When a user removes their submission data the outcome is confusing for two reasons:

• The submission status is not changed (i.e. if it is submitted for grading it remains in that state)
• The event in the logs describes it as a status change, and not as the submission being removed.

For example if I create an assignment with the following settings:

• Submission types: File submission
• Require students to click the submit button: No

And have a student who has submitted a file to it, so that it is in the Submitted for grading state

Then if I

1. Navigate to the assignment as a student
2. Press the Remove submission button
3. Confirm the removal

The submission now had no files, but is still in the submitted for grading state

Also from the logs it is not clear what has happened:

That they viewed the removal confirmation screen is clear, but the status change event (which is logged when the submission removal is confirmed) does not make it clear that the submission was removed.

The event itself is even more confusing if a user manages to bypass the confirmation screen so the removal log entry is alone as it reads more like a submission was made.

All of this increases the number of support we need to provide confused Teachers.

It seems that if the removal of the submission changed the status back to open would make the end state less confusing as it would mean that teachers did not see an entry as ready for grading containing nothing. It would also mean that the existing event would show the status was changed to open by the user in the logs.

But ideally the even generated would describe that the submission content had been removed as well.