Why are my announcements not showing the posted date?

[bsr]

In the past, posted announcements have always shown the date and time that they posted. But this past academic year, I keep running into problems with announcements showing no date at all. That makes it difficult to find them (they don't sort by date) and impossible to refer students to them when they ask for information that is in the announcement ("please see the announcement posted on [post date]"). 

My current case is an announcement that was imported from last year. Before the term start, I set the date to next year to keep it hidden but available for recycling. Then when I was ready to recycle it, I opened it, used the "reset" button to clear all date/delay settings, edited the announcement, and posted it. I did not set a delay, so there could not have been an issue with back-dating. But there is no date showing.

I know it posted, because students responded to it. But I can't see when, either in my view or student view!

[Gabriel33]

I believe it is because, as you said, you imported them from another course.

This was also discussed in the thread below, where another faculty member wanted to have the imported announcements to include the author's avatar - different feature, but same issue: Re: Exporting announcements with a picture. - Instructure Community - 639058

[bsr]

I still don't understand why the posting date would be blank, even though I "reset" (cleared) the date and then posted it. It shouldn't matter whether the original announcement was imported or not; it was posted at a particular date and time. That date and time should show. Also, it has never mattered in the past 10 years, but suddenly this past year, dates aren't showing. I've imported and recycled announcements at least 40 times over the past 10 years, and never had this issue. 

This may be related to the photo issue linked, in that both are problems with imported announcements, but at least there was a rationale given for the photo decision (I don't agree with it, but I do respect that some thought was involved). This one just makes no sense. The post date is the post date, and it is important that the date actually show up on the post. We are accountable for providing timely information, and sometimes we actually are called to account for those. Blank spaces where dates should be don't help us or our students!

What this is all amounting to is that course imports don't really include announcements any more, in a meaningful way. If the announcements are going to be broken and un-fixable (even by resetting the posting date information), the import hasn't really worked. 

[dbrace]

Hi @bsr,

Like @Gabriel33 said, I believe this is because of importing and copying from another course.

As far as why it started now, it is probably because of the discussion redesign.  The announcements feature in Canvas is a sort of "cousin" to discussions.  The roll-out of the discussion redesign probably removes the posted date for an announcement.

-Doug

[bsr]

So, ... that sounds like it's a bug. The roll-out of a different tool broke something in this tool. Is this on radar to be fixed, then?

[dbrace]

Hi @bsr,

Whether or not it is considered to be a "bug" would be subjective because it could be a programming/functionality decision that Instructure made for the LMS.

@TamasBalogh, can you please chime in on this?

-Doug