Add feedback message support to request approval/rejection flow

[Copilot]

General Info

• Pivotal Tracker Story
• Breaking? No

Changes

Instructors can now provide feedback when approving or rejecting extension requests. Feedback is stored in the database and included in email notifications to students.

Database Schema

• requests.feedback_message (text, nullable) - stores instructor feedback for both approved/rejected requests
• course_settings.rejection_email_subject (string, nullable) - customizable rejection email subject
• course_settings.rejection_email_template (text, nullable) - customizable rejection email body with {{feedback_message}} placeholder
• No database-level defaults: Default values are provided by the application layer through constants in the CourseSettings model

Model Layer

# Updated method signatures with optional keyword argument
request.approve(lms_facade, user, feedback_message: "Approved with note")
request.reject(user, feedback_message: "Past deadline")

# Email template selection based on status
def send_email_response
  if status == 'denied'
    subject_template = cs.rejection_email_subject.presence || CourseSettings::DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_SUBJECT
    body_template = cs.rejection_email_template.presence || CourseSettings::DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_TEMPLATE
  end
  # mapping includes 'feedback_message' with default fallback
end

Application-Layer Defaults:

• CourseSettings::DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_SUBJECT - default rejection subject line
• CourseSettings::DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_TEMPLATE - default rejection template with {{feedback_message}}
• Request::DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_MESSAGE - default message when feedback is nil

UI/UX

• Replaced direct approve/reject buttons with Bootstrap 5 modals
• Approve modal: optional feedback textarea (3 rows)
• Reject modal: required feedback textarea (4 rows) with HTML5 validation
• Both modals include proper ARIA labels (aria-labelledby, aria-describedby) and keyboard navigation

Backward Compatibility

• feedback_message parameter is optional (defaults to nil)
• Falls back to application-defined default templates if rejection templates not configured
• Default message "No additional feedback provided." used in emails when feedback_message is nil
• Existing approve/reject calls work unchanged

Testing

Added 20 test cases:

• Model tests: approve/reject with/without feedback_message, email template selection
• Controller tests: parameter passing from forms to model methods
• Email tests: rejection template usage, default message handling

All tests pass. Syntax validated with ruby -c.

Documentation

Updated instructor documentation in docs/instructors.md:

• Added "Providing Feedback to Students" section explaining the approve/reject feedback feature
• Added "Rejection Email Template" subsection with configuration instructions and example template
• Updated available email template variables list to include {{feedback_message}}

Code includes self-documenting constants:

• DEFAULT_FEEDBACK_MESSAGE, DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_SUBJECT, DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_TEMPLATE
• ARIA labels in views explain field purposes

Checklist

• Name of branch corresponds to story (copilot/improve-request-rejection-flow)

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Improve the Request Rejection Flow (Custom Templates)</issue_title>
<issue_description>- [ ] #150

• Create a specific email template for rejected requests. This template should include the reason provided. </issue_description>

<agent_instructions>Please start by adding a migration and improving the instructor UI. Make a new popup window (following Bootstrap conventions).

Please add tests
HTML should meet accessibility standards.
Please make distinct commits for individual components of work.</agent_instructions>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

@cycomachead - the reject button should pop up a text box asking for a reason - there should be a new email template specifically for rejected requests which has a new field `feedback_message` that can be injected in the body - this `feedback_message` should be saved as a field on the extension request table

Round two:

• adapt the approval flow to optionally pass an additional feedback message. </comment_new>

• Fixes Improve the Request Rejection Flow (Custom Templates) #223

---

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[cycomachead]

@copilot can you remove the default text from the DB entry.

Update docs/instructors documentation

[Copilot]

@copilot can you remove the default text from the DB entry.

Update docs/instructors documentation

Done in commit 1d10e5f:

1. Removed default text from DB migration: The rejection_email_subject and rejection_email_template columns no longer have database-level defaults. Instead, defaults are provided by the application layer using constants in the CourseSettings model (DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_SUBJECT and DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_TEMPLATE).

2. Updated instructor documentation: Added comprehensive documentation in docs/instructors.md:

   • New "Providing Feedback to Students" section explaining the approve/reject feedback feature
   • New "Rejection Email Template" subsection with configuration instructions and example template
   • Updated variables list to include {{feedback_message}}

The Request model now uses CourseSettings::DEFAULT_REJECTION_EMAIL_TEMPLATE as the fallback when rejection_email_template is nil in the database.