The poasassignment module allows teachers to develop single task or variations of task, collect work from students, review it and provide feedback including multi-criterion grades. Module can distribute multiple task’s variants between students in different ways, using one of distribution strategies.

The module is based on old Assignment module, but it doesn’t use sources of old Assignment  - only idea. Poasassignment extends old Assignment by introducing variants (no more single task for dozens of students), criteria for grading and sub-plugin system. That means, that all submission types, all distribute strategies, are plugins, that can be modified separately from the core.

Installing

Installing is typical for Moodle - place the “poasassignment” folder into your “mod” folder and visit admin page on your site to create all needed tables in database.

Creating poasassignment instance
First step is typical - you click “Add an activity or resource” link and select POAS assignment.

In first part of the settings page you can see dates settings. There are three critical dates in every instance - available date, choice date, submission date. You can manipulate all of them, but choice date is available, only if you choose individual tasks (variants) mode below.

You must choose, what types of submissions can be used in instance, by selecting them on settings after dates block. Currently there are two types - online text and file uploading. You can configure amount of files, their types and sizes.It is allowed to select both types or none of them. In first case student will upload files and type his text answer. The second case can be called Offline answer - submission page contains only one element - submit button. Pressing this button won’t cause saving any data - but teacher will be noted, that student is ready with his Offline answer.

If you want to use individual tasks, you must configure a few options - uniqueness and strategy. This is a typical situation, when teacher have enough tasks for each students, but can’t monitor choosing process. Poasassignment will control the process personally.

Creating tasks fields

The next step, if you choose individual tasks mode, is configuring tasks table. Not database table, of course. Visit “Tasks Fields” page to see a list of fields. Immediately after creating instance have two required fields - name and description. You are free to create as much fields, as you want, but you can’t delete this fields.

Every field is set by it’s name, type and options. F.i. list field must have variants, number field can be configured with maximum and minimum values. You can configure, who and in what conditions can see the field by setting two options. First shows field on taks page, the second hides field value from student until task will be taken.
Field, if it’s type is number of list, can be random - this means that concrete value will be generated when student takes the task.

Creating tasks

Creating task looks like creating fields. There are several required fields - task name and task description. These fields are created by default and you cannot hide or delete them. Third default option is called “Task is hidden from students” - while this option is checked, students can’t see or get this task. Other options appears after creating your own task fields. For example, we created number field “Temperature” and now you can see this field on task’s creating page.