Allow adding Assignment Group Rules without Assignments

[dkpst5]

I've recently had numerous teachers approach me with difficulty using the edit assignment groups feature to add drop lowest rules. This is because, for some reason, Canvas doesn't show the option until assignments exist in that assignment group. A lot of teachers build out their course in advance by setting up their assignment groups and rules according to their syllabus or course plan, and only then later going back to create the actual assignments. (That is, they build the structure, then the things that go into it.) The current way to set ignore rules do not work with this top-down course building method, and requires the teacher to remember to go back later and edit assignment group rules.

I propose that Canvas should always show the assignment group rules area when editing an assignment group, even if there are no assignments. At the same time, Canvas would need to allow creating rules greater than the current number of assignments in the assignment group.

Alternatively (at a minimum), always show this area of the edit assignment group panel, but have it grayed out with a help text note describing "This feature is not available until you add assignments to this assignment group." This would at least let teachers know they are int he right place, but have not yet met the hidden prerequisite to use the feature.

Some notes on current behavior:

• Rules remain, even if remove all assignments out of an assignment group after creating them. (This means it's not preventing odd math.)
• This includes in the worst case, removing all assignments from the assignment group, which prevents the box from appearing to remove the rule. (This means it's causing a confusing situation.)
• If you try to edit an assignment group that was previously set with a higher number to drop than there are currently assignments, it will open, but not allow you to save unless you change the number. (You can still cancel or that window, but cannot save. This can cause a user to feel trapped.)
• You get unexpected behavior if you move an assignment that is specified as "never drop". If you move it to another assignment group, the rule for preserving it disappears. But if you later move it back, the rule returns. (This can be desired or or not, but it happens silently and can be a surprise.)

Related, while reflecting on this, it would also be nice if clicking on the "rules pill" in the assignment group header would open the edit assignment groups pane focused on the ignore rules area. It's natural to want to click on that to see what it means or to try to edit what it's saying. I have seen nearly every teacher I have worked with on the feature try clicking on the pill to bring it up.

And, lastly on the UI for dropping rules, the "never drop specific assignment" rule should be reflected on that assignment in some way (such as a padlock next to its assignment icon), rather than just conflated in the rules pill at the top. Toggling "never drop" should also appear in the kebab menu for each assignment rather than only appearing in edit assignment group. This would reduce the chance for surprises as noted above, and perhaps allow for a confirmation or error when moving an assignment that is set to "never drop" to another assignment group.

(It would be a different suggestion [though one that would be loved] to have the rule be "keep highest" rather than "drop lowest", as other LMSes have as an option. But such a rule would also have this as a prerequisite, since you'll quite often want to keep more assignments than already exist when setting up a course.)

[Stef_retired]

Thanks for all these suggestions about assignment groups and rules, @dkpst5 .  It incorporates at least three separate requests (assignment group rules, click on pill, indicator for "never drop")—and perhaps one or two more. We've archived this, as we are not able to move it forward in Idea Conversations for further consideration in its current form. Please read through How do I create a new idea conversation in the Canvas Community? for guidance on writing singularly focused ideas and then re-write and re-submit each distinct idea as its own separate submission.