ℹ️ This article is for admins and authors who edit a project in the Didask project editor while learners are already taking the course: what the learner sees, what happens to their progress, and what's reversible or not depending on the type of change.
⏱️ The Essentials in 3 Minutes
On Didask, any change to a published module applies immediately, including for learners who already have access.
Editing or adding a granule preserves the progress learners have already recorded.
Adding a new module lowers the completion rate for learners who've already finished the course.
Changing a published module's status (to Work in progress, To validate, or Validated) removes its content from learners while keeping their completion on record, unlike a deletion, which erases it permanently.
🧠 Understanding Why Your Changes Apply in Real Time
For a published module, the project editor reflects the exact state of what the learner sees, in real time, with no separate version history. This means you can fix a mistake, refine an explanation, or expand a module as soon as the need arises.
ℹ️ Only modules with the Broadcasted status are affected. Unpublished modules stay invisible to learners.
🔗 To learn more about module design statuses, check out our dedicated article: Understanding and Using Module Design Statuses.
📊 The Impact of Each Modification at a Glance
The table below summarizes the effect of each type of modification on a published module, on both completion and reversibility:
Type of Modification | Effect on Completion | Reversible? |
Editing a granule's content | None, progress is preserved | Yes, by correcting it again manually |
Adding a granule to an existing module | None, except for learners who haven't finished that module yet | Yes, by removing it |
Adding a new module to the course | Lowers the completion % for learners already at 100% (calculated as: modules completed / modules published) | Yes, by masking or removing the module |
Hiding a module (status other than Broadcasted) | Preserved, but excluded from the publication's stats until the module is Broadcasted again | Yes, by switching it back to Broadcasted |
Deleting a granule | None, progress is preserved | No |
Deleting a module | For a deleted module, the associated progress is permanently lost | No |
Can lock or unlock access for a learner who already has access to the course | Yes, by changing the rules again |
🛠️ Each Type of Modification in Practice
✍️ Editing a Granule's Content
Correcting text, an image, or a question in a published granule is risk-free, learner progress stays intact.
Open the relevant granule in the module editor.
Edit the relevant block.
The change is visible immediately if the module is published, including to learners who are already partway through.
⚠️ If you change the correct answer to an exercise question, answers learners already submitted are not recalculated.
ℹ️ No confirmation is requested before making a change to a module with active learners.
➕ Adding a Granule to an Existing Module
Adding a granule to an already-published module lets you expand a live course without affecting completion for learners who've already finished that module.
Open the relevant published module.
Add the granule where you want it.
Completion is calculated at the module level only, not by granule: a learner already at 100% on the publication stays at 100%. If a learner hasn't finished that module yet, they'll also need to complete the new granule to validate it.
💡 Adding or editing a granule in an existing module is the safest way to expand a course without affecting completion for learners who've already completed it.
🆕 Adding a New Module
Adding a new module increases the number of modules required to reach 100% completion on the publication: the rate is calculated by comparing completed modules to the course's published modules (modules completed / modules published).
📌 A learner who's completed all 3 of their modules (100%) drops to 75% as soon as a fourth module is published, and will need to complete it to get back to 100%.
This is expected behavior, not a bug: the same logic applies in reverse. Removing a module, whether deleted or hidden, can raise the completion rate for the learners affected.
💡 To replace a module's content, edit it directly rather than creating a new one: this is the only approach that preserves completion for learners who've already completed the course.
Creating a new module should be reserved for cases where you want every learner, including those who already finished, to complete the new content.
🚧 Removing a Module Without Losing Its History
To remove a module without erasing progress data, it's best to change its status rather than delete it:
Open the relevant module in the project editor.
Change its status from Broadcasted to Work in progress, To validate, or Validated.
The module disappears for learners, but completion data stays intact. The change is reversible by switching the module back to Broadcasted. ⚠️ While hidden, the module is excluded from the course's live completion statistics (rate, ratios).
💡 This approach is recommended for visually removing a module without losing its history. It's not suitable if you need to keep the completion visible in the publication's reporting.
🗑️ Deleting a Granule or a Module
Deleting a granule or a module removes it immediately for all learners, including those currently taking the course.
⚠️ For a deleted module, the associated progress is permanently lost. This action is irreversible: there's no undo or recovery option.
🔏 Changing Lock Rules
Locking controls access to a module based on rules you set, for example requiring learners to finish one module before unlocking the next. Changing these rules on a published module applies them immediately: a learner currently taking the course may see their access change.
🔗 To learn more about locking modules, check out our dedicated article: Lock Modules to Publish Them Progressively
👩💻 And on the Learner's Side
Learners aren't notified when content changes. They always see the most recent version, seamlessly. Keep in mind:
A drop in completion after a module is added may surprise a learner who thought they were done: give them a heads-up if this happens.
A change to lock rules can unlock or lock a module, changing the course a learner expected to follow.
💡 Best Practices for Modifying a Live Module
Minor corrections (typos, rewording): no risk, go ahead and make them directly.
Expanding content without affecting completion: add granules to an existing module rather than creating a new one.
Major structural changes (deletions, reorganizing): duplicate the project for the new cohort, and let learners in the current cohort know once the changes are live.
Preparing a major change in advance: make changes outside peak hours to limit the number of learners on the module while you're editing it.
Keywords: editing a published module, correcting a granule without losing progress, adding a module lowers completion, deleting a module with active learners, hiding a broadcasted module without losing completion, replacing module content and completion, module lock rules, why did my completion rate drop, reversible vs permanent changes