Create Assignments in Moodle

The Assignment activity in Moodle is a place for your students to submit their work for instructor review. See our article on Getting started with Assignments if you are unfamiliar with this process. For information beyond this article, visit Moodle documentation here.

1. Navigate to the course you would like to create an assignment for. Toggle the Edit switch to on.

2. Click "Add an activity or resource" link in the section where you would like to build your assignment.

• Remember, an assignment can be moved or copied to other sections after it has been created.

3. You will be automatically directed to a window to pick your activity type. Select "Assignment" from the list.

• The information icon of the Activity Chooser is used to display a description of any Activity or Resource you select from the list. If you scroll down to the bottom of that description, you will usually find a link to a wiki article about that Activity or Resource.

4. After choosing "Assignment", you will be automatically directed the settings page for your new assignment. Begin by adding a name/title for your assignment.

5. Next, you will be asked to enter a description and directions.

• Please note: The description and directions will not appear in the same way for your students.
• The description is available if students click on the assignment, or if you check the box to show it on the course page (thus, make sure time-sensitive details like due dates are are in the title or shown on the course page).
• The assignment directions will only be available during the window in which submissions can be made, and only shown when the student clicks "Add submission" and is redirected to the submission page. Do not place details or directions you would like them to have before the assignment opens in this section.

6. Upload any files you would like students to have access to while they complete this assignment. This may include readings, prompts, etc.

• Drag and drop files into the box, or click on the file icon to browse files on your computer.

7. Select the assignment availability. Read about your options below.

• Allow submissions from: If enabled, students will not be able to submit before this date. If disabled, students will be able to start submitting as soon as the assignment is available on the course page.
• Due date: This is when the assignment is due. Submissions will still be allowed after this date, but any assignments submitted after this date are marked as late. To prevent submissions after a certain date, set the assignment cut off date.
• Cut-off date: If set, the assignment will not accept submissions after this date. You can manually add an extension for a given student.
• Remind me to grade by: The expected date that marking of the submission should be completed. This date is used to prioritize notifications for instructors.
• Time limit: The time limit will restrict the number of minutes/hours/days/weeks the student has to complete the assignment. For example, students might a window of three days to complete a 30-minute timed writing assignment. You can set that availability window in the first two options, and then set the timer in Time Limit. Once students click "Add submission" on the assignment page during those three days, they will have thirty minutes to write and submit their assignment.

8. Select the Submission types settings.

• Submission types: Select whether you want students to upload a file, or type a response directly into an editor field for their submission.
• Maximum number of uploaded files: If file submissions are enabled, each student will be able to upload up to the specified number of files for their submission.
• Maximum submission size: Files uploaded by students may be up to your specified size.
• Accepted file types: Accepted file types can be restricted by entering a comma separated list of mime types (Examples: video/mp4, audio/mp3, image/png, image/jpeg) and file extensions including a dot (Examples: .png, .jpg, .doc). If the field is left empty, then all file types are allowed.

9. Select the Feedback types settings.

• Feedback comments: If enabled, the marker can leave feedback comments for each submission.
• Annotate PDF: This will allow instructors to create a PDF version of students' work to directly mark up and write on.
• Feedback files: If enabled, the teacher will be able to upload files with feedback when grading the assignments. These files may be, but are not limited to marked up student submissions, documents with comments or spoken audio feedback.
• Offline grading worksheet: If enabled, the teacher will be able to download and upload a worksheet with student grades when grading the assignments.
• Comment inline: If enabled, the submission text will be copied into the feedback comment filed during grading, making it easier to comment inline (using a different color, perhaps) or to edit the original text.

10. Select the Submission settings.

• Require students to click the submit button: If enabled, students will have to click a Submit button to declare their submission as final. This allows students to keep a draft version of the submission on the system. If this setting is changed from "No" to "Yes" after students have already submitted those submissions will be regarded as final.
• Require that students accept the submission statement: students must click the check box saying "This assignment is my own work, except where I have acknowledged the use of the works of other people" for all submissions to this assignment.
• Additional attempts: Determines how student submission attempts are reopened. The available options are:
  • Never - Only one attempt is possible.
  • Manually - The student submission can be reopened by a teacher.
  • Automatically until pass - The student submission is automatically reopened until the student achieves the grade to pass value set in the Gradebook (Gradebook setup section) for this assignment.

