Publishing Updates
Patch vs new revision when you publish changes to a live course.
What This Is For
When a published built-in course has unpublished edits, Publish changes asks whether to keep the same revision (patch) or Increment revision number (new revision).
Mixing these up is the most common publishing surprise: patches keep learners in place; new revisions can force a restart.
Who This Is For
Course authors publishing updates in Create.
Patch vs New Revision
| Choice | UI | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Patch | Increment revision number = off → Publish Patch (Revision n) | Same revision; updates apply in place; mid-course learners typically keep their place after refresh |
| New revision | Increment revision number = on → Publish Revision n+1 | Revision increases; learners move to the new version (often need to restart) |
You always Describe what changed (kept for history). Optionally Notify users via email (people who already have a result). Under Advanced options, Force reset all previously completed results can reset completed results and issued certificates when your organisation requires it—independent of patch vs revision.
When Increment Is Locked On
If the platform detects structural changes vs the last published version, Increment revision number is locked to Yes. A patch is only allowed when the course architecture matches the live version.
Structural changes include any of:
- Element IDs — add, remove, or replace elements (not only edits inside the same element)
- Element order — reordering the sequence
- Chapter structure — chapter identities or which elements belong to which chapter
- Question choice IDs — add, remove, or replace answer identifiers on quiz questions
- Passing criteria — change to Number of correct answers required per chapter (where used)
Typos, wording, or media swaps inside the same elements can usually publish as a patch when the toggle stays off.
Before You Start
- Know whether your edit is cosmetic (prefer patch) or structural (expect a new revision).
- Decide whether to email people with existing results and whether to force-reset completions.
Steps
- Finish edits in the course editor.
- Choose Publish / Publish changes.
- Enter Describe what changed.
- Optionally enable Notify users via email.
- Open Advanced options: set Increment revision number if allowed; optionally Force reset all previously completed results.
- Confirm Publish Patch (Revision n) or Publish Revision n.
Result
Learners see the update according to patch vs revision rules; revision history remains available on the course.
