[Course Import/Export] Set all to unpublished when Importing

[acooper]

Hi,

When I import content from another course, I would like all assignments and other content to be unpublished by default. Currently, when I copy course content, I need to click through all of the content to unpublish them if they were published in the old course.

Thanks,

Adam

[Cortney_LC]

This would be a great feature and has been brought up by our pre-semester startup team many times. I agree with some of the other people commenting, that you should have a choice to import content as published or unpublished. 

There seems to be a lot of support for this idea and it moved to Production Radar but it seems it has sat at that stage for about just under 4.5 years. It would be great to see this request move to the next stage...

[SusanNiemeyer]

Every semester, I import all of the modules from the previous semester's course into a new course shell. I have 16 weekly modules for each course, and each module can contain up to 20 separate items. That's 320 pages, assignments, quizzes, and discussions, per course. Each semester, I teach three courses, with a grand total of 960 separate items.

As you know, anything that is "published" in the original course will come over as "published" in the new course shell. That's a problem. I intentionally publish each module on a weekly basis. Until the module is ready for student view, I keep all of the items contained within it unpublished. 

So, here's what happens each and every semester..... I run the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome by unpublishing all 960 separate items. In other words, death by a thousand clicks.

Here's the solution: Whenever an item is copied or imported from one course to another, it should come over as "unpublished." 

Are there any plans to make the instructor experience easier?

[joanna_d]

Yes, please! This would improve workflow significantly and empower everyone to work on content in a more meaningful way rather than individually clicking through many many items to unpublish. 

[rislis]

It's time to make this happen, Canvas!  Teacher time is of the utmost of importance, and the time it takes to unpublish things individually is staggeringly wasteful.

[sfuentes2]

Hello! Just following up on the issue as I just imported a previous course and I too am now spending a large amount of time unpublishing all my content. I have two more courses to import and unpublish after this one. This is exactly why I'm using my precious summer time to unpublish 3 courses worth before I hit the ground running for the new school year. I see this issue has been on the "radar" for quite a few years and I wonder if there is any update. We appreciate your time and attention to this important request!

Thanks so much!

[mlapriore234]

I'm just posting to echo @sfuentes2 above...time to get new semester courses in order and I would REALLY like to not have to click unpublish on every single page that comes through from an imported course. Please update us if this option has been or will be added soon 🙂

[sallen3]

It seems like this discussion started in 2016 and it is now 2022. Many votes on the topic as well...

It would be great to have a way to unplublish multiple assignments at once! Or have all assignments automatically imported when moving a copied course from the prior year. 

[HeatherAbello]

I am shocked that this topic has been out there for over 5 years!  This is a struggle at our school.  At the start of the school year, students can see published assignments imported from another course and get nervous, all because the instructor forgot to unpublish each or wasn't able to put in the time to individually unpublish each assignment, or the fact that they were published wasn't visible (e.g. collapsed module view).  

[anilles]

Please make this happen. Instructors spend so much time trying to unpublish each assignment. There has to be a way to import with the option of everything being unpublished.

[anilles]

Please make this happen. Instructors spend so much time trying to unpublish each assignment. There has to be a way to import with the option of everything being unpublished.