Representation of optional exercises

[PasiSa]

The way how optional exercises are represented currently is problematic. If points are assigned for optional exercises, they mess up the calculation of total points. On the other hand, if points are not assigned for optional tasks, they may not be motivating for students. This issue needs further clarification, but some initial ideas from @jsorva :

• Round should be highlighted as green if all mandatory tasks are completed, even in optional are not, along with some additional highlight for those who also completed the optional tasks.
• Marking some point categories as optional, to be not counted towards total score.

[PasiSa]

Notes from a meeting today: there should be a new exercise attribute that indicates an optional task, and does prevent the color highlighting of completed mandatory tasks.

[markkuriekkinen]

The green and yellow points progress bars and badges are problematic even with mandatory exercises. It may be possible to get the best grade in a course without getting full points in every mandatory exercise. The green colour focuses too much on getting full points everywhere.

A+ exercises already have the setting "points_to_pass" that can be used to define a minimum required level.

In the summer 2020, we already started a revamp of the points user interface. The new points component does not depend on the green and yellow colours and it is able to emphasize both the "good enough" level and the "full points" level. The pull request is not finished, but it has a good start. https://github.com/apluslms/a-plus/pull/646

[jsorva]

This has continued to cause confusion and annoyance to students in Fall 2022. I promised to several students that I’d make sure this is (still) on the A+ devs’ TODO list.

(Not saying there aren’t more pressing issues to deal with — there are; just saying that this remains a thing.)

[jsorva]

Additional point: It would be nice if optional exercises could be submitted after the module’s deadline, without penalty.

[markkuriekkinen]

Additional point: It would be nice if optional exercises could be submitted after the module’s deadline, without penalty.

This could already be done. Set optional exercises to a different category than the normal exercises and allow unofficial submissions in the new optional category. The submissions will have the status "unofficial", though, which does not add points to the module's/week's total points progress bar. (The category setting is different than the difficulty. O1 uses A-B-C difficulties and a category "Graded/Pisteytetty".)

[jsorva]

Additional point: It would be nice if optional exercises could be submitted after the module’s deadline, without penalty.

This could already be done. Set optional exercises to a different category than the normal exercises and allow unofficial submissions in the new optional category. The submissions will have the status "unofficial", though, which does not add points to the module's/week's total points progress bar. (The category setting is different than the difficulty. O1 uses A-B-C difficulties and a category "Graded/Pisteytetty".)

OK, that’s great! I forgot about this new-ish(?) feature.

[jsorva]

This has continued to cause confusion and annoyance to students in Fall 2022. I promised to several students that I’d make sure this is (still) on the A+ devs’ TODO list.

(Not saying there aren’t more pressing issues to deal with — there are; just saying that this remains a thing.)

Just a note to say that still remains a thing and the issue has caused confusion among students. Still not a critical thing, though.