Can I close a Module after a specific date?

[tengrrl]

Hi everyone!

Is there a way to have a Module close at midterm (so on a specific date)? 

I want to award a Badgr Badge for what I'm calling "On-Time Performance."  The idea is to motivate people to avoid waiting until the last minute with the badge. Completion of the badge module results in award of the badge.

The criteria is that students submit the first three major assignments by midterm. I  have an open grace period that gives students until the end of the term to finish these major assignments. Closing the assignments won't work, because students can still submit after midterm.

If there's no way to close a Module on a certain date, the only work-around I can think of is to create a Declaration Quiz, where students affirm having turned in the work. That Declaration Quiz could close at midterm, and it could be the only task in the badge module (I hope you can follow that).

Is there any other way to accomplish what I want? Maybe I'm overlooking another solution. 

Thanks for reading my question and any suggestions you have.

Traci Gardner
Dept of English
Virginia Tech

[tengrrl]

In case you don't know what I mean by Declaration Quiz, they are one of the suggestions that Laura Gibbs used and discussed in her chapter in the Ungrading book. You can find more information at on her blog. 

[SusanNiemeyer]

I suppose that you could unpublish the module, but I'm not what benefit it would be to students to cut off access to course materials in the middle of a course. 

Just set your assignment due date, and then if you want to give a grace period, extend the "available until: date. That should be sufficient. 

[tengrrl]

Thanks for the suggestion, Susan. I don't think unpublishing would work because anything listed in that Module would then no longer be available. Since they can still complete the assignments, I need them to be available.

My due dates are set as you suggest. The challenge is setting up an incentive (I was planning to use Badgr) to turn things in by the due date, rather than waiting until the last week of the course. OR maybe the challenge is the related desire to have the badges awarded automatically. Basically I'm trying to find a motivation for students without increasing my feedback load.
Traci

[SusanNiemeyer]

Maybe the motivation is this: "Your final deadline for X is November 15. If you miss the deadline, you will get 0 points."

It's really o.k. to hold university students to deadlines. 

[tengrrl]

Thanks for your suggestion, Susan. My courses are set up to provide support for students who need wiggle room in their scheduling. It works for me and my students, but I know it might not work for everyone.

[TrishaMeyer1 · Accepted solution]

I think you could use Requirements along with your "Declaration Quiz." If you make submitting the 3 assignments the Requirements for opening the Badge Module, only those students who submit will be able to access the quiz. Those who don't submit on time won't be able to take the quiz later because it will be closed (if you set a close date on it as you mentioned). Since only the students who completed the assignments can take the quiz in the first place, it doesn't really matter what you ask on the quiz, only that they answer something. In fact it doesn't even have to be a quiz; you just need a record of who completed the three assignments by that date. (I don't use badges, so I'm not sure if that's built into the Module or if you set that up separately.)

[tengrrl]

YES!!! Thank you @TrishaMeyer1 ! I think this solution will work. I knew there had to be another way to think things through. Testing it now. You helped me so much.

Traci