This article explains how content retirement works, how it affects your learners, and how to request that content be retired for your organization.
As Big Think+ adds new content, older Video Lessons and Expert Classes are periodically retired. Retired content is no longer featured in search or discovery, but it stays fully accessible, so nothing your learners have started, completed, or been assigned breaks.
Why does Big Think+ retire content?
Content is retired when it's outdated, has been replaced by something newer, or no longer fits the Big Think+ Leadership Framework. Retired content isn't harmful or inaccurate. If it were, it would be removed entirely. Retiring it simply keeps the most current and relevant content in front of your learners.
Who manages content retirement?
Retirement is managed by the Big Think+ Partner Success team. There are two ways content can be retired:
- For all organizations. Big Think+ retires content across the platform as part of regular library updates.
- For your organization only. Partner Success can retire specific Video Lessons or Expert Classes for your organization without affecting anyone else. This is useful if a piece of content doesn't fit your programs or has been replaced internally.
Learning Managers and Administrators can't retire content directly in Big Think+. See How do I request that content be retired? below.
What do my learners see?
Retired content stops appearing in the places learners browse and discover, but remains available everywhere they've already engaged with it:
When a learner opens retired content, a Retired content banner appears at the top of the page, letting them know it's no longer featured and pointing them to newer content:
For the learner-facing explanation you can share with your teams, see What does it mean when content is retired?
Will retiring content affect my Analytics?
No. Retirement doesn't change past activity. Progress and completions for retired content stay in Analytics, and learners who keep watching retired content continue to have their activity recorded.
What happens to Curations that include retired content?
Retired content stays in any Curation it's part of, including Curations you've assigned, so your learners won't see broken or missing items. When you next update a Curation, consider swapping retired content for something newer. Retired items show the Retired content banner when opened, which makes them easy to spot.
What about links I've shared or content in our LMS?
Links you've shared in emails, documents, or messages keep working, and so do SCORM launches from your LMS. Learners will see the retired content with the banner instead of a broken link.
If your organization uses an integration such as Degreed, Cornerstone, Workday, or SAP SuccessFactors, how retired content appears in that platform depends on the integration. Catalog changes are sent with the next daily catalog update. Contact Partner Success to confirm how retirement is handled for your integration.
How do I request that content be retired?
To retire content for your organization only, email partnerservices@bigthink.com with:
- The title or link of each Video Lesson or Expert Class you'd like retired.
- Any timing requirements, such as a program launch date.
Partner Success will confirm once the content has been retired. Retirement can be reversed at any time. Just send another request to make content featured again.