How to add an assignment to a Moodle 4.0 course

How to Create and Manage an Assignment in Moodle: A Step-by-Step Guide

One of the most critical aspects of teaching is assessing student learning effectively. Assignments are a powerful tool to both evaluate and engage students, while also integrating seamlessly into your Gradebook for easy tracking. In this post, we’ll walk through how to create an assignment in Moodle, explore key settings, and understand the options you have to tailor it to your course needs.

Setting Up the Assignment

First things first — make sure you’re in your course with Edit Mode turned on. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Add an Activity or Resource:
    • Click Add an activity or resource.
    • Select Assignment from the list. (Tip: Assignment is usually at the top.)
  2. Name and Describe Your Assignment:
    • Give your assignment a clear name — for example, “Task Two.”
    • Fill in the Description field with information about the task.
    • Use the Activity Instructions field to give specific steps for completion.
    • You can also attach additional files if students need templates or resources.

Availability Settings

Set when the assignment will open, when it’s due, and when grading reminders should pop up:

  • Allow submissions from: Choose the start date.
  • Due date: Set the deadline for students.
  • Cut-off date: Optional — blocks submissions after this date.
  • Remind me to grade by: Set a reminder for yourself to complete grading.

Choosing Submission Types

Moodle offers flexible submission options:

  • Online Text: Students type directly into Moodle.
  • File Submission: Students upload a file.
  • Both: You can allow both methods if needed.

For file submissions, you can:

  • Limit the number and size of files.
  • Specify accepted file types. For example, if students must submit an SVG file, you can restrict submissions to SVG format only.

Feedback Options

You can choose how you provide feedback:

  • Comments: Leave text feedback for students.
  • Annotate PDF: If students upload PDFs, you can annotate directly on the document (if your Moodle supports this).
  • Feedback Files: Upload separate feedback documents if needed.
  • Comment Inline: Optionally, copy students’ text submissions into the feedback box for inline commenting.

Submission Settings

Moodle handles submissions a bit differently than some platforms:

  • Require students to click Submit: Students can save drafts, but must officially submit when ready.
  • Submission Statement: Students can be required to confirm their work is their own.
  • Attempts:
    • Never (default): Only one submission allowed.
    • Manually reopened: Teacher decides if a student can resubmit.
    • Automatically until pass: Students can resubmit until they pass — helpful for mastery-based assignments.

Notifications

Keep yourself updated:

  • Notify graders about submissions or late submissions.
  • Notify students automatically when grading is complete.

Grading Settings

Configure the assignment grading:

  • Grade: Set the maximum points (e.g., 100).
  • Grading Method: Stick with Simple Direct Grading for now.
  • Grade to Pass: Set a passing mark, e.g., 100.
  • Anonymous Submissions: Optionally, hide student identities from graders.
  • Marking Workflow: For more complex grading processes involving multiple stages (an advanced feature).

Common Module Settings and Activity Completion

Finally, tweak how Moodle tracks the assignment:

  • Restrict Access: Standard settings if you want to set conditions for when students can access the assignment.
  • Activity Completion:
    • Mark as complete when students submit the assignment.
    • Optionally, require a passing grade for completion.

Note: If students submit offline (e.g., on paper), you may need to adjust these settings to reflect manual grading without online submission.

Saving and Displaying the Assignment

When you save and display your assignment, you’ll see:

  • The Description displayed on the assignment page.
  • Students will follow the instructions, upload their files (if required), and officially submit their work.

Final Thoughts

Assignments in Moodle offer a ton of flexibility, but they can seem overwhelming at first. By breaking down each setting carefully, you can create structured, fair, and clear assignments that are easy for students to complete and straightforward for you to assess.

If you haven’t already, check out our guide on creating quizzes in Moodle — another fantastic assessment tool you can combine with assignments for a well-rounded course!