Learn how to manage assessment dates when multiple course sections are merged into a single Canvas or Blackboard course.
Overview
This article covers:
How Date Syncing Works Between Blended Teaching and Your LMS
Understanding Start Dates, Due Dates, and End Dates
Integrated Textbooks
Why End Dates Are Still Important
Recommended Setup for Canvas (With Example)
Recommended Setup for Blackboard
Unintegrated Textbooks
FAQ
First, check which setup you have. Everything below is about sections merged into a single LMS course. If each of your sections has its own Canvas or Blackboard course, each of those courses needs its own Blended textbook, and each sets its own dates independently. None of the limitations here apply to you. → A Guide to Teaching Multiple Sections
1. How Date Syncing Works Between Blended and Your LMS
Canvas and Blackboard do not receive the same dates, so check your LMS below.
Canvas
Start dates sync to Canvas (as the assignment's Available from date)
Due dates sync to Canvas
End dates do not sync to Canvas
Blackboard
Due dates sync to Blackboard
Start dates reach Blackboard only when the textbook is installed. The start date becomes the Blackboard item's release condition at that moment. Changing a start date in Blended afterwards does not update Blackboard, because Blackboard has no start date on a gradebook column for us to update.
End dates do not sync to Blackboard
If multiple start dates or due dates are set on the same assessment in Blended:
Only the top date (the dates for the whole class) is sent to Canvas or Blackboard
Dates added for a section or a student under + Assign To are never sent
All students will see the class date in the LMS, even if it does not apply to them
This can result in Canvas or Blackboard displaying one date while Blended enforces a different date for a student.
2. Understanding Start Dates, Due Dates, and End Dates
Each date controls a different part of the assessment experience:
Start date
The date and time when students are allowed to begin the assessment.
Due date
The date and time when a submission is considered on time.
End date
The hard cutoff for submissions. After this date and time, submissions are no longer accepted.
If there is a gap between the due date and the end date, students can submit late during that window. Once the end date is reached, the assessment automatically closes and submits.
3. Integrated Textbooks
If your textbook is integrated with Canvas or Blackboard, due dates automatically sync into the LMS, and in Canvas start dates do too.
3.1 When to set dates in Blended
You can set start dates and due dates directly in Blended if an assessment:
Uses the same dates for all sections, and
Does not require different availability or deadlines by section
In this case, the dates will sync cleanly to Canvas or Blackboard and apply consistently to all students.
3.2 Limitation when multiple dates are set on the same assessment
This limitation applies to one specific setup: multiple sections merged into a single Canvas or Blackboard course shell that need different due dates for the same assessment. If each of your sections has its own separate shell, this does not apply. Each shell syncs its own dates cleanly, and you can set dates in Blended as usual.
Sections in separate shells need separate textbooks. A textbook bonds to one LMS course and one only, so if each of your sections has its own Canvas or Blackboard course, each of those courses needs its own textbook. Each section then carries its own dates with nothing to work around. → A Guide to Teaching Multiple Sections
In the merged-shell case, if different sections require different start dates or due dates for the same assessment:
We send one set of dates per assessment: one start date and one due date to Canvas, one due date to Blackboard
All students will see the same date in the LMS
Students may see a different (correct) date when opening the assessment in Blended
To avoid confusion, section-specific start dates and due dates should be managed in the LMS, not in Blended.
Note: For integrated courses, sections in Blended are optional and are only needed if you want to enforce section-specific end dates. Otherwise, section-specific start and due dates can be managed entirely in Canvas or Blackboard.
4. Why End Dates Are Still Important
Even when start dates and due dates are managed in Canvas or Blackboard, an end date in Blended still enforces a hard submission cutoff.
For integrated courses, creating sections in Blended is optional. Sections are only needed if you want Blended to enforce different end dates for different sections. If all students share the same cutoff, you can use a single end date, or no end date at all.
Without an end date, a student could:
Open an exam in Canvas or Blackboard just before the due date,
Use the full time limit (for example, two hours),
Submit well after the intended cutoff
When an end date is set in Blended:
The assessment automatically stops at the end date
The attempt is submitted immediately
The cutoff is enforced consistently for all students
End dates do not sync to the LMS, but they are essential for enforcing submission limits accurately.
5. Recommended Setup for Canvas (With Example)
5.1 Example scenario
You have two sections combined into a single Canvas course, and you want different schedules for a final exam:
Section 1
Start date: January 1
Due date: January 3 at 11:59 PM
End/Until date: January 3 at 11:59 PM
Section 2
Start date: January 2
Due date: January 4 at 11:59 PM
End/Until date: January 4 at 11:59 PM
5.2 Correct setup
In Canvas
Edit the assessment and, under Assign Access, assign it to each section with + Assign To
Set section-specific Available from and Due dates on each section's card
Set the Until date, if desired, to lock the assessment from being started after a certain cutoff.
