Assignment Locking gives you a two-date model for each lesson in a course: an Available From date (when the lesson unlocks for students) and a Due Date (the submission deadline). This lets you pace a course so students move through lessons in sequence, on your schedule.
For Teachers: Setting Dates When Assigning
When you assign a lesson that's part of a course, the Assign modal includes an Available From field. Here's what you can configure:
Available From — Set the date and time when the lesson becomes accessible to students
Due Date — Set the submission deadline
Auto-sequence toggle — Automatically sets each lesson's Available From date to the prior lesson's due date. This is on by default for courses with 2 or more lessons.
You can also edit Available From dates after a lesson has already been assigned. Go to your Assignments view to see which lessons are currently locked vs. live, and update dates as needed.
⚠️ Note: Enabling the Apply same dates to all lessons toggle will turn off auto-sequence.
For Students: What a Locked Lesson Looks Like
Locked lessons are visible in the course but not yet accessible. Students will see:
A lock icon and unlock date next to each upcoming lesson in the course sidebar
An "Upcoming — not yet available" section on their Dashboard showing future assignments
A "Not yet available" message if they try to open a lesson before the Available From date
Lessons unlock automatically within 60 seconds of the Available From time — no page refresh needed.
Good to Know
Past-due lessons are not locked — students can still submit late work
Locked lessons are shown (not hidden) so students can see what's coming and plan ahead
Assignment Locking applies to lessons assigned as part of a course
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off auto-sequence?
Yes. Toggle off auto-sequence in the Assign modal to set dates manually for each lesson. You can also disable it by enabling "Apply same dates to all lessons."
Can I change Available From dates after assigning?
Yes. Go to your Assignments view, find the lesson, and edit the Available From date at any time.
What if a student tries to open a locked lesson?
They'll see a "Not yet available" message along with the date the lesson will unlock. They won't be able to access the content until that date passes.
Do past-due lessons lock automatically?
No. Students can still access and submit past-due lessons. Only lessons before their Available From date are locked.