Timed Assignments

One of the building blocks of a learning management system (LMS) is the assignment component or tool. This represents the general task a student or team is asked to perform and provides the interface to do so. Often, these assignments are assessments with a time based component to them. Deadlines. Allowed time to complete a task.

In a traditional classroom, the physical assembly of the class presents the start time and the duration allowed for assessments. The concept of a start time and a due time are translated into these LMS environments. An assignment has a start time and a deadline. However, in this virtual environment, it is often preferable to present a relative deadline to each student. For example, you have two hours to complete this assignment from the time you start it. This may be framed in the context of an assignment requiring that the assignment begin after a certain time and that it must be completed before a certain time overall. The student must complete the assignment in two hours where the assignment is available between a start date and a due date.