Connected lessons, copies and shortcuts

There are three ways to reuse content, and each one has its own effect. A copy becomes independent. A connected lesson follows its source lesson. A shortcut is the same product in another showcase.

How it works

The most important rule: only a connected lesson follows its source. A copy follows nothing once it is created. A shortcut has nothing of its own: it opens the original.

Copy

Duplicate exists for showcases, products, modules and lessons, in the ... menu of each.

• The copy starts as a draft.
• Its name is the original plus a suffix: "(copy at" and the time, or "(Copy)" on a lesson.
• From then on, the two are independent. Editing one does not change the other.
• Student progress does not pass from one to the other.

Use a copy when the two are going to differ.

Connected lesson

A connected lesson shows the video and text of another lesson: the source. You edit the source, and the change shows up in every lesson connected to it.

Each lesson keeps its own completion, comments, questions and exam. Connecting an exam lesson does not copy the exam.

On connecting, the lesson receives the source's name, summary, thumbnail and format at that moment. If you rename the source later, the connected lessons keep their names. Unlinking gives the lesson back the video, text, name, summary, thumbnail and format it had before.

What comes from the source, and when:

Editing the source changes the video and text in every connected lesson. Everything else, each lesson keeps for itself.

The rules:

• A lesson cannot be connected to itself.
• A lesson cannot be connected to a lesson that is already connected. Always choose the original.
• While lessons are connected to it, the source cannot be deleted or moved to another product. Unlink those lessons first.
• You do not edit the video and text in a connected lesson. The screen says so. To edit, unlink.
• A connected lesson does not move in the tree. Unlink, move and connect again.

The chain of sources

When linking, the screen only accepts an original lesson. But a lesson that is already a source can later be connected to another one. That forms a chain. The student sees the video and text at its end:

Heads up: this is where most mistakes happen. Julia connects lesson B to lesson A. Weeks later, she connects lesson A to lesson C. Result: lesson B starts to show C's video. For B to show A's content again, unlink A from C. To avoid the chain, always connect to the original lesson.

Shortcut

A shortcut is a product in the Shortcut format, with a Destination product. It puts the same product in another showcase, without duplicating the content.

• A student who opens the shortcut enters the original.
• Access and progress belong to the original.
• A delivery that includes the shortcut also grants the original.
• When you choose the destination, the shortcut copies the product's name, cover and offer URL at that moment.
• If you rename the shortcut later, the new name stays.
• A shortcut cannot point to itself.

Step by step

Connect a lesson

1. Open the lesson that will receive the content.
2. Next to Title, click Link to existing content.
3. In Link existing content, choose the Product.
4. Choose the source Lesson.
5. Click Link.

The screen now shows the Connected content panel, with the path to the source.

Unlink

1. In the connected lesson, click Unlink content.
2. Click Yes, unlink.

The lesson gets back the video, text, name, summary, thumbnail and format it had before linking.

Create a shortcut

1. Create a product in the showcase where it should appear. See Products and formats.
2. In the product, open Settings → General.
3. Under Format, choose Shortcut.
4. Under Destination product, choose the original product.
5. Save.
6. Publish the shortcut.

The shortcut's status is its own. The original's status still applies to the original.

Good to know

Frequently asked questions