Importing Content & Site Rollovers

Importing content from Canvas sites is simple and powerful, but it is important to do so with caution, and only if necessary. If you take one thing from this whole website it is this: do not rollover your previous site in its entirety. 

Should I Import Content?

Importing content from one Canvas site to another is a valuable tool to prevent unnecessary duplication of effort. It is particularly valuable in two cases:

1. When rolling over content for a new iteration of the same course.
2. When content in one course is useful or needed in another, different course.

However, instructors should always exercise caution when doing so. In particular, instructors should rarely, if ever, import an entire course and should prefer selecting elements to import. Here are some things to consider when deciding if and how to import content.

Rolling over course sites

Because our HGSE template changes semester to semester, year to year, content copied from previous iterations of the same course should always be formatted and organized to fit within the new template. Depending on the changes, it may be simpler to copy and paste into a new template page, rather than importing old pages or assignments.

Copying Files

Course files -- including embedded images, shared documents, and so on -- can be imported but take time to select only what you need. Good file management practices may be difficult to introduce and maintain if the entire content of legacy sites are imported.

Encouraging improvements

Forgoing importing content and creating content from scratch,  encourages iterative improvements on formatting and organizing the course, and highlights mistakes that may be missed by a brute import. Consider copy and pasting substantive content you do not want to write again into a freshly designed and thought through course, rather than importing the old site.

Beware of different templates and design themes

If you are transferring content from a different course (rather than from a previous iteration of the same course), be aware that different template themes may have been chosen. Once imported, check to change the theme to match the rest of the content on your site.

How do I Import Content?

To import content, click on Settings in the left-side course navigation menu. In Settings, click Import Content into this Course on the right side of the window.

In the Import Content window, select Copy a Canvas Course for the Content Type. You will then be prompted to search for a course using its title.

Below that, indicate whether you'd like to import all course content, or only select specific content. You will select the content in a later step.

Always select specific content.

You can choose to adjust the dates and times for events and due dates. Canvas will allow you to automatically update the due dates for the new term. However, it's advisable to double-check the accuracy of the new dates.

Click Import. If you've decided to only import specific content, the import will be paused until you do so. To select the content, click the blue Select Content button to the right of the course import listed in the queue.

A list with checkboxes will appear. Only checked content will be imported. You can select all of a certain type of content (e.g., all pages), or you can select only certain instances of that content type (e.g., just one page). In order for files linked in pages, assignments, and discussions to be available, you must import those files in addition to the Canvas content linking them.