Content Prerequisites

Content Prerequisites allow you to define the specific conditions a student must meet before they can access an assessment or learning resource. By setting these "gates," you ensure a logical progression through the curriculum, preventing students from skipping vital instructional content or attempting assessments prematurely.

This system provides a structured framework that supports student success while giving Trainers confidence that learners have engaged with all required preparatory materials.

What's Covered in This Article

This article walks through how to configure access rules for content items and sections within a unit, ensuring students follow a structured learning path before progressing.

Prerequisite Modes: The three distinct logic types for unlocking content items within a section.
Section-Level Prerequisites: How entire sections can be gated by the completion of other sections.
The "Completion Required" Setting: Defining mandatory versus optional content.
Student Access: How gated content appears to the learner.

Configuration & Functional Management

Identifying the Prerequisite Icon

Within a Unit, every content item (assessment or resource) features a Prerequisite Icon on the far right. This symbol looks like a small hierarchy chart. Clicking this icon opens the configuration modal where you can set access rules.

Prerequisite Modes

Nimbu offers three modes to control how content is unlocked.

Content-Level Prerequisites

Content-level prerequisites control access to individual items within a section. Note that prerequisites can only be set between items within the same section, and the first item in a section cannot have a prerequisite applied.

None: The item has no restrictions and is available as soon as the student reaches that section.
Required to complete previous activity/ resource: Creates a linear path where the student must finish the item directly above it in the list before this one becomes accessible.
Select previous resources/ activities: Allows you to manually select one or more specific items from the same section that must be completed first.

Section-Level Prerequisites

In addition to content-level gating, Nimbu supports prerequisites at the section level, allowing you to lock an entire section until designated preceding sections are completed. The first section in a unit cannot have a prerequisite applied.

None: The section is available immediately upon entering the unit.
Required to complete previous section: The student must finish the section directly above it before this section unlocks.
Select previous sections: Allows you to choose one or more specific sections within the same unit that must be completed before this section becomes accessible.

For a full walkthrough of how to structure sections within a unit, see the Unit Sections article.

"Completion Required" Setting

Next to the Prerequisite icon, you will see a lightning bolt symbol and a "Required" label. This setting works alongside prerequisites to define what counts as meaningful progress through the unit.

Required (On): When toggled on, the student must complete this item to fulfill unit requirements or unlock subsequent gated content. All Assessments, Observations, and Evokio Assessments are always set to Required and cannot be changed. For Learning Resource Materials (PDFs, Videos, Articles, Quizzes, etc.), this setting can be toggled on or off by the Content Editor.
Optional (Off): If toggled off, the item is available for the student to view, but its completion is not mandatory for progression through the unit.

Student Access

When a student encounters content or a section locked by a prerequisite, the following applies:

A lock icon is displayed on the left side of the locked content item or section in the unit details view. Clicking the lock icon reveals which prerequisite(s) must be completed to gain access.
If a student clicks View on a locked item, an information screen is displayed showing the content's details, but the student cannot interact with or submit the content until the prerequisite condition is met.
Once the required prerequisite content or section is completed, the locked item automatically becomes available without requiring a page refresh.
Students can also monitor their progress at a glance through visual status indicators on each content item and section: Locked, Ready, In Progress, and Completed.

Unit Sections
Accessing Learning Resources (Student Guide)