Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Daniel Evans -
Number of replies: 9

Hello ladies and gentlemen. Happy new year to you all.

A number of lecturers have reported that students are submitting work to Moodle but the file submissions are later not present. The date and time stamp for the Last modified (submission) is present and I am not enough of an expert to understand what is going on.

We are using Moodle 2.9.2+ (Build: 20151023). In my test environment I have upgraded to version 2.9.4 and the same issue still occurs.

Please find attached a screenshot of the issue:

Moodle assignment problem

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Daniel Evans

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Emma Richardson -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

Are the ERR files the ones that you are talking about?  So when you click on the file, they will not open?

Are you using any plugins?  Or is this just a basic assignment activity? 

Are you sure that the students are logging in and then deleting them?

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Daniel Evans

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by ben reynolds -

I'm following because I don't understand the issue. It appears you have files in an assignment. They are in two stages. One is submitted. One is in draft and not yet submitted. One has not been touched.

You may want to deactivate the submission due date in the Assignment just on grounds that being late by 191 days will make users feel bad smile


Average of ratings: -
In reply to ben reynolds

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Daniel Evans -

Hello everyone.

With the image; the 2nd submission has no file attached. But the student swears that they submitted a pdf; of course they could be telling porky pies but I must apologise as I am not a Moodle expert but doesn't the Last modified (submission) imply that a student has submitted something?

With regard to plugins we are using the Turnitin plagiarism plugin, but nothing else.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Daniel Evans

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Emma Richardson -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers

I would look at the logs for the date specified and see what the student did.  I suspect that they did not click the submit button or something.  Submissions do not just disappear - they were either never uploaded (most likely-students lie all the time) or it was uploaded and then deleted.  I suspect the student started to upload, got distracted, didn't complete the process and is blaming moodle. 

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Daniel Evans

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Elaine Topham -

Hi Daniel,

Did you ever find out what the problem was?

It's just I'm having a similar problem... students are submitting work, time/datestamped as your screen shot shows, but there is no file and the Status shows as No Submission.

Many thanks

Elaine

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Elaine Topham

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by ben reynolds -
HI Elaine,
I have some other posts on here about versions earlier than 2.9 where it is possible to touch the assignment module as a student and have it recorded as a submission but never have uploaded a file.

Testing 2.9, I am warned about leaving the page if I don't hit save changes or cancel. If I try to save changes with no file in the file submissions box, I get a pink warning in red letters that "Nothing was submitted." I'd say it isn't possible anymore to not submit a file or accidentally wander away from the file submissions page. You can ignore the pink warning and leave the page, but that's pretty willful ignoring.

If you do wander away from that page, an instructor will see a Last modified (submission) date but also the status "No submission." That looks like your situation.

This is all with the assignment submission setting "Require students click submit button" set to "No."
Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to ben reynolds

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Elaine Topham -

Hi Ben,

Thanks for that suggestion - would this happen also in Moodle 3.0?

I am of the mind that it may well be user error as you describe, as when I look in the logs for these learners there is no actual submission shown... the settings of the assignment are set to not need students to press submit.


Average of ratings: -
In reply to Elaine Topham

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by ben reynolds -

I'd say pretty willful user error. Ignoring the pink box is pretty difficult.

But, a possibility I've never tested is what happens if a user goes to the upload file page and leaves the window open until it times out. Or, uploads the file, never clicks Save changes and gets timed out?

Average of ratings: Useful (1)
In reply to ben reynolds

Re: Dissapearing Assignment Submisions

by Elaine Topham -

I think the possibility of them forgetting to save/upload by leaving their PC is most likely smile will have to test it to see, then I can at least give the tutors a reasonable explanation as to why the students are convinced they submitted.

Average of ratings: -