This article deep dives into the engine room for the Recurring feature. If you are here, you should:
Have read our Recurring article: The Recurring Feature - Recurring learning automatically.
Recurring assignment periods
When recurring is enabled on your learning path (or module), the users are assigned multiple neighbouring periods for the specific content, continuously placed after one another (the second immediately takes over when the first ends). Each period will have its start and end date, indicating when the content is available from and to.
Every time a new period is entered, the user will receive a notification about new content unlocked (if enabled) and will be nudged to complete said content again on your platform.
What do we mean when we say period?
When the assignment period occurs and how long it lasts depends on how you have set up the recurring feature on your content.
Some content, with Recurring or not, could have been assigned at the beginning of the year and completed by the users. Some months later, it was decided to move this content into a bigger journey and, at the same time, to be set up with the Recurring setting. When the users get this content assigned for a second time, they don't have to retake the content because their completions lie within their initial period.
Tip💡If the module or learning path also has a deadline added, this will always be based on the assignment date in their initial period.
What happens to a period when Recurring content is shared more than once?
Because the assignment periods are based on when the user initially receives/unlocks the recurring content, the periods are directly connected to one journey. This means that if a user is assigned the same content more than once with recurring, they will receive multiple active periods running in parallel, which isn't recommended because:
Having multiple active periods on a user for the same content will make it confusing for admins/managers to track compliance, etc.
Multiple parallel-running periods that do not share the same start and end dates will force the user to retake their content at irregular and unexpected intervals.