11. Select any necessary Group submission settings.

• Students submit in groups: Students will be divided into default or custom groupings. Each group member can see what other group members have submitted for the assignment and make changes to that submission.
• Require group to make submisson: Students must be part of a group to make a submission to the assignment. For example, a student working alone would need a manual overide from an instructor to make a submission.
• Require all group members to submit: If enabled, all students must click submit on the assignment to count the submission. This is by default disabled, meaning that a submission from any group member will be counted for all group members.
• Grouping for student groups: Here, select any premade groupings. If not selected, a default grouping will be made.

12. Select any necessary Notification settings.

• Please note: If you are using group mode then course teachers need to be members of the group in order to receive submission and late submission notifications.
• Notify graders about submissions: If enabled, this will notify graders about early, on-time, and late submissions.
• Notify graders about late submissions: If enabled, this will specifically notify graders about late submissions.
• Default for notify student: When grading, you have the option to notify students about posted grades. If enabled, "Notify student" will be checked automatically during grading.

13. Select your Grade settings.

• Grade:
  • Type: Select the type of grading you would like to use. There is Point, Scale, and None.
  • Maximum grade: This option will only appear if using Point. Enter the maximum number of points allowed here.
  • Scale: This option will only appear if using Scale. Select the scale you would like to use.
• Grading method: Choose the advanced grading method that should be used for calculating grades in the given context. The options are Rubric, or Grading Guide. To disable advanced grading and switch back to the default grading mechanism, choose "Simple direct grading".
• Grade category: This setting controls the category in which this activity's grades are placed in the gradebook (Ex. writing assignments might go under a catagory titled "Essays", or you might choose to group several assignments about the same topic under the same category).
• Grade to pass: This setting determines the minimum grade required to pass. The value is used in activity and course completion, and in the gradebook, where pass grades are highlighted in green and fail grades in red.
• Blind grading: Blind marking hides the identity of students to markers. Blind marking settings will be locked once a submission or grade has been made in relation to this assignment.
• Hide grader identity: If enabled, students will not be able to see who has graded their assignment.
• Use grading workflow: If enabled, marks will go through a series of workflow stages before being released to students. This allows for multiple rounds of marking and allows marks to be released to all students at the same time.

14. Select any necessary Common module settings.

• Availability: If enabled, the assignment will be shown on the course page (This is the default). If not enabled, the assignment can be hidden from students. We do not recommend using "Make available but not shown on course page".
• Force language: You can enforce a specifc language for an assignment.
• Include in course content download: If enabled, the content will be downloaded in course backups. This will have no effect on mobile app content downloaded for offline usage.
• Group mode:
  • No groups: There are no groups and all students submit their individual activities in one area.
  • Separate groups: Students submit their activity and teachers/trainers can sort submissions by Group or view All Participants.
  • Visible groups: All students submits their assignment within a single Assignment area but may choose which Group to associate their submission with before uploading. Teachers/trainers can sort submissions by Group or view All Participants.
• Grouping: This setting will only appear if you have group mode enabled. Groupings are a collection of groups that are set up on the course level. Select groups here.

15. Make any necessary Restrict access settings.

• You can restrict access on a variety of metrics, and even for individual student characteristics. To do this, click "Add a restriction" and select your restriction type from the given window. See below for more details on restriction types.
• To read more about Restrict access settings, visit our article here.

• Student _____ match the following: Select whether you want to include or exclude students based on certain characteristics.
• Activity completion: Require students to complete (or not complete) another activity. After selecting this option, you can select which assignment you require and whether it must be completed/not completed or passed/failed.
• Date: Prevent access until (or from) a specified date and time. This is another option beyond those in the Availability section.
• Grade: Require students to achieve a specified grade. After selecting this, you can choose a specific assignment to require a grade from, and set numerical parameters for that grade.
• User profile: Control access based on fields within the student's profile.
• Restriction set: Add a set of nested restrictions to apply complex logic.

16. Make any necessary Activity completion settings.

• Completion tracking: This will contribute to the percent complete tracker students see in their My Courses tab, and elsewhere in Moodle. Options include:
  • If no activity completion is shown, then they will not be able to mark it complete or see a completion status.
  • Students can manually mark the activity as complete.
  • Completion will be shown if conditions are met. If this is enabled, more settings will appear which will allow you to set those conditions.
• Expected completion on: This will allow you to mark a date at which completion is expected. When this date approaches, it will be listed on the Timeline block in the Dashboard.
• To read more about Activity completion settings, visit our article here.

17. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Save and return to course" or "Save and display". Both will save your changes on the assignment.

• Please note: If you have made significant changes to an assignment, we recommend selecting the box for "Send content change notification". We generally recommend ignoring the settings under Tags and Competencies.