Assignment Setting: Notify Students Unclear

Assignment Setting: Notify Students Unclear

by Robert Songer -
Number of replies: 2

In the Administration settings for the Assignment plugin, the way to set the default value for "Notify Students" is quite unclear.

Specifically, I have a file upload assignment in my course and I am trying to set the default option for "Notify Students" on the Grading page to "No". So I go to Administration -> Plugins -> Activity Modules -> Assignment -> Assignment Settings and find the option labeled "Default setting for 'Notify students'". But this setting is confusing. It is a single checkbox with the following description:

>Set the default value for the "Notify students" checkbox on the grading form.

First of all, the "Notify students" option on the grading form is not a checkbox--it's a combo box with the options "Yes" and "No". 

Second, this default setting has a default of "Yes", but it is supposed to be a setting for changing the default?? How can a default setting itself have a default? How can I change the default setting of this default setting??

I tried saving with the box both checked and unchecked, but neither seem to make any difference.

Is there yet another default setting somewhere I am missing?

Any knowledgeable assistance would be greatly appreciated.


I am working with Moodle 3.0.3+ (Build: 20160331) Version 2015111603.04


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In reply to Robert Songer

Re: Assignment Setting: Notify Students Unclear

by Joshua Todd Cowper -
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Changing the setting in Site Administration will set the default for new assignments, but it will not alter any existing assignments. With regards to the text on this page that says 'Default: Yes', this is simply informational text letting you know that the default in a clean Moodle install is to have this setting set to yes; it doesn't mean your chosen setting hasn't taken effect. You should find that if you change the Site Admin setting and create a new assignment, it has indeed taken effect.

To change the default setting on an existing assignment, go to the individual assignment's settings, scroll to the Notifications section and change the default setting there for that assignment's grading form. I think this is likely what you are missing. Of course, the grader can then override this for each submission.

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In reply to Joshua Todd Cowper

Re: Assignment Setting: Notify Students Unclear

by Robert Songer -

Thank you for the quick response. You are correct, there is a "Notify Students" option under the individual assignment settings. And that setting is accurately represented as a proper combo box with a Yes/No option rather than a checkbox like in the global plugin settings. 

Still, I hope this is something that gets corrected in future versions. The inconsistency between checkbox in the global settings and combo box on the actual grading page is a real faux pas in interface design.

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