In Blended
Do not set start dates or due dates
Set end dates only
This ensures that:
Canvas shows the correct dates to each section
The end date in Blended enforces a hard cutoff for submissions
The Until date in Canvas locks the link to the assessment from being opened after the specified time
Optional: Set late submission penalty
When using this setup, any late penalties must be set in Canvas. We can only apply a late penalty when an assessment has a due date and an end date set in Blended.
Note: While end dates are recommended, they are not required in this scenario (See more in the FAQ under: 8.7 Do I have to set end dates in Blended if I'm using multiple dates for different sections in my LMS?).
6. Recommended Setup for Blackboard
The same example applies, with one difference: Blackboard receives only the due date from Blended. A start date reaches Blackboard once, when the textbook is installed, and does not move afterwards.
In Blackboard
Set each section's due date on the assessment in Blackboard, not in Blended
In Blended
Do not set start dates or due dates
Set end dates only, one per section if the sections close at different times
This ensures that:
Blackboard shows each section the due date you set there
The end date in Blended enforces a hard cutoff for submissions
Late penalties must be set in Blackboard. We can only apply a late penalty when an assessment has a due date and an end date set in Blended.
7. Unintegrated Textbooks
If your textbook is not integrated with Canvas or Blackboard:
Dates do not sync into the LMS
LMS date limitations do not apply
In this setup, you can:
Set start dates, due dates, and end dates directly in Blended
Assign different dates to different sections without issue
Rely entirely on Blended to control access and deadlines
Students will see and follow the correct dates directly in Blended.
8. FAQ
8.1 Why do my students see different dates in Canvas or Blackboard and Blended?
Canvas can only display one synced start date and one due date, and Blackboard one synced due date. If multiple dates exist in Blended, only the class's date is shown in the LMS.
8.2 Does the end date affect whether a submission is on time?
No. The due date determines whether a submission is considered on time. The end date determines when submissions stop being accepted.
8.3 What is the safest setup for multiple sections in one LMS course?
Integrated textbook: Set start dates and due dates in Canvas or Blackboard, and use end dates in Blended.
Unintegrated textbook: Manage all dates directly in Blended.
8.4 I set dates in Canvas or Blackboard, how do I apply late-submission penalties?
If dates are set in Canvas or Blackboard, late submission penalties must also be set in Canvas or Blackboard. A penalty set up in Blended has no effect in this case, as no due date would be set.
8.5 Can I set the dates for my sections both in my LMS and in Blended?
No. For an integrated textbook, any start dates or due dates you set in Blended are sent to your LMS and override the dates set in Canvas or Blackboard for that assessment.
If multiple dates are set on the same assessment in Blended:
Only one set of dates will sync to the LMS
That synced date comes from the first (top) date listed in Blended
Dates set for additional sections will not sync or update in the LMS
Using the example below, if an assessment has dates set for Section 1 and Section 2 in Blended, only the dates for Section 1 (the first entry in the list) will appear in Canvas or Blackboard. This behavior is based on the order of the dates in Blended, not on which date occurs earliest.
8.6 Do I have to set all of my dates in my LMS?
No. We recommend setting dates in Blended whenever all sections share the same schedule. You only need to set dates in Canvas or Blackboard for assessments that require different start dates or due dates for different sections within the same course shell.
8.7 Do I have to set end dates in Blended if I'm using multiple dates for different sections in my LMS?
No. End dates in Blended are not required. However, we recommend using them if you prefer assessments to automatically submit after a certain cutoff time.
You can choose to set:
One end date that applies to all students, or
Different end dates per section, if needed
If you rely only on start dates and due dates in Canvas or Blackboard, a student could open an assessment just before the LMS due date and continue working until their full time limit expires, even if that extends well past the intended cutoff.
When an end date is set in Blended:
Submissions stop being accepted at the exact end date and time
Attempts automatically submit at the cutoff
End dates do not sync to the LMS, but they provide a reliable safeguard to prevent unintended late submissions.
8.8 My sections each have their own Canvas or Blackboard course. Does any of this apply to me?
No. Everything in this article is about sections merged into a single course shell. When each section has its own shell, each shell needs its own Blended textbook (a textbook bonds to one LMS course and one only) and each of those textbooks sets its own start, due and end dates independently. Nothing has to be worked around.
For how to set that up, see A Guide to Teaching Multiple Sections.