Moodle: Create and manage assignments

Use Moodle's Assignment activity to enable students to electronically submit work individually or as a group and/or grade student work "blindly." Electronic file submission is optional; some instructors also create Assignments for offline course activities to help students track deadlines and completion

Before you start, you may need access to the following:

  • an Instructor of record or Other editing teacher role in a Bryn Mawr Moodle course

Create an Assignment

  1. Toggle Edit mode on.
  2. Go to the section where you want to place the activity and click +Add an activity or resource.
  3. Click Assignment
  4. Type in an Assignment name.
  5. Add a Description that students will see when they open the assignment.
    • If your instructions are short, you can type them in the text editor.
    • If your instructions are long and/or you want students to print them out, upload an assignment sheet under Additional files, and use this space to direct students to it.
    • See Guidelines for Electronic File Submission, below, for recommendations on things to include in instructions for this type of assignment.
  1. Under Availability, check Enable next to the following and set the date and time to specify:
    • Allow submissions from — the earliest date/time a student can submit
    • Due date — the date/time after which submissions will be marked as late
    • Cut-off date — the date/time Moodle stops accepting submissions (not visible to students).
  2. Under Submission Type
    • Check Online text if you want students to submit work by entering text in a text box
    • Check File submissions if you want students to submit work by uploading a file
    • Uncheck both if you do not need students to submit electronically for this assignment. 

Note:  Many Students come from K-12 schools that used a GoogleDrive type workflow, where they shared links to online files with teachers, rather than emailing copies or handing in printouts. If you don’t want links, uncheck Online text and explain this to students in your instructions.

  1. The remaining settings, including Grade, are optional and are shown collapsed by default. Expand them to adjust as needed. Please refer to the inline Moodle documentation (click the question mark icons) for more information 
  2. Click Save when you are finished.

Features and use cases

Receive student work electronically

The Assignment activity provides some useful functionality for both instructors and students.

Blind grading (Anonymous submissions)

Optionally keep students' names hidden throughout the grading process to mitigate bias.

Help students track due dates

The Assignment activity can be used to help students track due dates both online and offline "assignments," such as a handwritten assignment or required attendance at a colloquium. To set up an assignment that appears on student calendars but does not require an electronic submission:

Tips for electronic file submission assignments

If you want students to submit files to you electronically, here is the info you can include in the assignment instructions to make the process go more smoothly:

Assignment FAQs

Can students submit group work through a Moodle Assignment?

How do I download all files submitted for an Assignment at once?

How do I give students an extension or make exceptions to a deadline?

Questions?

If you have any additional questions or problems, don't hesitate to reach out to the Help Desk!

Phone: 610-526-7440 | Library and Help Desk hours
Email: help@brynmawr.eduService catalog
Location: Canaday Library 1st floor