Extending time in Assessments

Gwendolyn Bush

This is the question posed by one of my teachers:


When I have a student who is absent, I try to go in and use the "extend" feature to allow that student to take the online assessment, but it never works. The only way I have had success with this is to go in and actually change the deadline to the day he is taking it. This is quite a hassle when working with absent students, so I'm wondering if there is anything I can do with the "extend" deadline part to actually have that work for me. I don't know if I'm missing a step or using it incorrectly, or what.


Has anyone found a better solution to this issue?

Brian Gray

The problem with extending time past a due-date is a known bug. Changing the due-date into the future is the work-around recommended by Blackbaud until the bg is fixed.

Gwendolyn Bush

Thank you!


One thing I figured out is teachers are placing a Zero in the grade book for students then try to extend the time. 

Once the teacher erased the zero, he was able to extend the time without changing the due date and it worked fine.

Megan Day

I got a response from support on Tuesday that the "Extend" option bug was fixed and works now. The gradebook considers a "0" as being graded. If the teacher grades an assessment, the student won't be able to take it. 

Gwendolyn Bush

Yes, removing the zero worked for some teachers. But we are still having problems as some teachers extend the time, the system marks the assessment as late and does not allow the student to retake the assessment. So we are still having issues with this. He has to change the due date in order for him to extend the student's assessment.

Br. Michael Fugger

Gwendolyn, I had issues similar to yours in that the student could not either start or finish (if he had started) when I entered a zero and extended the date. I found that removing the zero AND the other annotations, i.e. Missing, Late, Exempt, allowed him to continue once I gave him an extra day or however many he needed. Not sure this would work for you or addresses the particular issue you are experiencing, but it might be worth a try.

Michael

Josceline Reardon

The bug with the extend button was fixed last week. The teacher still has to remove the L or M from the grade book and extend the time and that should work.

Janice Bonczek

Hi, we are having a similar problem (can't ever get the "extend" option to work). I see Josceline wrote that the extend button bug was fixed last month, (but also to remove L or M from the gradebook), if so I have a question:


How can the teacher remove the L, "late" notation from the gradebook, if it marks the assessment as "overdue" when you fill in a number in the box next to the "Extend" button?

According to the instructions on KB, you're supposed to press the "extend" button, and then put how many days you want to extend it in the box next to it. That box next to it still says "days late" and will mark the assessment as overdue when you enter anything in there. 


We have been unable to get the extend feature to work even once, and when I spoke to support, she was unable to answer my question of: 

What are the parameters that need to be in effect for the "Extend" function to work? (ie: Will it not work if the student has submitted already? Does the test have to never have been started for it to work, like an absent student? Do you need to have "save and continue" option enabled for it to work as intended? Is there currently a bug that is preventing the "Extend" function from working as expected?. She told me to check on the community boards so here I am. (And then finally told me that there is still a bug preventing Extend from being used as documented)


I am in the IT, and I find the assessment module extremely confusing, so I can only imagine what my less tech savvy teachers think. I have also noticed that there is no basic troubleshooting written in the KB articles on assessments that I have been able to find. As well as no specifications on the parameters under which some of the options will work. (As stated above)


Please advise, thanks

Janice Bonczek


 

Fred Germano

This has been a recurring problem for our teachers as well.  Problems with assessments are causing frustration for teachers and students.  Tests time-out, locking the student in "paused" mode until Bb support fixes it.  Teachers report students losing work.   According to support this could be cause by anything like too many tabs open on the browser, bad internet connection, etc.  Guidance from support is to extend the due date as a work around.  Also, can't print the assessment from the results screen.  


Let me know if you hear of a solution. 

Steven Bailey

Hi Josceline... I think that removing the L or M from grade book should NOT be required... It is a work about. The asessment was not completed as required .. I have extended it but that means it is still LATE or MISSING... As teacher this system should NOT work that way. It is a workabout ... Do you know when this will be fixed.? Steve

Steven Bailey

This extending has not consitently worked for me... something is lurking in there that is not correct.

Steven Bailey

Hey Brian.. the future is now ... it has been 3 months and I feel that the extend option still does not work correctly.