We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new feature to the Drillster platform: the Periodic Challenge. This new capability allows organizations to achieve and monitor challenges within a fixed timeframe. It’s perfect for those who manage recurring (re)certifications or deal with seasonal knowledge requirements.

What is a periodic Challenge?

Alongside our one-time and permanent challenges, the Periodic Challenge is a new challenge type designed to help users master a specific competency within a preset period. Think of it like needing to achieve 100% mastery on a topic just once within a 6-month window, or perhaps reaching 80% mastery on content only relevant during the summer months.

Once a Periodic Challenge starts, participants whose mastery levels fall below the required threshold will immediately show a “Not Achieved” status. However, as soon as a participant achieves the set minimum mastery level even once during the period, their status changes to “Achieved.” After that, their mastery can drop without affecting their “Achieved” status for that period. Simply meeting the minimum mastery once is enough. If a recurring Periodic Challenge is set up (e.g., every 3, 6, or 12 months), a new period will begin at the end of each cycle, requiring the minimum mastery to be met again.

How does it work?

Administrators can set up a Periodic Challenge via the Admin interface. Here, you’ll specify details such as:

• Which drill(s) or course(s) the Periodic Challenge applies to.
• The mastery level to be achieved on the drill(s) or course(s). Please note: Unlike other Drillster challenge types, the Periodic Challenge doesn’t have a declining minimum score. Once a user hits the required mastery, their “Achieved” status holds, regardless of any score fluctuations during the remaining challenge period. The sole focus is on hitting that target once within the timeframe.
• The start and end date/time of the period. This can be any desired duration: 1 week, 1 month, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, etc.
• You also have the option to make the period dependent on the participant’s start date. However, if you’re using a Periodic Challenge because mastery updates for a drill or course are tied to a specific time of year (like a particular month, semester, or season), you should never link the period to a participant’s start date. When a period begins on a participant’s entry date, different participants will have different periods, making it impossible for reporting to show the status of all participants over a fixed, collective timeframe.
• Which notifications participants receive, through which channels (email and/or mobile app), and the frequency of reminders.

Participants then receive a notification that the challenge has begun, including all relevant information. They can check their progress anytime to see if they’ve achieved the Periodic Challenge.

When is the Periodic Challenge relevant?

The Periodic Challenge is ideal for compliance training, onboarding programs, or periodic recertifications. It also offers a structured approach for achieving learning outcomes within specific, clear time limits for education or personal learning goals. For subjects where keeping crucial knowledge and skills top-of-mind is essential, we still recommend using the Permanent Challenge. However, for less critical topics, the Periodic Challenge is a valuable new addition.

Ready to Try It Out?

Administrators can now create Periodic Challenges via the Admin Console. If you need help setting it up, or if you’d like to discuss the possibilities for your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact our Customer Success team at support@drillster.com. We’re here to help you get started!