the details of the content
   you want to add in this block.

   - For **Count**, enter the number of problems to display to each student.

   - For **Display Name**, enter the name that you want students to see for
     this block.

   - For **Library**, select the library from which you want to draw problems.

   - For **Problem Type**, from the drop down list select a specific type of
     problem to be drawn from the library. Select **Any Type** if you do not
     want to specify a particular type of problem.

     .. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/ContentLibraries_RCBSelectProblemType.png
      :alt: Problem type dropdown list in randomized content block settings.

   - For **Scored**, from the drop down list select **True** or **False** to
     indicate whether the assignment should be graded.

   .. note:: Grading is subject to the setting of this unit's subsection. If the
      subsection is not graded, selecting **True** here has no impact. If the
      subsection is graded, this assignment is graded, even if you have selected
      **False**.

7. Select **Save** when you have finished specifying the details of your
   randomized content block.

To view the list of components in the source library that match your filter
settings, see :ref:`View the Matching Components in a Randomized Content
Block`.

To view the entire contents of the library in Studio, see :ref:`View the
Contents of a Legacy Library`.

.. _View the Matching Components in a Randomized Content Block:

View the Matching Components in a Randomized Content Block
==========================================================

In a unit that uses a randomized content block, you can view the list of all
components that match the filters specified in that block.

For example, if you have specified in the randomized content block that you
want to provide each student with 3 single select problems, you see all the
single select problems that exist in the referenced library. In other words,
you see every problem in the library that could potentially be provided to a
student.

#. In Studio, navigate to the unit containing the randomized content block that
   references your library.

#. In the randomized content block, select **View**.

   .. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/ContentLibraries_ViewMatching.png
      :alt: The View button for a randomized content block

   You see all components that match the specifications in the randomized
   content block. The text at the top of the list of components indicates how
   many of these components are randomly selected and provided to each student.

To view the contents of a library in Studio, see :ref:`View the Contents of a
Legacy Library`.

To view the randomized content that was assigned to a specific learner, see
:ref:`Specific Student View`.

.. _Edit Components in Randomized Content Blocks:

Editing Components in Randomized Content Blocks
===============================================

In Studio, in the course unit that uses a randomized content block, you can
edit each component within the randomized content block in the same way as you
do for any other component in your course.

.. note:: Be aware that if you make changes on a component's **Editor** tab,
   and then you update the randomized content block with the latest version of
   components from a library, these changes are overwritten. Only changes to a
   component's **Settings** tab are retained when you update the component.
   For details about getting the latest versions of library content in a
   randomized content block, see :ref:`Get the Latest Version of Legacy Library
   Content`.

The settings of a component that is supplied in a randomized content block are
initially inherited from the component in the content library that it is drawn
from. In the randomized content block, you can modify component settings so
that they are different from the "source" component in the library.

You can also reset a component's settings to the library default. If a
component's settings have been changed from the default settings in the
library, a **Clear** icon is shown next to the setting field.

.. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/ContentLibraries_ResetComponentField.png
    :alt: Clear button in the course component field reverts value to library
     value.

Select **Clear** to restore the library default setting for that field.

.. _Get the Latest Version of Legacy Library Content:

Getting the Latest Version of Legacy Library Content
=======================================================

If you modify the contents of a library that is referenced by randomized
content blocks in one or more courses, those courses do not automatically use
the updated content. You can bring the randomized content blocks up to date
with the version in the library.

.. warning:: Be careful when you modify problems after they have been released.
   Changes that you make to published problems can affect the student
   experience in the course, as well as analysis of course data.

.. note:: Be aware that although you can retain changes to the settings of
   components in a randomized content block, changes to the **Editor** tab in
   components are overwritten if you update the component to the latest library
   version. If you do not want to bring components in the randomized content
   block up to date with the latest version in the library, you do not need to
   take any action.

* If the components in the randomized content block have not been edited in the
  course outline, when you next open the randomized content block in the course
  outline, you see a message indicating that the component is out of date in
  comparison with the library.

  .. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/ContentLibraries_ComponentUpdateNow.png
     :alt: Error message shown when the source library has changed, with the
      Update Now link circled.

  To update your randomized content block components to the latest versions in
  the content library, select **Update now**.

  The randomized content block is brought up to date with the latest contents
  of the library that it references.

* If you edited only the settings of components in the randomized content block
  in your course so that they are different from the original version in the
  library, you do not lose your changes if you select **Update now**. In this
  case, the changes that you made in the randomized content block in the course
  outline are kept, but a **Clear** option becomes available next to the
  changed field in the component. However, any changes you made on the
  **Editor** page of components in a randomized content block are lost if you
  select **Update now** to get the latest library version.

  .. image:: /_images/educator_how_tos/ContentLibraries_ResetComponentField.png
     :alt: Clear icon in the course component field reverts value to library
         value.

  To clear any edits made in the course outline and bring your edited
  components up to date with the version in the library, select **Clear**.

  The value in that component field is reset to the current value in the
  library.


.. _Preview Randomized Content in Student View:

Preview the Randomized Content in Student View
==============================================

You can preview course content before a course is live or before you publish
specific units, to test how content will appear to students when it is
released. To view the number and type of components from a randomized content
block as students would see them, follow the steps described in the
:ref:`Preview a Unit` topic.

.. _View Specific Student Assigned Problems from Randomized Content Block:

View a Specific Student's Assigned Problems from a Randomized Content Block
===========================================================================

In a live course, to view the components that are assigned to a specific
student from a randomized content block, follow the steps described in the
:ref:`Specific Student View` topic.

.. _Adjust Grades for a Problem from a Randomized Content Block:

Adjust Grades for a Problem from a Randomized Content Block
===========================================================

To adjust a grade or reset the attempts for a problem that was assigned from a
randomized content block, you can view the course as a specific student to
see the actual problems that they were assigned.

Obtain the username or email address for the learner whose grades you want to
adjust, and follow the steps described in the :ref:`Specific Student View`
topic to view the actual problems in the course that this student was
assigned.

In the **Specific student** course view in the LMS for the student whose
username or email you entered, locate the components from the randomized
content block. Follow the steps described in :ref:`Adjust_grades` to rescore
the learner's submission, reset attempts, or delete the learner's state for a
problem.

.. seealso::
 

 :ref:`Randomized Content Blocks` (reference)


**Maintenance chart**

+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| Review Date  | Working Group Reviewer        |   Release      |Test situation                                        |
+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+------------------------------------------------------+
| 2025-07-30   | sarina                        | Teak           | Fail - needs to be updated for new content libraries |
+--------------+-------------------------------+----------------+------------------------------------------------------+