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Alex D'AdamoWhen building a Canvas course, it can save time to reuse content from Blackboard. However, importing your entire course from Blackboard as-is can be messy and include content you don’t want. Here are methods you can use to selectively copy content over from Blackboard to Canvas.
Method 1: Export Individual Blackboard Files via Content Collection and Upload to Canvas
If you would like to build your Canvas course from scratch, it can be helpful to download all of your PowerPoint lectures, PDF files, and other materials to store them in one place on your computer that you can use to drag and drop into a Canvas page. Here’s how to download your course files from Blackboard:
- Log in to Blackboard and navigate to your course.
- In the course menu, click on Content Collection, and then select your course name to access your stored files.
- To download a single file:
- Locate the file you want.
- Click on the file name to select it.
- Click the Download Package button.
- To download multiple files:
- Click Show All at the bottom of the list to see all Files.
- Check the boxes next to the files you wish to download, or check the very first box to select all files. You can then deselect the files you don’t want.
- Click the Download Package button at the top or bottom of the file list.
- Your files will download as a compressed (.zip) file. Save this file somewhere easy to find.
- Locate this file on your computer and unzip it to access your documents. On Macs, this should happen automatically; on Windows, you can open the .zip file and then click Extract All.
- You can keep the folder open on one side of your screen with Canvas open on the other side. When editing a page, you can drag a file onto the page to upload it to Canvas instantly.
Method 2: Export a Blackboard Course Package and Import into Canvas
You can export your entire Blackboard course as a .zip file that can then be directly imported into Canvas. This can include tests, quizzes, assignments, discussion boards, rubrics and module content. This will not include student data or grades.
- Note that most content will not transfer neatly; therefore, it’s advised to Create a Course in the dashboard area of Canvas and use that as a testing area to see how your course content will transfer over before importing it into your course of record.
While it’s recommended to use the QILT template to build your Canvas course for an improved student experience, there are situations where it may be easier to copy content from Blackboard and then edit that content to match the template.
Exporting a Course Package from Blackboard
- Within your Blackboard course, scroll down to the Control Panel.
- Click on Packages and Utilities, and then select Export/Archive Course.
- Click the Export Package button.
- On the Export Course page, under Select Course Materials, choose the materials you wish to export by checking their respective boxes.
- To exclude specific files and keep the file-size of your package low:
- Scroll up to the File Attachments area, and under Package Size, click on Manage Package Contents.
- A new window will appear, displaying all files.
- Uncheck any files or folders you do not wish to export.
- Click Submit to save your selection.
- Click Calculate Size to see how large the package will be. Files larger than 100MB may take a few minutes or more to download if your internet speed is slow, and will take even longer to upload to Canvas.
- Note: Canvas allows a maximum course size of 2GB. If your Canvas course is larger than 2GB with the Blackboard import, you will receive an error and the file will not import. Try to keep the Blackboard package below 1GB to minimize the risk of errors.
- Click Submit again at the bottom of the Export Course page.
- You’ll receive a notification by email once your export file is ready. Navigate back to Export/Archive Course.
- Click on the exported file name to download it to your computer.
- DO NOT UNZIP THIS FILE! The downloaded file must stay as a .zip to be imported into Canvas.
- Note for Mac users: We recommend not using Safari, as it will automatically unzip the file when downloaded.
Importing a Course Package into Canvas
To import your exported Blackboard package into Canvas:
- Log in to Canvas.
- Navigate to the Canvas course you would like to import content into.
- On the course’s home page, click Import Existing Content.
- Click the Select Content Type dropdown menu and select Blackboard 6/7/8/9 export .zip file.
- Click Choose File, then select the ZIP file you downloaded from Blackboard. This is most likely in your downloads folder.
- Under Content, select Select specific content.
- Optional: Under Options, check Adjust events and due dates to modify assignment dates automatically or manually.
- Click the blue + Add to Import Queue button.
- After Canvas processes the file, click the Select Content button that appears, choose which materials to import, and then click Select Content again.
This may take up to a few hours, depending on the size of your course. Once you see a progress bar, navigating away from the course is safe, as it will continue to import even if you leave Canvas.
Once completed, the progress bar will change to either (1) Completed, or (2) Partially Completed. If the latter, click (3) View Issues to see what content did not import correctly.
You can modify, delete, or reorder content in the Modules area of your Canvas course.
Faculty, staff, and students have access to 24/7/365 phone and chat support through the Help menu in Canvas.
Visit the Faculty Advancement in Teaching Excellence Canvas site for teaching resources, opportunities for engagement, and spaces to connect with colleagues about teaching!
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