FAQ for teachers

Is there an autosave feature?

Text editor autosave
In the default Moodle text editor (Atto), the text is automatically saved every 60 seconds.
(Message Draft saved is momentarily shown below the editor window whenever the text is saved.)
If any text has been saved (i.e. after at least 60 seconds of editing), the undo toolbar item* is enabled and the saved text can be restored by clicking on it.
As soon as it is clicked, the redo toolbar item* is enabled.
Clicking on it reverts the text to its previous state.

If the editor window is accidentally closed before the text has been saved to Moodle then, whenever the item is edited again (even in another session, in another browser, on another computer), the saved text is automatically restored.
(A message A draft version of this text was automatically restored is shown below the editor window.)

Note: Text saved by Text editor autosave is not saved to Moodle i.e. the item being edited is not updated.

The alternative TinyMCE editor has a similar feature. Text is saved every 30 seconds.
However, the text is saved to local storage. Thus it is restored only to a browser no the same computer.

*Items undo and redo are in the second row of the toolbar menu in HUJI Moodle and in the top row in EXAM Moodle.
The second row can be opened by clicking on item icon at the beginning of the top row..

Quiz autosave
In EXAM Moodle, while a quiz is being attempted, the state of all responses on the current page is automatically saved to Moodle every 60 seconds.
Thus if there is an Essay question, its current state is saved to Moodle.
This becomes the new state of the Essay if the editor window is accidentally closed, or if the quiz is autosubmitted (at its closing time or when it reaches its timelimit)
Note: Unless it becomes the final state, it is not shown in the Response history in the quiz review page.
Only states that are effective when the user changes page or clicks on the Save button (if there is one) are shown in the Response history.

Note: In order to avoid clashing with Quiz autosave, Text editor autosave is disabled in all text editors in all question types - including text editors not used in quiz attempts e.g. for grading.
As a quick fix, to allow graders the benefit of Text editor autosave, it is not disabled for users with capability mod/quiz:grade. This is a HUJI feature.

Note: The text editor toolbar Undo and Redo buttons are unrelated to either of the autosave features.

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