Your use of the Allow submissions from and Due date settings will likely be dependent on the overall structure of your course.

If you are facilitating an open-ended course or a course with rolling enrollment, then you might find it easier to not apply the Allow submissions from and Due date settings. This arrangement will allow the learners to access the assignment according to their own schedule and progress within the course.

Alternatively, if you are working within a more structured format or adhering to a timeline, the Allow submissions from and Due date settings are useful for keeping learners on schedule. 

• Students cannot submit work prior to the set Allow submissions from date/time.
  • Using the Allow submissions from setting will make it possible for learners to preview upcoming activities, while at the same time, prevent them from finishing the course in the first week and not returning for additional activities or information. 
• The Due Date is the date by which submissions are expected. 
  • Due dates help keep the learners from lagging too far behind and decrease the likelihood that the learner will become overwhelmed by having to complete several weeks' worth of work at once.

The Cut-off date is like a grace period. Submissions cannot be made after the set date/time.