These directions help guide you on how to copy a course from a Model course. This is for traditional and blended classes when you do not want the classes linked with the model course (so you will not get any updates from the model course). If you do not have access to the Model course for the classes you teach, please submit a help desk ticket. If you would like your classes linked with the model course so you do not have to copy the model course content into your classes, please submit a help desk ticket.

Please click on the links for more directions if you are unfamiliar with a step or make an appointment with eLearningLinks to an external site..

In the Course You Are Copying From

Open the Model Course that you are copying from.

Record the Unique Identifier

Write down the "unique identifier" for the Model course you are going to copy from. This is the number in the web address (URL) when you're on any page in that section. It is unique to every Canvas course section.
Screenshot of the web address of a Canvas course with a red box around the numbers

Record the Name of the Front Page

Go to Pages. Select the View All Pages button at the top left.
Scroll down until you see the jelly bean that says "Front Page." This may be "Course Home Page" or it may be another page title.
Write down the name of the page title just above the "Front Page" jelly bean. This is the actual course home page.

Import Content from the Model Course to Your Class Section

1. On the Home Page, select Import Existing Content.
2. From the Content Type drop-down menu, select Copy a Canvas Course
3. In the Search for a course field, type in the unique identifier for the model course you are copying from. Click on the course name.
4. Select All content if you want the entire course or Select specific content if you only want specific modules. (We ONLY recommend selecting All content for model courses or courses that are identical sections in the same term. For all other course copying we recommend choosing Select specific content.)
5. You can select Adjust events and due dates if the model course has dates in it. Make sure the "Ending date" "change to" box is blank.
6. Select Import.
7. If you choose Select specific content, scroll down:
  - Click on Select Content and select the boxes to import these sections:
    - Modules - Click on the > arrow to see all the modules. Check the box next to any module that you want to copy. It will automatically copy all the pages, assignments, files, and links that are in that module.
    - Assignments - Check the box for all Assignments if the assignment group is important to you. If you select all assignments, you will need to go into the Assignments menu after the copy is complete and delete any assignments that you won't use. You can also click on the > arrow to select just specific assignments, like the common assessment, if you are not importing modules. Assignments will appear in the Imported Assignment group and will need to be moved to the correct group.
    - External Tools (if present)
    - Pages - Click on the > arrow next to Pages and check the box for the course home page. (Do NOT click on box next to the word "Pages" so that all pages are selected. We only want to select the Front Page that you recorded.)
    - If you have any pages, quizzes, or files that are NOT in a module that you want to copy, you can go into those sections and check the box next to those specific items. (Anything that is in a module selected to copy will come automatically.)

Clean Up the Copy

Set the Home Page

1. Go to Pages. Select the View All Pages button at the top left.
2. Scroll down until you see "Course Home Page". The current page that is being used as the home page has the "Front Page" jelly bean below the title.
3. Select the page title of the "Front Page" from the model course that you wrote down before copying.
4. While you are viewing the page that should be the home page, click on the 3 dots in the upper right corner. Select Use as Front Page.
5. On the home page, create a course link to the "Academic Integrity Quiz" link in the Start Here section.
6. Update the page with any changes for this section, such as a textbook/3rd party access code.

3rd Party Tool or Textbook

1. Follow the directions from the Bookstore, your program liaison, or the publisher to link this Canvas section to the correct section in the 3rd party tool/textbook.
2. Follow their directions to import or link assignments. Move assignments to the correct module and assignment group, if necessary.
3. Update access codes or links wherever necessary.

In the Modules

1. Complete the Meet Your Instructor page and publish that module and content.
2. You can add or remove any content necessary for your course. If you remove an assignment from a module, you must also go to the Assignments section and delete the assignment. Any assignment that is published and has a due date is still visible to students, even if is not in a module.
3. Double-check that any module prerequisites and requirements are listed correctly.
4. If using the Lock Until feature, confirm that the dates are correct.

In the Assignments

1. Check the Due Date and Available Until of the Academic Integrity Quiz to the correct census date for this class section.
2. Click on the kabob menu (3 dots) and select Edit Assignment Dates. Confirm that the dates are correct and select Save. (If there are no dates, you may find it easier to set dates in the Modules section by clicking on the three dots next to the assignment title and selecting Assign To.)
3. Delete any assignments that you will not use in this class.

On the Syllabus

1. Update the Course Information section if you need to include an access code in the Textbook information.
2. Update the Class Information section, paying particular attention to the dates.
3. Update the Course Schedule if assignment due dates are different from the model course.
4. Update the Census Date Policy, Grading Policy, Class Attendance, Turnaround Policy, Late Work Policy, and any other policies specific for your class section.

Validate Links in Content

While the Model Course Manager should have fixed any broken links, run the Validate Links in Content tool from the Settings menu with this section to identify any files or pages that may not have copied correctly to this section or that have broken since the model course was last updated.

Confirm Published Status

On the Home page, check the upper right corner and make sure that the Course Status is "Published." If it is not, click on it and choose Published from the drop-down menu.

On the Modules page, check that the introductory and first week's modules are published, as well as the content in those modules. There should be a green check in the gray module title bar and next to each item in the module. Remember, do not publish any notes to instructors.

A white check in a green circle shows that the module or content is published. A gray "do not enter" icon shows that the module or content is unpublished.

Course Readiness Checklist

Use the Course Readiness Checklist to confirm that you have completed all the steps to prep your course. The checklist also has more detailed tutorials on the steps to prep or clean up a copied course.