Reusing / Copying a course

FELIX 10-050

What you need to know

A course should not be reused in the original, but in a copy, otherwise there might be problems with the member management and in the "Task" and "Test" modules. When copying a course, members are not copied along with it; the course ID is changed and the copied course is also cleansed of submitted files and test results.

Please note: if your course is an exam course (online exam) and/or is for collecting the consent form for an online exam, please do not copy your "old" course, but make sure to use the new "templates/master courses" directly from the corresponding:   External link opens in a new window:helpcards for online exams.

We alter these templates every semester. If you copy "old" exam courses from the previous semester, it may jeopardize the testing process.

If a group(s) exists, when a course is copied, the participants are automatically removed from the group(s) and (a) new group(s) (with new group ID) with the same name is/are created.

All course elements and their configurations, set files and the contents of HTML pages as well as wiki pages will be transferred to the copy. Module IDs do not change, so that referenced modules within the course remain intact.

A copied course is initially not accessible to students: its status is set to "Preparation" and its sharing status is set to "Private".

Instructions for creating a course copy can be found on this helpcard or also in the "Get your FELIX course ready to go" video clip.
(Attention: First copy the course as described in step 2 and then follow the tutorial).

What you have to do

  1. Bring up your course in the authoring area by clicking on the title.

  2. In your course, under "Administration", click "Copy".

    • The window for "copying" the course opens.

  3. Give the new course a title (mandatory field) and click "Copy".

    • Do not use umlauts and avoid all other special characters except (), /\, -, _.

      Use the following routine for clarity:
      Title_ if applicable, degree programme _ (your last name), example: Marketing_WNB_(Huebner).

    • The settings open.

  4. Then link the course to the catalog in the "Metadata" tab or search for the respective catalog entries (e.g. faculty abbreviation). For further information, see also Helpcard:10-030, Step 2.

  5. In the "Execution" tab, activate the "Semester" option and select the desired semester to display the time period of the course already in the catalog.
    Click on save.

  6. Then click in the "Share" tab.

    • We recommend selecting and saving "Bookable and open offers".

    • Then select a sharing method: "Access code" or "Freely available" or "Without booking" for an enrollment or "Guest".
      (see also Helpcard 10-030, Step 3).

    • Click on "Create".

  7. In your course, under "Administration", click "Course editor".

    • The course editor opens.

  8. To rename the course, add the title that is displayed in the course to the topmost cube element at "Title". If necessary, abbreviate the title in the "Title in course menu" field. "Save" your entries.

    • The "Title in course menu" is displayed on the left side of the structure. Since the structure is fixed to a certain width, a maximum of 25 characters is recommended.

    • Under "Insert further information" you can enter e.g. learning objectives and instructions for learners.

    • Check in the existing modules of the course for deadlines, especially in the "Visibility" and "Access" tabs and update them.

      Additionally, check and update deadlines in existing (group) tasks in the "Workflow" tab at "Assignment" of the task and the submission deadline. Outdated deadlines can cause problems here when the module is accessible/visible.

  9. Click the red cross (top right) to close the course editor. Select the "Publish automatically" option to publish the change. 

  10. You are now back in the course view.

  11. If desired, again set subscriptions to course elements such as Forum to be informed (by default once a day) about news. Subscriptions are not copied. More about this can be found on Helpcard 20-070.

  12. If desired, you must now enter coaches or additional co-owners in the member management. These settings are also not copied. You will find instructions on how to do this on Helpcard 20-020.

  13. Once you want your course to be available to students, you will need to change the status from "Preparation" to "Published".

    • Your course is now open for students.

  14.  You can find it at any time in the "Authoring" area under "My entries".

  15. Find out what you can do with your old course in Helpcard 10-060.

Problems or questions?