diff --git a/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html b/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html
index f94c5afc64f..78c6fb094fa 100644
--- a/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html
+++ b/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html
@@ -89,11 +89,12 @@
         branchPathStepHeader: isNodeInAnyBranchPath(item.key) && !isGroupNode(item.key)
       }"
       [ngStyle]="{ 'background-color': getStepBackgroundColor(item.key) }"
+      (click)="nodeClicked(item.key)"
     >
       <mat-checkbox
         color="primary"
         [(ngModel)]="item.checked"
-        (ngModelChange)="selectNode()"
+        (click)="selectNode($event)"
         [disabled]="
           (isGroupNode(item.key) && stepNodeSelected) ||
           (!isGroupNode(item.key) && groupNodeSelected)
@@ -101,12 +102,7 @@
         aria-label="Select lesson or step"
         i18n-aria-label
       >
-        <div
-          class="projectItemTitleDiv"
-          fxLayoutAlign="start center"
-          fxLayoutGap="10px"
-          (click)="nodeClicked(item.key)"
-        >
+        <div class="projectItemTitleDiv" fxLayoutAlign="start center" fxLayoutGap="10px">
           <node-icon-and-title [nodeId]="item.key" [showPosition]="true"></node-icon-and-title>
           <p *ngIf="!isGroupNode(item.key)" fxLayoutAlign="start center" fxLayoutGap="10px">
             <mat-icon
@@ -166,20 +162,17 @@ <h6 class="unused-header">Unused Lessons</h6>
               isNodeInAnyBranchPath(inactiveNode.id) && !isGroupNode(inactiveNode.id)
           }"
           class="pointer projectItem"
+          (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveNode.id)"
         >
           <mat-checkbox
             color="primary"
             [(ngModel)]="inactiveNode.checked"
-            (ngModelChange)="selectNode()"
+            (click)="selectNode($event)"
             [disabled]="stepNodeSelected"
             aria-label="Select lesson"
             i18n-aria-label
           >
-            <div
-              class="projectItemTitleDiv"
-              fxLayoutAlign="start center"
-              (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveNode.id)"
-            >
+            <div class="projectItemTitleDiv" fxLayoutAlign="start center">
               <node-icon-and-title [nodeId]="inactiveNode.id"></node-icon-and-title>
             </div>
           </mat-checkbox>
@@ -194,20 +187,17 @@ <h6 class="unused-header">Unused Lessons</h6>
                   isNodeInAnyBranchPath(inactiveChildId.id) && !isGroupNode(inactiveChildId.id)
               }"
               class="pointer projectItem"
+              (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveChildId)"
             >
               <mat-checkbox
                 color="primary"
                 [(ngModel)]="idToNode[inactiveChildId].checked"
-                (ngModelChange)="selectNode()"
+                (change)="selectNode($event)"
                 [disabled]="groupNodeSelected"
                 aria-label="Select step"
                 i18n-aria-label
               >
-                <div
-                  class="projectItemTitleDiv"
-                  fxLayoutAlign="start center"
-                  (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveChildId)"
-                >
+                <div class="projectItemTitleDiv" fxLayoutAlign="start center">
                   <node-icon-and-title [nodeId]="inactiveChildId"></node-icon-and-title>
                 </div>
               </mat-checkbox>
@@ -231,20 +221,17 @@ <h6 class="unused-header" i18n>Unused Steps</h6>
               branchPathStepHeader:
                 isNodeInAnyBranchPath(inactiveNode.id) && !isGroupNode(inactiveNode.id)
             }"
+            (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveNode.id)"
           >
             <mat-checkbox
               color="primary"
               [(ngModel)]="inactiveNode.checked"
-              (ngModelChange)="selectNode()"
+              (click)="selectNode($event)"
               [disabled]="groupNodeSelected"
               aria-label="Select step"
               i18n-aria-label
             >
-              <div
-                class="projectItemTitleDiv"
-                fxLayoutAlign="start center"
-                (click)="nodeClicked(inactiveNode.id)"
-              >
+              <div class="projectItemTitleDiv" fxLayoutAlign="start center">
                 <node-icon-and-title [nodeId]="inactiveNode.id"></node-icon-and-title>
               </div>
             </mat-checkbox>
diff --git a/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.ts b/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.ts
index b258843bab4..ae84832432c 100644
--- a/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.ts
+++ b/src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.ts
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ export class ProjectAuthoringComponent {
    * The checkbox for a node was clicked. We do not allow selecting a mix of group and step nodes.
    * If any group nodes are selected, disable all step node checkboxes, and vise-versa.
    */
-  protected selectNode(): void {
+  protected selectNode($event: Event): void {
     const checkedNodes = this.items
       .concat(Object.values(this.idToNode))
       .filter((item) => item.checked);
@@ -204,6 +204,7 @@ export class ProjectAuthoringComponent {
       this.groupNodeSelected = this.isGroupNode(checkedNodes[0].id);
       this.stepNodeSelected = !this.groupNodeSelected;
     }
+    $event.stopPropagation();
   }
 
   protected isBranchPoint(nodeId: string): boolean {
diff --git a/src/messages.xlf b/src/messages.xlf
index b0683960afa..f5ea6038818 100644
--- a/src/messages.xlf
+++ b/src/messages.xlf
@@ -9622,7 +9622,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
         </context-group>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">157</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">153</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="a10dba8eb1f22a5f90f90e79b8305963eec3ee38" datatype="html">
@@ -9637,7 +9637,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
         </context-group>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">220</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">210</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="0217500199a3e48a7b95762b14b79dad49e76beb" datatype="html">
@@ -9652,7 +9652,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
         </context-group>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">221</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">211</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="f951d80b53d5536f79142285e8ba09f190a3c723" datatype="html">
@@ -12039,7 +12039,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
         <source>Select lesson or step</source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">101</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">102</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="8ee3a5c584c3f2988bbd4e7cf0204123f312fb0f" datatype="html">
@@ -12048,7 +12048,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
               }}"/></source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">116,118</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">112,114</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="3374b45efd7fad4f098ebbfb6a888d7236906a0c" datatype="html">
@@ -12057,7 +12057,7 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
               }}"/></source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">126,128</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">122,124</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="6a6a2c1fda09ebe6ab5a6a8313989c4cf4d8b194" datatype="html">
@@ -12066,32 +12066,32 @@ Click &quot;Cancel&quot; to keep the invalid JSON open so you can fix it.</sourc
               }}"/></source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">136,138</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">132,134</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="b3b4847175a6193afa85eb431bbe16d1f04470fa" datatype="html">
         <source>Has Rubric</source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">145</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">141</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="6ab64ec395f796b771a2d87d2801d0fe60b871d2" datatype="html">
         <source>Select lesson</source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">175</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">172</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="0788cea8f340f4f5399901765d2003f90af76669" datatype="html">
         <source>Select step</source>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">203</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">197</context>
         </context-group>
         <context-group purpose="location">
           <context context-type="sourcefile">src/assets/wise5/authoringTool/project-authoring/project-authoring.component.html</context>
-          <context context-type="linenumber">240</context>
+          <context context-type="linenumber">231</context>
         </context-group>
       </trans-unit>
       <trans-unit id="791981839110791639" datatype="html">