Batch Operations (Elements)

What are element batch operations?

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Element batch operations allow you to make certain changes to a selection of elements at once. To modify multiple activities in a similar way, please navigate to the activity list and use the corresponding batch operation functionalities.

Element batch operations allow you to apply certain changes to a selection of elements at once. This includes the possibility to archive elements, change their status, modify an assigned multiplier, change settings regarding the awarding of base points, or share elements with another user or user group. This saves you the time to perform these actions individually through the standard editing and sharing interfaces for elements.

Element sharing in batch operations is currently available as a private preview. It is shown only to accounts for which the preview is enabled.

Similar to the standard editing process for elements, described and illustrated in our documentation on element management, you can choose whether or not to update the instances of the affected elements in activities they are included in. For more information on the concept of element instances in activities, please refer to the documentation on element updates.

To execute any available batch operations, simply select the corresponding elements from the list using the checkbox next to them and click on the "Batch Operations" button at the top right. For a more detailed description of the available functionalities, refer to the tooltips in the application or the following section.

What changes can be applied as batch operations?

Once you have selected all elements you would like to modify using the batch operations functionality and opened the dialog, you will see all available operations and a list of your elements on the left side. Separate status columns show whether each selected element is eligible for the configured updates and sharing action. These operations are evaluated independently: an eligible update can still run when sharing is unavailable for that element, and an eligible sharing action can still run when the configured update is unavailable. Focus or hover over a red status icon to see the exact reason. The following operations are available:

• Archive / Unarchive Elements: Using this option, you can archive a selection of elements, moving them to the archive or recovering them from it. The archive / unarchive operation can only be applied to non-archived or archived elements, respectively. Please note that archiving actions cannot be combined with other operations in this dialog.
• Status Change: Set the manually controlled advisory status of all selected elements. Draft means unfinished, Review means that a review is requested, and Ready means considered reusable. Status does not restrict activity use or change automatically. This operation is available for all element types and can be combined with other operations without restrictions.
• Multiplier Change: Change the points multiplier that is applied for correct answers (correctness and bonus points for live quizzes and all points for asynchronous activities). Since the automatic grading logic requires the definition of a sample solution, modifications of the element multiplier will only be applied to elements that have a well-defined solution (and never to Flashcards or Content Elements). Multiplier changes can be combined with any other batch operations for eligible elements.
• Base Points Settings: Change the setting if base points should be awarded for a specific question when used in a live quiz (independent of the number of base points set on the live quiz). This action can only be applied to questions (not Flashcards or Content Elements), since only these elements can be used to collect points. Base point modifications can be combined with any other batch operations for eligible elements.
• Share Elements: Grant the same direct READ, WRITE, or ADMIN permission for the selected elements to one user or user group. Sharing an element requires ADMIN or owner permissions for that element. The permission does not propagate to activities, but linked answer collections receive the derived READ access required by the permission model. The element list shows which selected elements can be shared before you apply the operation. Sharing an element with the same user or group again updates that target's existing direct permission.
• Element Updates in Activities: Finally, decide if the changes made to your elements should be propagated to draft and scheduled activities, and if activity templates should be included. This setting is analogous to the same setting you are familiar with in the context of single element updates.

When updates and sharing are selected together, the element updates are applied first and sharing is attempted second. If every requested operation succeeds, the dialog closes as usual. If an element is skipped, a target is invalid, or another operation fails, the dialog instead displays a read-only result for the original selection. Review the result and use Close to leave the dialog and clear the selection.