The Curriculum Comparison feature allows you to view a detailed diff between a variant curriculum and its parent. This helps you understand what content has been customized, added, or inherited.
Overview
Comparison helps you:
- View differences - See exactly what changed in a variant
- Track customizations - Identify overridden content nodes
- Find additions - Locate content only in the variant
- Review inheritance - Confirm what's still inherited from parent
Accessing Comparison View
- Open a variant curriculum
- Click the Compare to Parent button (or find it in the actions menu)
- The comparison view opens showing differences
Note: Comparison is only available for variant curricula, not base curricula.
Understanding the Comparison
Node Status Types
Every node in a variant has one of three statuses:
| Status | Badge | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Inherited | Blue | Content from parent, no changes made |
| Overridden | Amber | Parent content modified in this variant |
| Added | Green | New content created only in this variant |
Comparison Metrics
At the top of the comparison view, you'll see:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Parent | The parent curriculum being compared against |
| Total Differences | Count of added + overridden nodes |
| Added Count | Nodes created in this variant only |
| Overridden Count | Parent nodes customized in variant |
Side-by-Side View
Tree Structure
The comparison shows both curricula's content trees:
Parent: National Math Variant: Texas Math
├── Unit 1 [Inherited] ├── Unit 1 [Inherited]
│ ├── Lesson 1 [Overridden] │ ├── Lesson 1 [Overridden]
│ └── Lesson 2 [Inherited] │ └── Lesson 2 [Inherited]
└── Unit 2 [Inherited] └── Unit 2 [Inherited]
└── Unit 3 [Added]
Viewing Differences
For overridden nodes, click to see:
- Parent values - Original content from parent
- Variant values - Customized content in variant
- Changed attributes - Which fields were modified
Example:
```
Attribute: title
Parent: "Introduction to Fractions"
Variant: "Introduction to Fractions (Texas Edition)"
Attribute: description
Parent: "Learn fraction basics..."
Variant: "Learn fraction basics aligned to TEKS..."
```
Navigating Differences
Jump to Differences
Use the navigation tools to quickly move between differences:
- Click Next Diff to jump to the next changed node
- Click Previous Diff to go back
- Use the diff count indicator to track progress
Filtering by Status
Filter the comparison view by status:
- All - Show all nodes
- Differences Only - Show only added and overridden nodes
- Inherited Only - Show only unchanged nodes
Common Comparison Scenarios
Scenario 1: Regional Adaptation
Parent: National curriculum
Variant: Texas edition
Typical differences:
- Standards alignments overridden (CCSS → TEKS)
- Content descriptions mention Texas standards
- Some examples updated for regional context
Scenario 2: Translation Variant
Parent: English curriculum
Variant: Spanish version
Typical differences:
- All text content overridden with translations
- Some culturally-specific examples changed
- Inherited: structure, assets, standards
Scenario 3: Differentiated Version
Parent: Standard curriculum
Variant: Honors or remedial version
Typical differences:
- Added: Additional advanced content
- Overridden: Pacing, depth of content
- Inherited: Core concepts, structure
Syncing Changes
Parent Updates
When the parent curriculum is updated:
- Inherited nodes - Automatically receive updates
- Overridden nodes - Don't receive updates (customized)
- Added nodes - Not affected (variant-only)
Reviewing Parent Changes
After parent updates:
- Open comparison view
- Look for "Parent Changed" indicators
- Review if overridden content needs updating
- Manually update overrides if needed
Reverting Overrides
To restore parent content for an overridden node:
- Click the Revert to Parent button on the node
- Confirm the action
- The node becomes inherited again
Comparison for Reviews
Quality Assurance
Use comparison for QA:
- Verify intended changes were made
- Confirm nothing was accidentally changed
- Check that inherited content is appropriate
Review Workflow
- Author creates variant with customizations
- Reviewer opens comparison view
- Reviews each difference
- Approves or requests changes
Performance Notes
Lazy Loading
For large curricula, comparison uses lazy loading:
- Root nodes load immediately
- Child nodes load on expand
- Performance optimized for any curriculum size
Large Curricula
With hundreds of nodes:
- Use filters to focus on differences
- Navigate using "Next Diff" for efficiency
- Consider comparing sections instead of whole curriculum
Common Questions
"Why don't I see the Compare button?"
Comparison requires:
- A variant curriculum (not a base curriculum)
- The parent curriculum must still exist
- You must have at least Viewer access
"Can I compare two variants?"
Currently, comparison is between a variant and its direct parent only. For comparing two variants:
1. Open each variant's comparison to parent
2. Review differences separately
3. Or request a feature enhancement
"How do I know what changed in the parent?"
Look for nodes where:
- Status is "Inherited"
- A "Parent Changed" indicator appears
- These may need review for consistency
"Can I export the comparison?"
Export is available via the API. Contact your administrator for reporting options.
"Does comparison show attribute-level changes?"
Yes! For overridden nodes:
- Changed attributes are highlighted
- Old and new values shown side-by-side
- Unchanged attributes in the node are not highlighted
Related Documentation:
- Create a State Variant - State variant workflow guide
- Using Variants - Creating and managing variants
- Working with Content - Content editing
- Publishing Editions - Edition comparison