[To Do] Disable the To Do List

I want students to work from the Modules and complete work in the order on the Module.  This ensures student learning progresses in a sound pedagogical order.  The student To Do list completely sabotages student learning.  If they click on an assignment on the To Do list without doing all the preparatory pages and information I have listed, in order, on the Module, they are not properly prepared or reinforcing their learning.

 

I have to put big red words to asking them NOT to work from the TO DO list, but some students will take the short cut anyway.  

 

Also, the student To Do list takes up too much screen real estate.  This right frame is completely counter-productive and unnecessary. 

 

Please put in a feature where the instructor can control or disable the student To Do list.

Added to Theme

120 Comments
lpeterson15
Community Explorer

If you feel that you do not want to eliminate the to do list, can you change the list so that students cannot click on the items in the list.  That would prevent them from going to the items due without reviewing the content of the module.  

jenniferbyrd1
Community Novice

I totally agree with the option to disable the to-do list.  Students want to just go there and work on "todays" assignment vs working in order of the module - if we are behind or they have been out.

KimberlyBryant1
Community Novice

I would like to see the to do list disappear.  Students only look there for tasks.  I need my students to go into the individual modules to look at everything.

prestil
Community Member

I use both pages and assignments for student work. Students tend to rely the to-do list on their home page to tell them what work they're missing. Often there are other things listed in the module that they are responsible for. I would like the ability to turn off the student to-do list in my courses.

zzipless
Community Member

Yes, an option to fully disable the to-do list (and the syllabus page list) would be fantastic! 

 

And I second the comment from justinjoslin about letting us have full organization abilities on the Home page. 

jennifer_hogan
Community Explorer

This needs to be an option allowing admin or teachers to disable the To-Do list from the course.  Students get confused by this.  There was a suggestion to add the requirements to the module order which we have done but students still want to click on the To-Do items.  Then they get stuck on a page they cannot submit and just quit instead of trying to get assistance.  We are an asynchronous online school so we do not have the students face 2 face and need to be sure they are working through the course successfully without frustration.

rebmeach
Community Member

PLEASE consider this!!! Students ONLY work on what is in their TO DO list for that day! I have presented what they need to be doing that day, then when I walk around the class, students are playing games on phones saying, "there is nothing on the the to do list" So they do nothing. I HATE IT! 

 

At least let us have MULTIPLE DAYS that one assignment shows up in the freaking TO DO list. 

 

TO Do is killing student work... and causing students to take too long to do each assignment that is multiple days in length.

 

KatyBehnke
Community Member

Can this PLEASE be added! I agree with all of the above!

andrew_sheppard
Community Participant

The inability or unwillingness to provide instructors the ability to hide the "To Do" list is hindering student learning across the globe. Students often blame themselves when well-intended, but poorly designed tools confound their expectations.

Instructure is creating unnecessary obstacles to student learning. The intransigence is as disturbing it is disruptive. Please do better, for the sakes of millions of students. Think about the students. 

MrMiller
Community Member

I'd also like to add that it would be helpful to control what shows up in the To Do list for teachers. I'm observing a few other teacher's courses and it's annoying to see all of the grading to do's, etc, from classes that I'm not actually responsible for.