Assignments | How to edit an Assignment in Brightspace

After an Assignment has been created with the Assignment tool in Brightspace, it is possible to later modify the different properties and settings of it. These can be the deadline, the assignment name, grade item attached, or even Turnitin.

In this article you will learn:

Which Assignment settings can be edited?

The option to edit the settings of an existing assignment depends on whether the assignment already has submissions from students or not yet.

The overview presented in the table below gives details on which setting can and cannot be modified in an existing Brightspace Assignment, without submission and with submission.

Brightspace Assignment: without submission with submission
Visibility

  • can be modified, added or removed

  • can be modified, added or removed
Assignment name
Grade Out Of
Due Date
Assignment description
Availability Dates & Conditions
  • Start Date
  • End Date
  • Release Conditions
  • Special Access
  • can be modified, added or removed
Submission & Completion
  • Assignment Type (Individual/Group)
  • Assignment Category
  • Submission Type
  • Submission settings
  • Assignment Type cannot be modified
  • Assignment Category can be modified
  • Submission settings can be modified for:
    • File submission - the number of files allowed per submission, the file extension allowed, submission acceptance, notification email
    • Text submission - the submission acceptance
  • Submission settings cannot be modified for:
    • Observed in person 
    • On paper submission 
Evaluation & Feedback
  • Rubric
  • Annotation tools
  • Anonymous Marking (for File submission)
  • Turnitin® Integration
  • Rubric can be added or removed
  • Annotation tools option can be modified
  • Anonymous Marking cannot be modified
  • Turnitin can be added or removed 

The following steps are the same for both, an assignment without submissions and an assignment with submissions. The only difference is the settings you will be able to modify (Which Assignment settings can be modified?).

Navigate to the course where you want to edit the assignment. Then, in the green navigation bar,

  1. Click Assessment
  2. Click Assignments
Screenshot shows the brightspace course page where you click in the green navigation bar the option Assessment, then select assignments

This will lead you to the Assignments homepage. Here, navigate to the existing assignment you want to edit.

  1. Click the downward arrow next to the assignment name
  2. Click Edit Assignment from the drop-down menu
The screenshots shows the Assignments homepage where the downward arrow of the particular assignment is highlighed to click on, and then a drop down menu shows with the option to Edit assignment.

This action will open the Assignment's settings page.

Assignment without submissions

If the existing assignment has no submissions yet, you are able to modify all the settings (see Which Assignment settings can be modified?).

Screenshot of the assignment's settings page where different settigns can be modified

Assignment with submissions

If the assignment has submissions already, a warning message appears on top of the the assignment's settings page informing that some settings cannot be changed. You will still be able to modify some of the settings (see Which Assignment settings can be modified?).

Screenshot of the assignment's settings page where different settigns can be modified, but with a warning message for some settings being locked (case of assignment with submissions)

Whether a Brightspace assignment has submissions or not, but you made changes to its settings, to finish the editing process click the button Save and Close at the bottom of the page for the changes to take effect.

Edit Assignment via the Assignment's Submissions homepage

The following steps are the same for both, an assignment without submissions and an assignment with submissions. The only difference is the settings you will be able to modify (Which Assignment settings can be modified?).

Navigate to the course where you want to edit the existing assignment. Then, in the green navigation bar,

  1. Click Assessment
  2. Click Assignments
Screenshot shows the brightspace course page where you click in the green navigation bar the option Assessment, then select assignments

This will lead you to the Assignments homepage. Here, navigate to the existing assignment you want to edit, and

  1. Click the [assignment name]
Assignments homepage - Click on the title of the Assignment

This will redirect you to the Submissions homepage of the assignment.

  1. Click the button Edit Assignment
Screenshot shows the submission page of the assignment, with the button to Edit assignment

This will open the Assignment's settings page where you can do the modifications, regardless of the assignment having submissions from students or not yet. The only difference will be a warning message appearing at the top of the assignment's settings page informing  that some settings cannot me changed. You will still able to modify some of the settings (see Which Assignment settings can be modified?).

You now know how to edit an existing Brightspace Assignment!