Year End Processes for Moodle Courses
Backing Up a Moodle Course
Two types of backup are recommended for your course; a full backup and a core content
backup. The full course backup would not only include the course content, but also all
user/student data. This backup should typically be performed at the end of each term.
The core content backup for your course would only include the course content and
activity/module settings and no user data. This type of back up is typically done at the
end of the year and would be used in restoring to a new course.
Both processes are quite similar; however, there are key differences in specific settings
during the backup process.
To backup your Moodle course, locate the Backup feature under the Administration block.
Full Course Backup
First, let us highlight the full course
backup. On the backup page, you will see
the various modules and available
activities within your course categorized.
Next to each category and activity, you will
see checkboxes to include or exclude the
item in the backup.
Within the full course backup, we will leave all items selected to include
in the backup. Under the User, Log, User Files, etc. sections, leave the
default settings.
Locate the Continue button at the bottom of the page.
The next page presented will include a summary of your choices for the
backup. You may rename the backup file, however, the default does include
today’s date; a good practice for historical reference. Again, locate the
Continue button at the bottom of the page.
A confirmation page will then appear. Click Continue. The backup file
directory will then be displayed.
Core Content Backup
The second type of backup is for the core content within your course and
will require you to more carefully review and deselect various settings
during the backup process.
Locate the backup feature under the Administration block within your course.
Because this is a content-only backup, you will need to deselect the User Data
checkboxes throughout this page. You may either deselect individual boxes, or simply
click the None option at the top of the page for User Data.
Under the Users, Logs, Users Files, etc. section, you will need to change
the Users option to None and the User Files option to No.
Locate the Continue button on the bottom of the page.
The summary page will appear with the default backup file name. Click
Continue.
The backup confirmation page will summarize the backup process. Click Continue.
The backup file directory will then be displayed with your backup file listed.
Hiding a Moodle Course
To hide, or make your course unavailable to users, locate the Settings feature within the
Administration block within your course.
On the course settings page, scroll down to the section titled Availability. Change the
Availability setting to “This course is not available to students”.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save Changes.
Hiding Specific Content and/or Blocks within a Course
When courses contain both public (available to anyone) and non-public (enrolled students), you may wish to only hide
the areas or content within your course that are applicable only to students. Thus, visitors such as parents may still
access portions of your, but student content will not appear.
To do so, enter into the Edit mode on your course.
Locate the content, block, or activity you wish to hide. Within each block or next to each activity or resource, you will
find the Hide options for each. Click the Hide (eye) icon to display
or hide
the item.