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We have a vendor that is about to make changes to their courses and our child copies have active students that will be impacted. What is the fastest and easiest way to break the connection from our child copies to make them effectively static copies?
If I rename a folder in my child copy, is that sufficient to break the connection so we do not receive the updates? (We do not wish to receive the updates.)
Comments (11)
Hey Lyn:
There isn't a real clean and easy way to do this. Ideally, if a vendor is making significant changes, they would create a new version or master course so that it would not impact existing users. Otherwise, you could do a static copy of the master course, and then update (through the API) each of your courses' `baseid` to point to the new static copy. That way it will no longer inherit updates from the vendor's master, but would inherit from the new static copy, which you could control.
Does this help?
Thanks Brad. That was my second thought, but with the NetSuite and Genius considerations, I was thinking of trying to break the connection from our copy, and use that as our last resort. Since the courses don't have many folders, that is whyI was curious if renaming that single object would protect the contents from receiving edits?
No, changing the folder title would not unlink the contents from receiving updates.
Hello Brad,
The process you described, this would be to run UdpateCourses through DLAP in order to update the BaseID of the child copies, right?
And, to clarify:
1. The BaseID is the ONLY thing we want/need to change (to point to a new master),
and
2. The new BaseID will simply be the CourseID of our new static master
Correct?
Also, just to reassure me...
if we performed a BaseID update on an active child course (one in which students are actively working),
This should not result in any kind of disruption for those students, correct?
Hey NCLI:
"The process you described, this would be to run UdpateCourses through DLAP in order to update the BaseID of the child copies, right?"
Yes, that is correct. You would update (UpdateCourses) the child copies' `baseid`.
"The BaseID is the ONLY thing we want/need to change (to point to a new master)"
Yes, that is correct.
"The new BaseID will simply be the CourseID of our new static master"
Yes, that is correct. Note that once the new static master is the `baseid` of another course, it is now the master/parent course of the child copies.
"if we performed a BaseID update on an active child course (one in which students are actively working), This should not result in any kind of disruption for those students, correct?"
No, it should not. However, you have to make sure that the new `baseid` is indeed pointing to the static copy of the previous master. If the two courses (old `baseid` and new `baseid`) do not have the exact same content, then there will likely be problems. However, if the two courses do have the exact same content when the switch is made, then the derivatives with a new master course will appear identical.
Hope this helps!
Thank you. The last point is understood!
Worse-case scenario, you update the `baseid` of the derivative to a wrong new master, you see a problem, and then you have to update it again to the correct or original master. No data will be lost in this. However, while it is linked to the wrong master, you won't see any of the grades in the UI.
Hello Brad,
We did the process you outlined and the content went through. Our issue is that the assessments are not visible to the students. We can see them in our new master in Brainhoney. We can then see them in the teacher sibling copies in Brainhoney. However, the assessments are not visible to the students in Brainhoney.
We can see the assessments in Buzz though. We haven't moved to Buzz though.
Suggestions?
I have a (somewhat) related question.
I brought in several modules worth of content through the library using 'link to activity'. My understanding is that the links created are similar or the same as when copying courses using a derivative child. (is this accurate?)
When linked, I was surprised to find that teachers are now unable to edit the "Content" frame of Assessments and Assignments. It says "Read Only". See screenshot below. I thought that there were no restrictions in what could be edited in a "Linked" activity.
When "Copy Activity" is used in the library, teachers can edit the 'Content' frame.
Is there a way to allow teachers to edit the 'content' frame in these activities? I do not think that linking it to another source as described above will work. I tried making a "copy" of the "linked" assignment, and it still was read-only.
I see my statement about 'link to activity' creating links the same way derivative child does is false. When a derivative child is made, it does not say read-only...
Hey Marc!
When an activity is linked through the Digital Library it will not allow users to be able to edit content in the destination course content and will therefore display as read only. Think of it as a desktop shortcut on your computer, it's not the actual program, it's a reference to the program location.
When a user selects the copy function, this makes a copy of the activity and creates it physically in the course to be able to make edits to it.