[Discussions] Multiple Due Dates (checkpoints) for Discussions

[chriswhite]

This idea has been developed and is On Canvas Beta •  How do I access the Canvas beta environment?

For more information, please read through the Canvas Release Notes (2025-01-18) 

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With the way that many schools set up forum discussions and require "check-ins" to the forum throughout the week, it would be great if we could include multiple due dates in the discussion activities. For instance, I have classes that require everyone respond to the prompt by Thursday night and respond to at least 2 peers by the following Sunday. Being able to remind students that they have responses due, especially if we could scatter responses over multiple days, would likely increase participation.

[lindsapj]

This “pet project” has received hundreds of user endorsements. Glad you’re happy with the system. A colleague would say that was a conclusion in search of facts to support it.

[bdalton_sales]

Patrick in reponse to "I have students who could write the code and the implementation interface in one day... given access."   Canvas is open source and you can submit community written code for review which may be accepted into the core assuming that they are of high enough quality.  If you think that this is a worth project to spend time on for your students then it could be a way to move it forward. Keep in mind that this has implications across a large area of the product including Calendar, Todo lists, student planner, mobile and other areas which would need to be addressed as well.

[scram]

Yes, please! I would use this feature.

[jenniferl_weiss]

This seems like a great idea. This would also allow for students that are sick to have a separate deadline. The multiple due dates is a real thing in education, especially at the middle school level when students complete assignments at different paces.

[hensonj]

What you describe is already an option. simply click add at the bottom of the assign to section of the settings.

This idea is to have checkpoint due dates for everyone. for example, a lot of our faculty like to have one due date for an initial discussion post, and another for replies.

[mstimers1]

Thanks, hadn't thought of that work around. Here's a few questions.

So I went in and set a Tuesday due date, 1/29/19, and a Saturday due date, 2/2/19. 

But when I look at the "Show Due Dates" panel at the top, it shows one due date:

So if everyone is in "GE101-WORLD GEOGRAPHY-AI", and they are also in "Everyone Else", they see the due date as the earliest one; where do students ever see the second due date to help them understand that it's a checkpoint? How is this any different than just setting the "Due" to 1/29/19 and the "Until" to 2/2/19? 

Thanks - interesting idea, I look forward to your feedback, and testing how this works!

[hensonj]

oh, yeah, I dont think that would work. my reply was in response to the post above mine which stated, "This would also allow for students that are sick to have a separate deadline." which isnt what this idea addresses, so I was simply telling  that poster that the functionality they wanted already existed.

hope that clears things up.

[mstimers1]

Ok, thanks!

[boles]

thanks for testing that out!  too bad....

[lynm_batty]

Thank you for this feature request. We often use the same discussion question for reflections over longer periods of time, asking students to check back in to the same discussion forum at different points in their reading, so multiple due dates would be beneficial.

Sincerely,

Lyn Batty

English I