Due dates in courses

[Aaron Tresham]

I teach multiple sections of the same class. The assignments in SageMathCloud are the same, but the due dates may be different. Thus, I have a separate .course file in SMC for each section of the class.

I believe this is how due dates work: When I assign an assignment to a student, then the due date for that assignment is written to DUE_DATE.txt in the assignment folder in my account. Then the entire folder is copied to the student's account. When I then assign the same assignment to a student in a different course with a different due date, then the new due date is written to DUE_DATE.txt in the assignment folder in my account. Then the entire folder is copied to the student's account.

In other words, DUE_DATE.txt in my folder reflects the date from the last time I assigned it to someone - it may not match DUE_DATE.txt in a student folder.

Is this correct?

If so, then I wonder why DUE_DATE.txt exists in the instructor's folder at all. The date is available in the .course file (I'm not sure where exactly the date is stored, but it displays when you look at the assignment list).

It's not a big deal. It just bugs me that this .txt file clutters up my folder without providing useful information (of course, it provides information to the student, and so should be in the student's folder).

Thanks,

Aaron

P.S. If anyone has a better way to manage multiple sections of the same class in SMC, I would love to hear it.

[William Stein]

On Wed, Aug 10, 2016 at 1:58 PM, Aaron Tresham <atre...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I teach multiple sections of the same class. The assignments in
> SageMathCloud are the same, but the due dates may be different. Thus, I have
> a separate .course file in SMC for each section of the class.
>
> I believe this is how due dates work: When I assign an assignment to a
> student, then the due date for that assignment is written to DUE_DATE.txt in
> the assignment folder in my account. Then the entire folder is copied to the
> student's account. When I then assign the same assignment to a student in a
> different course with a different due date, then the new due date is written
> to DUE_DATE.txt in the assignment folder in my account. Then the entire
> folder is copied to the student's account.
>
> In other words, DUE_DATE.txt in my folder reflects the date from the last
> time I assigned it to someone - it may not match DUE_DATE.txt in a student
> folder.
>
> Is this correct?

Yes.

>
> If so, then I wonder why DUE_DATE.txt exists in the instructor's folder at
> all. The date is available in the .course file (I'm not sure where exactly
> the date is stored, but it displays when you look at the assignment list).

It's a hack until we have an analogue of the .course file in student
projects, which gives them meta-information about assignments, etc.

>
> It's not a big deal. It just bugs me that this .txt file clutters up my
> folder without providing useful information (of course, it provides
> information to the student, and so should be in the student's folder).
>
> Thanks,
> Aaron
>
> P.S. If anyone has a better way to manage multiple sections of the same
> class in SMC, I would love to hear it.
>

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Best Regards,
William Stein

CEO, SageMath, Inc.

[Aaron Tresham]

Oh, I see. That makes sense. I'll look forward to the student version of .course files.