Student FAQ: I cannot type my answers on my assignment.

There are several reasons why you cannot type in a question. Here, we will address the common reasons and fixes.

#1. You don't have internet access.

A red error bar is show across the screen of the activity. It reads "We were unable to process your request. Please check your internet connection and try again or contact support if the issue persists." There is a white "X" on the right side of the bar.

In this case, you can type your answers. However, you will notice that your work will not save. If you are working and lose internet access, the above red bar will appear on your page. If that is the case, check your internet connection and then click the "save progress" button.

Depiction of the two buttons at the bottom of the assignment: the left, white button says "Save Progress;" the right, teal button says "Submit for Grading." The "Save Progress" button is circled in red.

If your access is restored, your work will be saved, and you will get a green bar confirming that your work was saved. If internet access was not restored, you would receive the same red error bar. If you have verified internet access but still receive this notice, you should contact our support team in the chat.

#2. You have "locked" the section.

Depiction of the "Lock Answer and Continue" button at the end of an activity section

Sometimes in an activity, you will notice a button that says "Lock Answers and Continue." When you click this button, you partially submit your assignment: those questions are locked and cannot be changed. If you attempt to click into the box with the text, you will notice that the textbox has disappeared, and a yellow notice will appear over the text.

Picture shows a screenshot of a locked answer; there is a yellow block of text in the middle of the answer that reads "this section is locked: responses cannot be modified." This yellow text is marked in a red box. There is also a red arrow pointing to the text "Section is Locked" in the bottom right corner.

If you have locked a section, you will see the text "Section is Locked at the end of the section." Students cannot unlock sections. You will need to contact your instructor if you need something unlocked.

#3. You have submitted the assignment.

At the end of an assignment, you have the option to submit the assignment. Your instructor likely expects you to submit the assignment so that they know you're done with the work. Submitting an assignment cannot be undone by the student; the instructor can "request revisions" to allow you to continue working.

Depiction of a submitted assignment. A yellow text reads "this assignment has been submitted and responses cannot be modified." It is circled in red. There is also a red arrow pointing to a shaded button reading "Submit for Grading."

When an assignment is submitted, you will notice two things:

If you try to type into a section, a yellow box will appear, saying, "this assignment has been submitted and responses cannot be modified."
The "Submit for Grading" button will be shaded and unclickable.

#4: Your instructor is no longer accepting responses.

If your instructor has stopped accepting responses, you will see this error message:

Depiction of an overdue assignment. A yellow text reads "This assignment is overdue and responses cannot be modified." It is circled in red. There is also a red arrow pointing to a shaded button reading "Submit for Grading."

This message means that your work is no longer being accepted. In this case, the "Submit for Grading" button is still shaded out, but you will notice a key difference: the yellow textbox is different. It now reads, "This assignment is overdue and responses cannot be modified." To continue working, your instructor would need to change the assignment to stop accepting responses.