Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Activity.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r0db78e5162fc29c3a27023bf9e38e790ef9e609a -rf1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Activity.java	(.../Activity.java)	(revision 0db78e5162fc29c3a27023bf9e38e790ef9e609a)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Activity.java	(.../Activity.java)	(revision f1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7)
@@ -186,6 +186,11 @@
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Object constructors
     //---------------------------------------------------------------------
+	
+	/* For the createDateTime fields, if the value is null, then it will default
+	 * to the current time.
+	 */
+	
 	/** full constructor */
 	public Activity(
 			Long activityId,
@@ -214,7 +219,7 @@
 		this.ycoord = ycoord;
 		this.orderId = orderId;
 		this.defineLater = defineLater;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.learningLibrary = learningLibrary;
 		this.parentActivity = parentActivity;
 		this.parentUIID = parentUIID;
@@ -227,7 +232,8 @@
 	}	
 	/** default constructor */
 	public Activity() {
-		this.grouping = null;		
+		this.grouping = null;	
+		this.createDateTime = new Date(); //default value is set to when the object is created
 	}
 
 	/** minimal constructor */
@@ -244,7 +250,7 @@
 			Transition transitionFrom) {
 		this.activityId = activityId;
 		this.defineLater = defineLater;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.learningLibrary = learningLibrary;
 		this.parentActivity = parentActivity;
 		this.learningDesign = learningDesign;
@@ -388,8 +394,9 @@
 		return this.createDateTime;
 	}
 
+	/* If createDateTime is null, then it will default to the current date/time */
 	public void setCreateDateTime(Date createDateTime) {
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 	}
 
 	/**
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningDesign.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r79c858a92c17ab3ca404cab4a0cf6094254e68d5 -rf1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningDesign.java	(.../LearningDesign.java)	(revision 79c858a92c17ab3ca404cab4a0cf6094254e68d5)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningDesign.java	(.../LearningDesign.java)	(revision f1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7)
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
 	private String description;
 
 	/** nullable persistent field */
-	private String title;
+	private String title; 
 
 	/** nullable persistent field */
 	private Activity firstActivity;
@@ -157,6 +157,10 @@
     private String onlineInstructions;
 	
 
+    /* If the values for createDateTime and/or lastModifiedDateTime
+     * are null, then it will default to the current datetime.
+     */
+    
 	/** full constructor */
 	public LearningDesign(
 			Long learningDesignId,
@@ -192,7 +196,7 @@
 		this.dateReadOnly = dateReadOnly;
 		this.helpText = helpText;
 		this.copyTypeID = copyTypeID;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.version = version;
 		this.user = user;
 		this.parentLearningDesign = parentLearningDesign;
@@ -205,10 +209,14 @@
 		this.license = license;
 		this.offlineInstructions = offlineInstructions;
 		this.onlineInstructions = onlineInstructions;
+		this.lastModifiedDateTime = new Date();
 	}
 
 	/** default constructor */
 	public LearningDesign() {
+	    //set the default values to the current datetime
+	    this.createDateTime = new Date();
+	    this.lastModifiedDateTime = new Date();
 	}
 
 	/** minimal constructor */
@@ -227,14 +235,15 @@
 		this.validDesign = validDesign;
 		this.readOnly = readOnly;
 		this.copyTypeID = copyTypeID;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.version = version;
 		this.user = user;
 		this.parentLearningDesign = parentLearningDesign;
 		this.childLearningDesigns = childLearningDesigns;
 		this.lessons = lessons;
 		this.transitions = transitions;
 		this.activities = activities;
+		this.lastModifiedDateTime = new Date();
 	}
 	public static LearningDesign createLearningDesignCopy(LearningDesign design, Integer designCopyType){
 		LearningDesign newDesign = newInstance(design);
@@ -329,7 +338,7 @@
 		return createDateTime;
 	}
 	public void setCreateDateTime(Date createDateTime) {
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 	}
 	public String getVersion() {
 		return version;
@@ -500,7 +509,7 @@
 		return lastModifiedDateTime;
 	}
 	public void setLastModifiedDateTime(Date lastModifiedDateTime) {
-		this.lastModifiedDateTime = lastModifiedDateTime;
+		this.lastModifiedDateTime = lastModifiedDateTime != null ? lastModifiedDateTime : new Date();
 	}
 	
 	public String getOfflineInstructions() {
@@ -526,4 +535,12 @@
 	public FolderContentDTO getFolderContentDTO(){
 		return new FolderContentDTO();
 	}
+	
+/*	private Date ifNullSetAsCurrentTime(Date dateToCheck)
+	{
+	    return dateToCheck != null ? dateToCheck : new Date();
+	}
+	*/
+	
+
 }
\ No newline at end of file
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningLibrary.java
===================================================================
diff -u -r663cf8ece9759522badcf7810977419a7cfe3a07 -rf1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningLibrary.java	(.../LearningLibrary.java)	(revision 663cf8ece9759522badcf7810977419a7cfe3a07)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/LearningLibrary.java	(.../LearningLibrary.java)	(revision f1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7)
@@ -65,23 +65,25 @@
     /** persistent field */
     private Boolean validLibrary;
 
+    /* If the values for createDateTime is null, it will default to the current datetime */
     /** full constructor */
     public LearningLibrary(Long learningLibraryId, String description, String title, Date createDateTime, Set activities) {
         this.learningLibraryId = learningLibraryId;
         this.description = description;
         this.title = title;
-        this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+        this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
         this.activities = activities;
     }
 
     /** default constructor */
     public LearningLibrary() {
+        this.createDateTime = new Date();
     }
 
     /** minimal constructor */
     public LearningLibrary(Long learningLibraryId, Date createDateTime, Set activities) {
         this.learningLibraryId = learningLibraryId;
-        this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+        this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
         this.activities = activities;
     }
 
@@ -140,7 +142,7 @@
     }
 
     public void setCreateDateTime(Date createDateTime) {
-        this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+        this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
     }
 
     /** 
Index: lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Transition.java
===================================================================
diff -u -rb3dbc137e110d79b6aae154a808b7ca6e7de403d -rf1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7
--- lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Transition.java	(.../Transition.java)	(revision b3dbc137e110d79b6aae154a808b7ca6e7de403d)
+++ lams_common/src/java/org/lamsfoundation/lams/learningdesign/Transition.java	(.../Transition.java)	(revision f1dc216a75d2e85f49a8f14619229008077ce6a7)
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@
 	/** persistent field */
 	LearningDesign learningDesign;
 
+	/*
+	 * If the value for createDateTime is null then it will
+	 * be assigned the default value equal to the current datetime 
+	 */
 	/** full constructor */
 	public Transition(
 			Long transitionId,
@@ -83,7 +87,7 @@
 		this.transitionUIID = id;
 		this.description = description;
 		this.title = title;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.toActivity = toActivity;
 		this.fromActivity = fromActivity;
 		this.learningDesign = learningDesign;
@@ -93,6 +97,7 @@
 
 	/** default constructor */
 	public Transition() {
+	    this.createDateTime = new Date(); //default value is set to when the Transition object is created
 	}
 
 	/** minimal constructor */
@@ -103,7 +108,7 @@
 			Activity fromActivity,
 			LearningDesign learningDesign) {
 		this.transitionId = transitionId;
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 		this.toActivity = toActivity;
 		this.fromActivity = fromActivity;
 		this.learningDesign = learningDesign;
@@ -185,7 +190,7 @@
 	}
 
 	public void setCreateDateTime(Date createDateTime) {
-		this.createDateTime = createDateTime;
+		this.createDateTime = createDateTime != null ? createDateTime : new Date();
 	}
 
 	/**