Overview

Before you jump into importing or copying a course, it's good to consider whether that's actually your best option. In many cases, even though importing and copying are simple processes, your course might benefit from a fresh start. Building or rebuilding from scratch gives you an opportunity to reorganize and update outdated materials.

Considering the questions below can help you evaluate whether to import/copy or build/rebuild. If you still can't decide which is best for you, run a test import/copy of your course and see what happens! You can always delete it and start over.

Course Quality & Currency

Is my existing course up-to-date, simply structured, and well-organized?
Has my existing course been updated within the last year?
Has my textbook recently changed, or am I using a new edition that requires page numbers and assignments to be updated?
Is my existing course in need of major content updates because the materials are old and/or inaccurate?

Course Structure & Maintenance

Is my existing course complex with many nested files and a lot of images and/or media?
Is my existing course messy with excess files that have been accumulating for years and/or has many web links that no longer work?

Content Source & Age

Is my course content coming from a different learning management system like Angel, Blackboard, or Moodle?
Is my course content from an old course from a different Canvas instance or a other LMS?

Open Licensing & Accessibility

Does my existing course contain images and/or videos that are not open source or that I do not legally have permission to use?
Do my course materials include PDFs, images, videos, or other content that may not be accessible to all learners?

Learning Resources

Test your thinking! Based on the statements below, decide whether you should import/copy or build/rebuild, then click the heading to explore the options.

▶ My course is up-to-date, simply structured, and well-organized.

Import/Copy - If your course is already in good shape, importing or copying will save you time and preserve your well-organized structure.

Import: Choose to import when bringing in current content from another LMS (Angel, Blackboard, Moodle) or from a Canvas course at a different college.
Copy: Choose to copy when duplicating a course with current content from within the same Canvas instance, like copying your development course to use in an upcoming quarter.

▶ My course has been updated within the last year.

Import/Copy - Recent updates mean your content is likely still current and relevant, making it a good candidate for import/copy.

Import: Choose to import when bringing in current content from another LMS (Angel, Blackboard, Moodle) or from a Canvas course at a different college.
Copy: Choose to copy when duplicating a course with current content from within the same Canvas instance (like copying your development course to use in an upcoming quarter.

▶ My textbook has recently changed.

Build/Rebuild - A textbook change means you'll probably need to update most of your content, so starting fresh gives you a chance to reorganize as you update.

Build from scratch: If you're switching to a completely different textbook with new content and organization, start fresh to align your course with the new book's structure.
Update your content, then import or copy: If you're moving to a newer edition of the same textbook with similar content, update your page numbers and assignments before importing or copying your course.

▶ My course contains old and/or inaccurate materials.

Build/Rebuild - Starting fresh lets you update everything systematically rather than fixing old content piece by piece.

Build from scratch: If most of your course content is outdated or inaccurate, start fresh and create new materials with current information.
Update first, then import or copy: If only some of your content is outdated or inaccurate, update those specific materials before importing or copying your course.

▶ My course is complex with many nested files and a lot of images and/or multi-media.

Build/Rebuild - Media-rich and complex courses can be difficult to reorganize after import. Starting fresh gives you a chance to streamline your file structure, remove unused files, check accessibility of resources, eliminate unnecessary content, and fix outdated links.

Build from scratch: If your course has deeply nested folders with lots of media files and you want to simplify your structure, start fresh with a cleaner, more organized approach.
Simplify first, then import or copy: If your content is current and in use but just poorly organized, take time to restructure and organize your media files before importing or copying your course.

▶ My course is messy and contains excess, unused files and/or has many non-working links.

Build/Rebuild - If it has been a while since you cleaned out your file manager and/or tested all of your web links, it might be time to start fresh.

Build from scratch: If you have years of accumulated files and multiple broken links throughout your course, starting fresh will be faster than cleaning up and reorganizing everything.
Clean up first, then import or copy: If you have some excess files and a few broken links but your core content is solid, take time to delete unused files and fix links before importing or copying your course.

▶ My course contains images and/or videos that are not openly licensed or that I do not legally have permission to use.

Build/Rebuild - It is probably best to redo some of your content and seek assistance from a librarian for help citing your sources and obtaining copyright permissions.

Build from scratch: If you have a lot of content and most of it has copyright issues, start fresh with openly licensed materials.
Replace and revise, then import or copy: If your materials are current and only some resources have copyright issues, replace those specific items with openly licensed alternatives or obtain proper permissions.

▶ My course content is coming from a different LMS, like Angel, Blackboard, or Moodle.

Build/Rebuild - Content from older LMS platforms may not import cleanly into Canvas, and older courses are more likely to have outdated materials, broken links, and compatibility issues. Building fresh ensures everything works properly.

Build from scratch: If your content from the other LMS is several years old and/or your course structure is complex with a lot of nested folders and multi-media, start fresh to avoid import errors and ensure everything works in Canvas.
Run a test import, then decide: If your content is recent and simply structured, try importing from the other LMS into a practice course shell to see how it transfers. You can always start over if needed.

▶ My course materials include PDFs, images, videos, or other content that is not accessible.

Build/Rebuild - Importing will carry over any accessibility issues from your original course. Rebuilding gives you the opportunity to add alt text to images, create transcripts for videos, ensure PDFs are screen-reader friendly, and build accessibility in from the start.

Build from scratch: If you have a lot of content and most of it has accessibility issues, start fresh and build accessibility in as you create new materials.
Replace and revise, then import or copy: If your materials are current and mostly accessibility, fix those specific items before importing or copying your course.

TIP: To keep your course clean and organized, be sure to delete and/or unpublish any and all unused or practice type pages from your course before it goes live.