Flexible Assignment Deadlines: Drop Low Assignment Model
Embed flexibility at the grade level using Assignment Groups in Canvas.
By Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and LearningDrop Lowest Assignment
The drop the lowest assignment model embeds flexibility at the grade level by allowing one designated low-stakes assignment to be missed or underperformed without penalty. Using Canvas’s built-in Assignment Group settings, this approach provides a predictable safety net for students while maintaining firm deadlines and consistent academic standards. It is particularly effective in large courses with frequent, repeatable assessments.
Students are permitted to drop their lowest scored assignment without penalty. Canvas automatically drops the lowest score within a specific assignment group at the end of the term. All assignments keep their firm deadlines.
Why Use It
This model embeds flexibility at the grade level instead of the deadline level, removing the need for extensions, tracking, or negotiating timelines. Standards remain the same and the rule is applied to all students. This model is best for:
- Large enrollment courses
- Weekly quizzes, practice activities, reflections, or problem sets
- Courses with repetitive, regular low stakes assessments
Why This Work for Students
From a student perspective, this model is clear, predictable, and equitable as the same rules apply to everyone, low stress, students decide when (or if) to use their drop, and is consistent with academic integrity.
Example: You have a second-year course with weekly online practice quizzes (10 total), each worth 2% of the final grade. To assist students that may miss or perform poorly on a quiz, the lowest grade is dropped to relieve pressure off the overall grade of the weekly quizzes. This benefits all students as extension requests will be lower and if all quizzes are completed, the lowest grade is still dropped, potentially improving the overall quiz score.
Canvas Tools for Dropping the Lowest Assignment
This model relies on Assignment Groups, a standard Canvas feature that scales well for large classes and requires no ongoing instructor intervention. See these Canvas tools:
- Assignment Groups: to group eligible assignments
- Drop Lowest Score setting: automatically removes one score
- Standard Due Dates: all assignments retain firm deadlines
No individual extensions, special access, or tracking tools are required. See this instructional video to learn more about how to implement this model into your course:
Video - Canvas Assignment Groups to Drop the Lowest Score
Key Takeaway
The drop the lowest assignment model works best when applied to regular, low stakes work and communicated clearly at the start of the course. By offering a single, built-in buffer for short-term disruptions, instructors can reduce administrative workload and support student self-regulation without negotiating individual timelines or lowering expectations.
For support and guidance on designing flexible and inclusive courses connect with the Flexible Learning Team (FLT) at the Gwenna Moss Centre.
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Article Series: See all articles related to Flexible Assignment Deadlines
- Structuring Your Courses with Flexible Assignment Deadlines
- Flexible Assignment Deadlines: Grace Window Model
- Flexible Assignment Deadlines: Drop Lowest Assignment Model (this article)
- Flexible Assignment Deadlines: Rolling Deadlines with Checkpoints
Title image credit: Serena Assie, Instructional Designer, GMCTL
This article was created with the assistance of AI tools, as described in the GMCTL AI Disclosure Statement.