Student-Managed Due Dates
My suggestion is to create a feature that allows students to set or adjust the due dates for their own assignments. This capability would ideally be constrained by the overall start and end dates of the course, as determined by the instructor.
The core philosophy of a self-paced course is to provide learners with the flexibility to manage their own schedules. The current system of fixed due dates can sometimes conflict with this model.
How It Could Work
When creating an assignment, an instructor could have an option to "Allow student to set own due date." If enabled, the student would see a button on the assignment page to "Set Due Date" or "Adjust Due Date." This would populate their personal calendar within the platform and trigger notifications based on their chosen date, not the instructor's original placeholder date. The instructor would still set a final deadline for the assignment, ensuring all work is completed before the course concludes.