Joel VannerFaculty can now self-provision sandbox courses in Canvas! A sandbox is a blank course you can use to explore Canvas features by creating example modules, assignments, quizzes, and discussion boards. You can also use a sandbox to start designing a course and later copy it into the official Canvas course shell, or to develop an organization site.
Building a course in a Canvas sandbox does not opt-in the course to run in Canvas. Learn more about the Canvas migration and opt-in processes →
- Open your Canvas Dashboard.
- Select the “Start a New Course” button on the right side of the Dashboard page.
- In the “Create Course” box, enter a name for your sandbox.
- Is the sandbox for a specific course?
- Format: CourseID_LastName_Sandbox_CurrentTerm
- Is the sandbox for an organization site?
- Format: OrganizationName_LastName_Sandbox
- Is the sandbox for your general use?
- Format: LastName_Sandbox_MMDDYY
- Once the sandbox is created, Canvas will take you to the Settings page of the sandbox.
- Choose Home from the course navigation (purple arrow) to go to the course home page.
- Choose Import Course Content from the right sidebar (green arrow) to import a Blackboard ZIP file or copy an existing Canvas course into this sandbox.
As of September 2025, sandbox courses do not automatically receive the Quinnipiac Canvas course template. Learn more about the Quinnipiac Canvas course template → Learn how to import resources from Canvas Commons →
Visit the Faculty Advancement in Teaching Excellence Canvas site for more teaching resources, opportunities for engagement, and spaces to connect with colleagues about teaching.
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