[Discussions] Multiple Due Dates (checkpoints) for Discussions

[chriswhite]

This idea has been developed and is On Canvas Beta •  How do I access the Canvas beta environment?

For more information, please read through the Canvas Release Notes (2025-01-18) 

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With the way that many schools set up forum discussions and require "check-ins" to the forum throughout the week, it would be great if we could include multiple due dates in the discussion activities. For instance, I have classes that require everyone respond to the prompt by Thursday night and respond to at least 2 peers by the following Sunday. Being able to remind students that they have responses due, especially if we could scatter responses over multiple days, would likely increase participation.

[lynnve]

Hello, Kelley.  I am brand new to the community, so if I am replying to an old post, please forgive me.

I am both a current student (doctoral) and instructor (of undergraduates) using Canvas; and from both perspectives, adding a feature in which discussion boards have split due dates (ie: 1 due date for the initial post, a second due date for responses to classmates) would make the course flow much smoother.

As a student, when the professor puts a due date (say, Tuesday) in the syllabus for posting and a second due date (say, Friday) in the syllabus for responding, but one due date (say, Saturday) appears in Canvas, it seems that Canvas overrides the syllabus.  Many in my classes wait until the last possible minute that Canvas allows to post.

As an instructor, I find myself constantly exhorting my students (through announcements) to remember to post at the beginning of the week, and respond by the end of the week.  However, last week over half my class failed to make their initial posts by the end of the week!

I think it could be implemented as a sub-feature; that is, when one clicks the "users must post before seeing replies" option, it automatically opens two due dates fields.

[lynnve]

I am new to Canvas (as an instructor) - and I have a unique position being both a student (doctoral) and instructor (of undergraduates) - so I am seeing Canvas through both lenses.  And through both lenses, having two due dates for discussions is imperative.

Peyton, your post is dated October 23, 2015  and you said: "Since it won't happen within the next six months, I'm going to archive it."  It is now October, 2016 - one year later.  Isn't it time to pull this off the shelf and address it?

[dhulsey]

I understand, Lynn. Here is what I do:  I post the discussion and a due date for, say, Tuesday. That is for the initial post. Then, I post an ungraded assignment with a link in it to the discussion that is due on Thursday for the reply posts:

Perfect? Not at all, but my students seem to get it.

[lynnve]

Thanks, Dallas. I will remember that for future classes!

Lynn V. English, MAEd, CHES

Doctoral Student, Health Education & Promotion

lynnve@uab.edu

"A society is only as strong as its weakest members" -attributed to Gandhi

[Renee_Carney]

  Idea is currently in Product Radar Learn more about this stage...

[Jeff_F]

I have seen instructors contort their rubrics to heavily weigh the timing for the first post.  This is done to get the students attention.  So instead of measuring learning we are assessing their timeliness.

To experiment taking a different approach, for the past two terms I changed the due date of my discussions to match the date the initial post is due, which is day 5 of the week.  The ambition was to provide a visual reminder of that requirement in the to do list. I did so as I wished to 'enforce' engagement part way through the week as I believe learning is better fulfilled when students are in contact with the material on more than one day.  I also wanted to benefit from the built in coloring in Grades that shows when something is late. The results are mixed:  in one course while all but two of thirty-five responded to the initial post on time, at least ten missed posting the subsequent required replies. This has me thinking a secondary visual prompt is needed.

[matthewhenry]

While not directly related to multiple due dates, I see that all the other ideas around dates for assignments have pointed to this idea. If Instructure could create a mechanism like Pearson has in their MyLab LMS, we would have a powerful tool. Managing assignments in Canvas one by one, screen by screen is painful!

[djm137]

This would be so helpful. Along with the 2 due dates, it would be nice to have the option for 2 grades also. One grade for the initial post and another for replies. But, if that was added, it should be optional because the 2 are not always graded separately.

[lindsapj]

This request is now more than two years old and many instructors have endorsed it.  Please provide a status update.

[Kevin_W]

I recently sent out one of my edtech updates to our faculty about this issue with suggestions for a work-around pulled from the comments here.

Thank you for all of the great ideas!

A couple of my awesome faculty members responded with what they do to ensure students are reminded to respond to their peers in a discussion: 

Greta: 

I have multiple due dates -- even in Eli Review.  That do not sync with Canvas.  For my Eli issue, I have created a discussion in Canvas that evaluates their experience in Eli.  

Also, I have tried something new this semester.  When you use the SpeedGrader feature, you can use the "message those who haven't submitted." I actually do this one day early now.

I add the word YET to the subject line.  When a student reads no submission, it does startle him/her into taking action before it is too late.  I used to do it after the fact.  However, that just reaffirms that they didn't do it.

My submission rate is at an all-time high for all online sections.   

Preventative nagging...

Trisha: 

That's a great idea Greta. I started using the course Calendar for this problem-I discovered I can add an event instead of an assignment by clicking on a day. I use this to add due dates for drafts and reading assignments that don't get graded in Canvas. The events show up in the Syllabus tab and on the homepage to remind students.

I love it when Faculty shares what is working for them!