Make Due Dates Optional?

[Snow3]

My class uses a choice-model curriculum. I front-load all of the modules and the choices for how to learn more about that specific area within our subject. Not every student has to do every project and assignment because they get to choose. However, I am required to put due dates in for them to populate into my grade book. They have "open from ___ to ____", so that should also let the platform know that those assignments are published in and belong to that course for that grading period. IF I have to include a due date for something they aren't required to do, then parents are confused and upset. Canvas doesn't work for a choice model classroom until they allow the "open from____ to ____" to also allow for populating the assignment in the gradebook. HELP!! 

[mzimmerman]

Hi @Snow3 

Assignments should be populating in the Canvas grade book even if there are no due dates or availability dates set for the assignment.

However, if you are using grading periods, it may not be possible for Canvas to know what grading period an assignment belongs to if there are no dates attached to it, so you would (probably) not be able to do any filtering by grading period.

[Snow3]

So this is a problem of the way our district has set up Canvas? 

And how do I make a suggestion that they change Canvas to allow open and close dates to count for the grading period just like due dates will? 

[mzimmerman]

We do not use grading periods, so I have not really worked with them.  From this, it looks like the grading period dates just limit when you can enter grades: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/How-do-I-view-grading-periods-in-a-course/ta-p/1... 

Canvas allows assignments to have no due dates and not availability dates set, and normally they will still show up just fine in the grade book.   If they do not show up for you in the grade book, you will want to contact Canvas Support at your school to figure out why.

[TrishaMeyer1]

Hi @Snow3 ,

@mzimmerman  is right about the Canvas gradebook. I actually assumed you were referring to your district's gradebook. My district uses Aeries, which can be synced from Canvas, and it does indeed require due dates on assignments in order for the sync to work.

If this is your situation, you could consider having a batch of assignments in Canvas that are optional, with one "graded" assignment (with a due date) that is the compilation grade of all their optional work. Only the final grade would get synced to your Student Information System (your grading program). Students could still see any feedback you provided on the optional assignments, but parents would see only the final grade for the work for that time period.

I actually would put all the optional work in an Assignment Group with a weight of 0%. That way you could grade the individual assignments if desired, but those grades would not directly affect the grade in the class. Separately, in a weighted Assignment Group, you would place the "compilation" assignment where you would place the grade they earned for all the work they chose to do. If you needed to total the points they earned, you could use the Gradebook column for that Assignment Group, which will show you points earned/points possible if you click on the cell for each student.

[Snow3]

Those are all good ideas if every module was required. But I teach a Production/Broadcast class where some of the students choose to focus more on filmmaking and others on broadcast productions. Some go in-depth for script writing but don't learn editing skills. They can come back next year to do that if they choose. So I am required to use Canvas, but unless Canvas comes up with a solution to allow me to populate my gradebook without due dates, then I have to continue to confuse and upset parents with due dates that don't apply to the whole class. I can't make different courses because every child has the right to set their own short-term and long-term goals for what they are choosing to learn for the semester. So where do I make suggestions and ask for changes so that Canvas works for this choice model? 🙂 

[TrishaMeyer1]

Hi @Snow3 ,

Have you looked at Mastery Paths? You can set up a quiz that offers a choice, and students are directed to the appropriate path based on their answer(s) to the quiz. They see only the paths they have chosen; none of the other assignments show up for them (or their parents). I haven't used MPs, but I imagine you can set it up so that students can choose a different path at a later time.

This guide describes setting up requirements based on performance/achievement, but you can "fudge" the quizzes so that it's really based on choice, not "correct" answers.

How do I use Mastery Paths in course modules?

Within each module you can still designate required and optional assignments.

I don't understand your comments about due dates and the gradebook. As @mzimmerman pointed out, Canvas will create a gradebook column for an assignment without a due date. Canvas doesn't need to "come up with a solution;" it already works that way. If you're referring to a separate grading system, then Canvas has no control over that.

The only other thing that occurs to me is maybe somehow your institution has imposed a setting that requires due dates. I'm not aware of such a thing, but I'm not an admin at that level.

[Snow3]

Yes, I did try MP but it requires so many different options and paths and in the end requires that they complete something not by choice. I'll see if I can get a colleague to brainstorm that more with me. 

I will talk to my district because I am not talking about a separate grading system. I have talked to those who represent Canvas in our district and they told me to just use the last day of class as a due date as the only solution. As it stands, I have published many modules with many assignments, and only the ones with due dates show up in my grade columns. I don't know where the disconnect is. I'll show admin your comment and ask them if they know which setting that is. Thanks Trisha - I'm a Trisha too 😉 

[TrishaMeyer1]

@Snow3 

Hi fellow Trisha - I was thinking about this topic more and realizing the same thing that @mzimmerman and came in to see the posts about Grading Periods. I suspect your district has somehow set up your Canvas instance so that your Gradebook is automatically filtered by Grading Period, which means you will not see assignments with no due dates because they don't technically fall into that GP. 

I still think creating non-weighted Assignment Groups (i.e. weight=0%) could work along with "OPTIONAL" in the assignment titles. I'm a bit confounded by parents who don't understand the concept of optional work.

Another possibility, if your district allows it, is to create sections once the students have chosen their pursuits. [ETA: Students can be added to Sections at any time, so they can join mid-course.] Students can be enrolled in more than one section at a time, so you could create a Section for "Filmmaking," one for "Script Writing," etc. And then you would assign the relevant work only to that section, and the other students (and their parents) wouldn't even see it.

Since you said there is no separate gradebook to sync, you don't have to worry about causing problems with that. So if you're able to create Sections within your course, that might be the way to go. Then you could assign a due date for the end of the term, or whatever works for that particular skill's set of assignments.

How do I add a section to a course as an instructor?

How do I assign an assignment to a course section?

[Snow3]

Thanks for brainstorming with me. Since they can pick pieces from each of the different modules (units), creating different classes still means some would have to join more than one, and others would still not need to finish the entire module. I guess I could have different courses with mastery paths. That will take an entire summer to create, so I will table that for now, but the ideas are good! I'll think on that. I truly appreciate the help. I'm going to see what buttons need to be clicked so I can see the assignments. If it is possible, I am going to find a way. Thank you!