Canvas LMS Instructor Guide

How do I import a Canvas course export package?

If you have a Canvas course export package from someone else that you want to use in Canvas, or you have previously exported a course, you can import the course as a Canvas course export package. An export package is imported as an IMSCC file.

Notes:

When imported into a course, course exports have the same limitations as course imports. For more details, learn more about the Course Import Tool.
When importing a Canvas course export package, the package will overwrite some of the existing course settings. For example, if your destination course is set up with a private copyright, and you import a package that has a creative commons (CC) copyright, the copyright license in the destination course will change from Private to CC. Please review the course setting after any course import to make sure important settings are still in place.
You cannot modify an existing quiz by importing a modified version. Imports can only be used when creating a quiz for the first time. If you import the same quiz multiple times, previously imported quizzes will not be overwritten, It will produce multiple copies of the same quiz.
Courses are allotted a specific file size limit for file storage. Your course export package file size must be smaller than the quota for your course as shown in course statistics. If you do not have enough storage space in your course to import the export package, please contact your Canvas administrator.
Instructors will need to manually subscribe to or enable notifications for discussions and announcements after importing them into a new course.
Canvas for Elementary export packages retain the Canvas for Elementary theme upon importing.

00:07: How do I import a Canvas course export package?

00:11: In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

00:14: Click the Import Course Content link.

00:18: In the Content Type drop-down menu, choose the Canvas Course Export Package

00:22: option.

00:24: Click the Choose File button.

00:26: Choose the .imscc file you want to import and then click the Open button.

00:32: To import all content from the course, select the All content radio

00:36: button. If you want to select specific content, click

00:40: the Select specific content radio button.

00:44: If allowed by your institution, you can bulk migrate existing quizzes

00:48: into New Quizzes by clicking the Convert content to New Quizzes checkbox.

00:54: If your institution enables the quiz migration feature, question

00:58: banks linked via a question group in Classic Quizzes will migrate to New

01:02: Quizzes. If the quiz migration feature is not enabled by your institution,

01:06: questions from question banks must be individually added before

01:10: migrating to New Quizzes.

01:13: If you want to adjust the due dates associated with the course events and

01:17: assignments, click the Adjust events and due dates checkbox.

01:22: When importing content, a message displays explaining that importing the same

01:27: course content or export package more than once overwrites any existing

01:31: content in the course.

01:33: Click the Add to Import Queue button.

01:36: The Content imports section displays the status of your import. Running

01:41: reports display a progress bar.

01:44: If you chose to select specific content in your course, the current

01:48: job will show as Waiting for selection, which means you must select the content

01:52: you want to import. The import may also display other

01:56: status indicators as part of the import process.

01:59: Learn more about course import statuses. View

02:03: the content from any completed imports by accessing any link

02:07: in Course Navigation.

02:09: This guide covered how to import a Canvas course export package.

02:15: This guide covered how to import a Canvas course export package.

Open Settings

Open Settings

In Course Navigation, click the Settings link.

Import Content into Course

Import Content into Course

Click the Import Course Content link.

Select Content Type

Select Content Type

In the Content Type drop-down menu, choose the Canvas Course Export Package option.

Choose File

Choose File

Drag and Drop a file or click the browse your files link.

Open File

Open File

Choose the .imscc file you want to import [1]. Click the Open button [2].

Select Migration Content

Select Migration Content

To import all content from the course, select the All content radio button [1].

If you want to select specific content, click the Select specific content radio button [2].

Notes:

If you select the specific content option, you are required to select the content you want to import after you review the remaining page options. After you start importing the content, the import selection cannot be canceled.
If you select the specific content option, linked files and images in course content, such as in assignments, discussions, and pages, are not retained.

Bulk Migrate Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes

Bulk Migrate Existing Quizzes as New Quizzes

If allowed by your institution, you can bulk migrate existing quizzes into New Quizzes by clicking the Convert content to New Quizzes checkbox.

If your institution enables the quiz migration feature, question banks linked via a question group in Classic Quizzes will migrate to New Quizzes. If the quiz migration feature is not enabled by your institution, questions from question banks must be individually added before migrating to New Quizzes.

Notes:

New Quizzes does not include a survey feature. Therefore, surveys migrated from Classic Quizzes come over as standard quizzes in New Quizzes.
After migration to New Quizzes, multiple dropdown questions display as matching questions.
Text No Question questions migrate to New Quizzes as Stimulus questions. An instructor must add a question in order for it to display in a quiz.
Question groups with manually created questions will migrate as item banks in New Quizzes.
If a quiz is migrated multiple times, Canvas uses smart merging to decipher the question bank content that should be retained. This process helps ensure all content is retained, such as in cases where multiple users may be making edits to a quiz at the same time.
Practice quizzes from Classic Quizzes can be migrated to New Quizzes. Once migrated, by default, the practice quizzes are displayed as zero points possible and are hidden from the Gradebook and Grades page.
All Question Banks converted to Item Banks appear on the Item Banks page of the new course under the This Course filter.

Adjust Events and Due Dates

Adjust Events and Due Dates

If you want to adjust the due dates associated with the course events and assignments, click the Adjust events and due dates checkbox.

View Content Import Warning Message

View Content Import Warning Message

When importing content, a message displays explaining that previously imported content from the same course will be replaced while manually added content will remain.

Import Course

Import Course

Click the Add to Import Queue button.

View Content Imports

View Content Imports

The Content imports section displays the status of your import. Running reports display a progress bar [1].

If you chose to select specific content in your course, the current job will show as Waiting for selection [2], which means you must select the content you want to import.

The import may also display other status indicators as part of the import process. Learn more about course import statuses.

View the content from any completed imports by accessing any link in Course Navigation.

Canvas LMS Instructor Guide

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