Moodle behavior of bulk set override zeros for assignments

A previous article explored the behavior and impact of manually setting zeros for missing quiz and test submissions. This article looks at the behavior for assignments and presumes the reader has read the previous article as background.

Availability dates for laboratory two in physical science

The laboratory report assignments in physical science have a due date later the same night as the laboratory.

Moodle calendar

Having the due date later the same day as the laboratory session keeps the display of the laboratory on the calendar on the same day as which the laboratory was done. Past experience has indicated that this helps the students who prefer to determine what to work on from their calendar.

Moodle assignment notification settings

Notifications are available for assignments and were set to Yes. The default setting for Notify graders about submission is No. Once Notify graders about submissions is set to Yes, the setting of Notify graders about late submissions is moot, hence that setting is deactivated.

Moodle Single view of assignment

Past experience has been that some students do not work on an assignment until they see a zero for that assignment. In Canvas a zero could be set to automatically appeared at the due date and time for missing assignments. The students then had seven days in which to submit the assignment. Upon grading the new grade automatically replaced the zero. In laboratory two with a due date on 23 January, the grace period extends to 30 January.

Moodle Single assignment view

To mimic this behavior in Moodle the Bulk insert grades in Single view can be used to set all empty grades to zero.

Moodle Bulk insert grades dialog box

The Bulk grade dialog box set up to replace all empty grades (null values) with a new grade of zero.

Result of bulk grader

The Bulk grader has entered zeros and set the Override checkbox.

Moodle Single view Save

Whether these changes were automatically saved or not is not clear. Selecting Save at the bottom of the page is a likely recommendation and was done.

Moodle notification of submission

A student who had submitted the report around midnight ahead of the bulk entering of zeros generated a notification. 

Assignment is grade locked

Where in Canvas the instructor would be able to grade the assignment and the grade would replace the automatically generated zero, in Moodle the instructor will have to first access the Single view in the Gradebook to clear the Override. Moodle hasn't even provided the kindness of the word "gradebook" being a link to where the instructor has to go to clear the Override. As noted in the earlier article, the Override does what the label says on the can, the Override overrides. This generates extra clicks, page opens, saves, slows down marking, and is clunky at best. 

Locked grade in Moodle Grader report

Switching to the gradebook does not provide immediate access to the Override checkbox for clearing.

Single view access menu

The instructor has to access the Single view for this item, another page has to load. On high speed networks elsewhere on the planet this is a quick operation. Here in these islands, especially when working from off campus, page loads can stall, wait times can be a minute or more. For each page to finish loading. This will lead to frustration for instructors as well as greatly increasing the time instructors will need to spend on marking assignments. 

As noted in the earlier article, the instructor could wait until after the cut-off date to bulk zero missing assignments. This, however, will lead to many students writing to ask that they be permitted to submit the assignment. One could simply slam the door shut and deny these requests, but the learning style here and the supportive nature of the institution as a community college would make this an unacceptably harsh response for many instructors. Many instructors will inevitably extend the cut-off date, but then face the multiple page loads to accomplish grading of the submitted assignments. 

Clearing the Override in the top line above and then selecting Save

There is, however, now an interstitial page to load and clear, yet another place a stalled page load will add time. 

Grade recalculation interstitial

This should happen automatically in the background. There is no reason for this screen to load and require a confirmation from the instructor. There is no other option that an instructor can take at this screen. Now the instructor has to navigate back to the grader. This is another three clicks by the shortest path and an additional interstitial page load. At this point the assignment can be graded.