[ARCHIVED] Items auto publish within an unpublished module 01/09/2022

[AJ1981]

I hope someone is able to help.

When adding new items/files to a module which is UNpublished, the new item automatically defaults to PUBLISHED. This is very frustrating when I am adding new content for future lessons. These new items/files for future lessons pop up as new notifications for my students causing them to think they have a new assignment. I then have to go back and "unpublish" this item under the already unpublished module. There is no option to choose that I can see, as you are adding your file, to select if you want it published or not. I have a lot of NEW material I need to add for this semester and I am being bogged down by having to go back and unpublish every single item I am uploading. Any suggestions?

Thank you.

[SusanNiemeyer · Accepted solution]

The best time to load a lot of new content is before the course begins and your entire course is unpublished. However, it looks like that ship has sailed.

If you are importing or copying items from a previous course, then if the item is published in the original course, it will transfer over as published. If the item is unpublished in the original course, it will transfer over as unpublished. (e.g. published >>> published; unpublished >>> unpublished). If you are creating new content in the target course, it will be unpublished.

The problem you have is that the content from the original course is all published, and if there are student submissions, you can't change that. Here's the solution:  Set up everything in a sandbox course. You can import everything into the sandbox course, and unpublish all of the items. Then import (or copy) the unpublished items into the target course.