Hi,
Is there a function in Moodle to empty a course of user data to start fresh? We run the version 1.1 of Moodle.
Thanks.
Try backing the course up but not including the user data and then restore the course elsewhere. I've not tried this yet myself, but it's the way I'd do it if I needed to.
Hi!
I could understand that the admin could do this, but what about teachers without the rights of an admin? They wouldn't be able to delete the first course... We would end up with double the amount of courses every end of a term...
We've been using Moodle for a little time now and we will face this problem at the end of the term... Is anybody know when the feature of emptying a course will be implemented?
Thanks!
I could understand that the admin could do this, but what about teachers without the rights of an admin? They wouldn't be able to delete the first course... We would end up with double the amount of courses every end of a term...
We've been using Moodle for a little time now and we will face this problem at the end of the term... Is anybody know when the feature of emptying a course will be implemented?
Thanks!
Jean,
When a course backup is performed, you have many options for what gets included in the backup. For example, you don't have to include any user files, data, logs etc. This sort of backup gives you just the course resources as originally created, in a zip file that a teacher (with editing permissions) could restore at any time in any Moodle. Is this a solution?
Bryan
Hi Bryan! Thanks for your answer! 
Ok. If I do a backup of a course, my backup could be empty of the students files, data, etc. But can I restore this backup over the original course and then I will not have those files, data, etc? Or do I have to do it in another course to have a fresh course?
I will try this tomorrow to see if it works... It is not very intuitive... I could guess that some of my fellow teacher will have difficulties with that... but if it works while the command Reset Course arrive...
Thanks again!
jf
Ok. If I do a backup of a course, my backup could be empty of the students files, data, etc. But can I restore this backup over the original course and then I will not have those files, data, etc? Or do I have to do it in another course to have a fresh course?
I will try this tomorrow to see if it works... It is not very intuitive... I could guess that some of my fellow teacher will have difficulties with that... but if it works while the command Reset Course arrive...
Thanks again!
jf
When you "Restore" a course (teachers with editing permission can do this), you have a choice as to how the restore will install. This should be a very quick way to administer Moodle, I don't know how much simplier this could be. Courses can be archived for later use with all class activity and then fresh new courses easily created.
Bryan
Hey! This look simple!
Thanks Bryan!
Thanks Bryan!
If you choose deleting it first, what is deleted then? Also all the info from old users in that course or is it only cut off?
What if it is the last course a user was signed in, will then all his info be wiped out?
Can you give a hint how you think someone will manage hundred of courses and thousands of users in - lets say - the next three years?
Ger,
Say you had an empty course in archive (Windmill 101) that a teacher wanted to use, which currently was not in Moodle. The last time Windmill 101 was used, 2 backups were created. One with all student data and one without. The teacher got a copy of the course with student data for their records, and IT dept. stores all empty courses. In this scenario you would select "New Course" during Restore since it is being added to Moodle.
Suppose it is a new semester and Windmill 101 was in Moodle from old semester and you just wanted to Restore the course to remove all old student data to start fresh. You would select "Existing course, deleting it first." This simply overwrites Windmill 101 with the empty backup. Suppose you had a situation where all old students were enrolling into a new Windmill 101 class (renamed Windmill 202). You would select "Existing course, adding data to it."
Your last question seems to me to go outside Moodle proper. It is a database chore, which is typically handled by a database administrator who can work with Moodles API. This would be a consultant or someone like Eloy who could write a script that would automate backup and restore routines for many courses and thousands of students. Maybe with all the money a school saves by using Moodle they could hire someone to do this.
Bryan
Thanks for the explanation. I did fear that last answer. (I think I will try to live with this big database and put our money on improving the teacher/student side of Moodle. That great backup and restore option makes this choice an easy one. I like the XML-tree in the zip. )