"copy" in modules

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Right now, it's pretty easy to "duplicate" pages, but assignments only have the "copy to" feature, relocating the assignment to another course. It would be really awesome for those of us template people that like to replicate common forms to just have a simple "copy" feature in modules that would duplicate the item and allow us to customize. I did some digging in the forum and it looked like a similar feature was suggested and eventually adopted in 2016ish, but curious as to what happened / why it went away. 

Yesterday, my suggestion got labeled with the following comment, but this is NOT what I am talking about:

@MrWilliams Thanks for sharing this idea. The instructions for duplicating and copying modules can be found in How do I duplicate a module? - Canvas Community and How do I copy a module to another course? - Canvas Community respectively. As this is existing functionality, we've archived the idea.

What I'm hoping for is, on the module screen, the ability to copy/duplicate any item in a module (e.g. an assignment or a page).  While "copy to" exists, I'm hoping for just "copy" so I can have the same thing, right there, ready for me to re-title and edit its content.  

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Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni
Status changed to: Archived

@MrWilliams 

Thanks for resubmitting this idea. What you've described—"the ability to copy/duplicate any item in a module (e.g. an assignment or a page). While 'copy to' exists, I'm hoping for just 'copy' so I can have the same thing, right there, ready for me to re-title and edit its content"—is precisely how the duplicate functionality works.

When I click on the three-dot menu next to the page title in a module, here's the menu that displays:

module duplicate page menu.png

To duplicate the page, click on Duplicate. It will immediately produce an unpublished copy of the page directly under the original with the word Copy appended to it.

The same menu is available for assignments.

We're archiving this idea as existing functionality. You'll find this documented in How do I duplicate a page in a course? - Canvas Community and  How do I duplicate an assignment? - Canvas Community 

MrWilliams
Community Explorer

Hi @Stef_retired,

While this is true for pages, discussions, and some assignments, it is not true for all items that can be nested under modules.  Any "file" cannot be duplicated, any assignment that uses an external tool cannot be duplicated (which is the majority of assignments used in our institution), quizzes cannot be duplicated, external links cannot be duplicated etc.  

Exhibit A: Assignment with duplicate

MrWilliams_0-1603282451127.png

Exhibit B: Assignment without duplicate

MrWilliams_1-1603282492536.png

As a teacher, it can be confusing and frustrating to click on your three dots and see different options for different module components, even when some of those module components are of the same "type".

The external tool assignments for us is the biggest challenge -- even if the integration can't be duplicated, being able to duplicate the basic page layout of the assignment would be super helpful.

 

 

Stef_retired
Instructure Alumni
Instructure Alumni

@MrWilliams 

I apologize for the confusion; as your idea specified "assignments" and "pages," both of which can be duplicated, I was not aware that you were specifically referencing files and external tool assignments.

The documentation notes that external tool assignments cannot be duplicated, and the functionality to duplicate an external-tool based assignment would need to be developed as a joint project with each external tool provider individually. If you'd like to share a new idea requesting a partner integration initiative with a specific app developer, please share that as its own idea.

As you've noted, files cannot be duplicated from the modules page. If you would like that idea to move forward for further discussion, please create it as a standalone idea.

Thanks.