[Modules] Stop Canvas Modules from Auto-Publishing All Content Inside a Module When a Module is Published

[khearn1]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

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My university is finding the fact that publishing a module auto-publishes all the content in it quite annoying.

I would like to be able to just publish a module and then choose what features of it that I wish to publish.

I know that I can set a limiter on when a student can actually see and interact with materials-but if a professor is uncertain about publishing certain content all at once, they have no options.

This has been asked about several times in the community-I snagged two of the best examples below.

Thank you all for your time and your vote!

[brobinson]

I have had this issue for years. I really don't get the Canvas idea of voting on an issue.  Why vote when Canvas should just fix an obvious flaw.  Who has time to share an issue, wait for votes to come in, and then hope for the problem to be fixed.  Fix the problem Canvas and move on to your many other flaws!  Too many to list or describe in a forum like this.  I have to teach children not explain the obvious to you.

"It published all the quizzes in a module and therefore, the related emails were sent to students. 

Why they should be automatically published when I intentionally made them unpublished?? It's against the instructor's privacy and the items should remain unpublished!"

[slynch3]

My sentiments EXACTLY, Ben! And that's part of the problem with Canvas's "vote to have things fixed" policy. Even though several of us have already expressed pretty much the same utter frustration with this "auto publish" mistake of theirs (and I will call it a mistake, since it contradicts what their "unpublish" button indicates), the problem hasn't been resolved. Even though we're well past the "99 votes" threshold, the problem remains.

I think I said it somewhere, here, but I think it's time to distribute bumper stickers that say "Canvas, fix yourself."

[ebert_jg]

Yes, I completely agree and have never understood why this is the way it functions (although I don't understand why most things in Canvas function the way that they do).  I also wish that content didn't automatically publish the moment you import it into a new course, which means the students receive a notification of the imported content faster than I get to it to unpublish it.  I shouldn't have to go to great lengths to set content to be hidden when trying to import it; it should just default to hidden.

[brobinson]

I still can't believe Canvas has not fixed this error.  It happened to me today with my class!  It auto-published everything in the module and a student opened the WRONG test before I could unpublish everything in the module....about 10 seconds. So everyone refreshed and took the correct test except the that one student.  He took the wrong test and know it is impossible to unpublish that test so it will always appear.  This is so dumb and frustrating.  This alone is enough for me to recommend leaving Canvas...or at least never getting started with it in the first place. 

[ap1]

Two quick fixes to this problem that worked for me.

I didn't see that anyone mentioned these, so sorry if I missed it.

1) Publish a module without any content. Then, you should be able to add to the module after that and whatever is added won't be automatically published. 

2) If you are copying a course that has already established modules, create duplicate modules and publish them without any content. Then, drag and drop content as needed to the duplicates. 

Hopefully this helps.

AP

[slynch3]

Thanks for the suggestion, AP. I've been using a version of this. But, in my opinion, Canvas should FIX this issue. Workarounds help when there's a problem that can't be resolved. But Canvas is forcing it's users to rely on workarounds rather than resolving a design issue.

When this discussion thread had only 51 votes, I predicted that Canvas would ignore this issue until we had at least 48 more. We passed the 99-vote threshold a long time ago. We're now at 150 votes in favor of Canvas fixing this issue and, as far as I can see, all the thoughtful users in this discussion who have explained the problem and those who have offered workarounds are still being ignored by Canvas.

I admire Canvas for practically saving education in the U.S. during this pandemic. Canvas is wonderful in so many ways. But is Canvas less inclined to respond to the needs of the mid-level users (the instructors), most of whom do not pay to use Canvas but use it through their educational institutions?

Canvas, why are you ignoring this issue? How many votes will it take for you to resolve it?

[rcolascione]

Publishing a module should not publish all pages located within the module. Currently all pages within a module have to be manually unpublished, while leaving the module published. 

[Stef_retired]

@rcolascione 

Thank you for sharing this idea. Please add your comments to the ongoing discussion underway at Stop Canvas Modules from Auto-Publishing All Content Inside a Module When a Module is Published. We've archived this one to remove the duplication and keep the conversation unified in one place.

You might also be interested in subscribing to this related idea, Publish / Unpublish ALL Option.

[pxo4]

People are mentioning voting for Canvas to fix this.

Where do I vote for it?

Thanks.

[164415]

This would be a very beneficial update!!!