This article describes what students see and experience when interacting with an assignment on your site. Students must be logged in to submit work.
Viewing an Assignment
When a student visits a page with an assignment embedded, they see the assignment title, description, instructions, grading guidelines, and submission requirements (maximum points, allowed file types, etc.). The layout adapts to the active theme (Default, Modern, or Minimal) chosen in Assignments > Settings > Appearance.
If the assignment has a due date, a notice shows the deadline and a plain-language summary of the late policy. If a student tries to submit after the submission window has closed, they see a message with the time the window closed and the form does not accept the submission. Students in a group, or with a per-student override from the Educator add-on, see their own effective dates rather than the assignment default.
Submitting Files
For file upload assignments, students see a drag-and-drop upload zone. They can drag files onto the zone or click to open a file browser. As files upload, a progress bar is displayed for each file. Students can upload multiple files up to the limits configured on the assignment.
If a student uploads a file type that isn’t allowed, or a file that exceeds the size limit, an error message is displayed immediately. The student can remove files from the upload list before submitting.
Submitting Text
For text assignments, students see a TinyMCE rich text editor with formatting controls for bold, italic, lists, links, and more. A live word count is displayed below the editor. Drafts are auto-saved periodically using the WordPress heartbeat API, so students won’t lose work if they accidentally close the browser. Text submissions have a 50,000-character limit.
Student’s Choice
When an assignment is configured for “Student’s Choice,” students see a selector that lets them choose between uploading a file or typing their response. Once they choose a method and begin, they can switch before submitting.
Student Notes
Below the upload zone or text editor, students can add optional notes for the instructor. This is useful for providing context, asking questions, or explaining something about the submission.
Submission Preview
Before submitting, students see a preview of their submission that includes a summary of the files they’ve uploaded (or the text they’ve written) and any notes. They must confirm the submission. Once submitted, the submission cannot be changed unless the instructor has enabled resubmission.
After Submitting
After a submission is confirmed, the assignment page updates to show the submission status. Students can see their submitted files, the current status (Submitted, Grading, Graded, or Returned), and any feedback once grading is complete. If the assignment allows resubmission and the student hasn’t reached the limit, a resubmit option is available. The student’s full submission history (including feedback for each attempt) is visible on the assignment page.
My Submissions Dashboard
The [pressprimer_assignment_my_submissions] shortcode or the PPA My Submissions block creates a personal dashboard where students can view all of their submissions across every assignment. This shows the assignment name, submission date, status, and score for each entry. Students must be logged in to view this page.