D2L Tip: What is the difference between “Due Date” and “End Date” for the D2L Dropbox?

D2L’s Dropbox tool offers three options for attaching dates to a particular dropbox folder; these options are located in the Restrictions tab while in Edit Folder mode (see screen shot below).

I happen to be a fan of the “Has Due Date” option and, more specifically, prefer it to the “Has End Date” option.  Why?  With the due date option checked, students will see the corresponding date/time along with the other dropbox details, which may help reduce the number of “when do we have to turn it in by?” questions.  When those date and time details are associated with the “Has Due Date” option (with no end date), then the D2L Dropbox will still accept file submissions past the specified date and time; however, the late submissions will be flagged on the instructor’s end.

       Example late flag in a dropbox folder with specified due date (but no end date):

How would this differ if using the “Has End Date” option?  The dropbox folder closes – that is, it stops accepting file submissions – at the specified date and time.  Will this magically ensure that all students will turn in their work on time?  Probably not.  In my experience, when a dropbox folder stops accepting submissions, any late submissions either end up in my email inbox or a dropbox folder for a different assignment where the files are easier for me to overlook or forget about.  I happen to be an instructor that enforces deadlines, but there are occasions when a late submission is reasonable – an authorized absence or unexpected D2L downtime are two examples that come to mind.

If you already have dropbox folders set up (or have copied them over from a previous semester’s class) and would like to adjust dates, consider using the Bulk Edit option to change dates for multiple dropbox folders on the same screen; the steps for using Bulk Edit are available on the Dropbox page in the D2L Faculty Guide.  

Tip contributed by Laura Middlesworth

D2L Tip: Options for HTML pages in D2L

This video explores two different options for using HTML files in your D2L course. Instructional Designer April Pierson provides tips on how to lay out your D2L content in order to make it user friendly for both yourself and your students.




If you’re interested in taking advantage of these features, contact an instructional designer or CETL to set up an individual appointment.

D2L Tip: Quiz Preview

Any time you create a quiz in D2L, use the Preview function to review the quiz before making it available to students. Previewing allows you to view and take the quiz from the student perspective, giving you the opportunity to re-examine the accuracy of your questions, answers, and images.

This upfront investment of time will benefit you in the form of reduced emails and phone calls from concerned students and time saved by not having to resolve grading issues after the quiz is taken.

How to find the quiz preview function:

•      Access the Quizzes link on the navigation bar in your D2L course.
•      Click on the arrow to the right of any quiz name in the Quizzes list.
•      Choose Preview from the dropdown menu.

•      The quiz instruction page appears showing:
1. The quiz details including the quiz period, time allowed and number of attempts allowed and taken,
2. The standard instructions built into all D2L quizzes.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and press the button in the lower left. 

• Confirm by pressing OK in the dialog box that appears on the screen.
• Quiz questions then display to you—read the questions, select your answers, and press the SAVE button after each question—just as students are reminded to do.
• Watch for errors such as typos, formatting, wording clarity, and presence and clarity of images in questions referring to diagrams, tables, or photos.
• Make note of any errors you locate and correct them when you exit Preview mode.
•  Submit your quiz; the quiz grade will display to you by default:
1. Questions and answers will display only if you set up the default Submission View to allow students to immediately see questions and answers
2. Make note of any problems or errors with the Submission Views (answer views) information so you may correct any errors
3. Preview attempts are not saved so you won’t see this attempt in the list of student attempts; your score won’t appear in the D2L gradebook.

After you correct errors found during quiz previews, it’s important to preview again to verify that your corrections appear as you intend.

See the Faculty D2L Help Quizzes documentation for additional information about editing quizzes, modifying submission views, and more.

Tip provided by Roxie Muldoon

D2L Tip: Displaying users without D2L Dropbox submissions

One of my favorite features of our current version of D2L is the ability to leave feedback for students who did not submit a file to the Dropbox.  Even the initial step of that process – filtering the Dropbox to show the users without submissions – is helpful so that I know who to reach out to when, for example, the due date for a high-stakes assignment is around the corner.

Here are the steps for displaying the users without submissions:

• In the Dropbox tool, click on the title of the Dropbox folder to access the Folder Submissions view.
• Select “Users without submissions” from the Submissions drop-down menu (highlighted in image below).
• Click on the magnifying glass icon/button (circled in blue in image below) to display all users without submissions. 

Note: Additional criteria can be entered in the “Search For” box to narrow the results even further.

The link to “Evaluate” work will appear to the right of each user’s name even though they do not have a submission:

This ability to leave feedback – a grade and/or comments (text or audio) – for users without submissions is especially handy when a student accidentally submits to the wrong dropbox folder or sends a file via email; in the case that the Dropbox folder is linked with a Grade Item, I can leave feedback right in the Dropbox folder, and the grade and/or comments will display in the Grades tool. 

The ability to use the same approach for every student, regardless of whether or not the file made it to the Dropbox folder, is greatly appreciated.

Tip contributed by Laura Middlesworth

D2L Tip: Entering the same grade for multiple students

My classes often include a collection of low-stakes assignments each worth a handful of points. At first, I was hesitant to add more “things” to grade, but D2L actually makes it rather easy to enter grades/points quickly when many students receive the same grade.  Here are the steps:

In the Grades tool, click on the arrow next to the grade item and select Grade All from the drop-down menu.

On the Grade Item screen, check the boxes next to the names of the students who will receive the same grade.

Click on the Grade link (circled in blue below), and the Grade Selected window will open; type the grade into the box and click the blue Save button to enter the grade for the selected students.

The grade you just entered will now show up on the main Grade Item page for the selected students.  Don’t forget to click Save on the main Grade Item page to save the grades before moving on!

You will be asked to confirm the changes and then my favorite message, “Saved successfully,” pops up, letting me know that I can cross that item off my To Do list and move on to the next.  

Tip contributed by Laura Middlesworth