Manage Dates

The Manage Dates tool enables you to view, edit and offset the date availability and set the Schedule status of all Content topics and modules; Discussion topics and forums; Dropbox folders; Grades categories and items; and quizzes in your course from one central location.

These course objects display in a grid that you can sort by any of the column headings. You can also filter the grid by specific tool and use advanced filter options to work with smaller sets of objects. If you filter your course objects, any bulk changes you make apply only to the filtered results. This enables you to update multiple availability dates based on specific criteria.

In addition to managing dates, you can open each course object in a new window by clicking on its name. This launches the object's edit page where you can edit additional properties for that object without leaving the Manage Dates tool.

Access Manage Dates

Do one of the following:

• Click the Edit Course link on your course navigation bar, then click Manage Dates.
• In the Course Administration widget on your course homepage, click Manage Dates.

Advanced filter options

Basic filter options in Manage Dates enable you to narrow your results based on tool. Advanced filter options enable you to further narrow your results by a course object's name, dates, duration, and Schedule status. Click Show Advanced Filter Options to access these additional filter options.

Filter option	Additional instructions
Name	Enter a keyword and use the drop-down list to specify how the system should compare your keyword with existing object names in your course.
Start Date	If you clear the Has Start Date check box, filter results return course objects that do not have a start date.
End Date	If you clear the Has End Date check box, filter results return course objects that do not have a end date.
Duration	Use the drop-down list to specify how the system should compare the number you enter with existing durations within your course. If you clear the Days check box, filter results return course objects that do not have a specific amount of days they are available to users. Objects with unspecified durations include those containing only a start date or only an end date.
Schedule Status	If you clear the Displayed in Schedule check box, filter results return objects that do not appear in the Schedule tool.

Editing dates

You can edit dates for individual course objects or multiple objects. While editing dates, you can also display course object availability in the Schedule tool. If you choose to filter your course objects, any bulk changes you make apply only to those filtered results. This enables you to update multiple objects based on specific criteria.

Edit dates

1. Do one of the following:
2. 
   
   
   
   • Open the context menu for the object you want to edit dates for and click Edit Dates.
   • Select the check boxes beside the objects you want to edit dates for and click the Edit the availability dates for all selected items icon from the top of the grid.
3. Set or clear the start date and end date.
4. Choose whether you want the object to display in the Schedule tool.
5. Click Save.

Remove dates

Click the  Remove icon beside an object's start date or end date.

Offsetting dates

Manage Dates enables you to move start dates and end dates forward or backward by a specified number of days (the offset value). This is particulary useful when you move course content forward to a new term.

Offset dates

1. Do one of the following:
2. 
   
   
   
   • Open the context menu for the object you want to edit dates for and click Offset Dates.
   • Select the check boxes beside the objects you want to offset dates for and click the Offset the availability dates for all selected items icon from the top of the grid.
3. Enter the number of days you want to offset both dates by or choose Offset dates separately to enter separate values for the start date and end date. You can also click the Open Offset Calculator icon to quickly determine the number of days between dates.
4. Click Save.

Using the Offset Calculator

Use the Offset Calculator to quickly calculate the number of days between two relative dates. When you select an initial date and a new date, the calculator generates the number of days between those two dates. For example, if you select June 3, 2010 as the Previous Date and May 26, 2010 as the New Date, the calculator inserts an offset of -8 days.

Tip To help ensure the dates you choose do not land on weekends or holidays, enter the current date associated with your course object as your Previous Date and click the  Select Date icon to select your New Date within the Offset Calculator.

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