The JSU campus will offer all courses in Canvas in fall 2019. In the mean time, there is a lot of work, training, and preparation for all of us. Canvas shells will be available to the faculty at-large by fall 2018 for training and initial building of courses.
In most cases, courses should be built afresh in Canvas. Canvas displays content quite differently and in a much more fluid and contemporary manner than is done in Blackboard. Modules are entirely different, and the mobile experience of viewing Canvas is improved. These enhancements and many others require that in order to leverage the power of Canvas, most courses will be rebuilt using Canvas tools and concepts.
In preparation for this rebuild of courses in Canvas, there are a few steps faculty may complete now to prepare and position themselves for a smoother transition. Naturally, Online@JSU is available to assist in these preparations and with the building of new courses in Canvas.
Follow the steps below to prepare for building courses in Canvas.
IMPORTANT- Building a new course now? If a new course must be built in Blackboard (it will be taught before Canvas is available), contact Online@JSU for assistance. We may be able to assist in creating the Bb course to be more Canvas compatible. If a new course will be taught first in Canvas, we may also be able to assist in prep-work to ease the building of the course when Canvas becomes available.
Step 1- Prepare Blackboard Courses
Choose Blackboard Course Shells
Choose one Bb shell for each distinct course. Plan carefully on this point. Decide which semester is the best representation and most current version of a future course in Canvas. The most recent semester of each course is a likely choice. Things to consider include:
- When is the best time to begin the preparations? For example, in an active course, waiting until the semester is complete may be advisable.
- Will my course be taught in Blackboard again before the Canvas transition?
- Do I plan to redesign this course? If so, should I wait and redesign in Canvas?
Cleanup Duplicates and Unneeded Files in Bb Content Manager
Over time, most Bb courses accumulate duplicated and other unneeded files. Work through the content collection for each course and remove files which are no longer relevant to the course.
See example- Organizing Content Collection
Organize Files in Content Collection
As files are added to Bb, organization can become muddled with many files ending up at the root level. Organizing files into a few folders will save time later when building a course in Canvas. Organize Bb Content Collection files into meaningfully named folders.
See example- Organizing Content Collection
Step 2- Download Files from Blackboard Content Collection
Create a File Hierarchy
Create a local computer folder for placing files from Blackboard. Name the folder as desired (ex- "My Bb Courses"). Within this folder, create a sub-directory of folders which reflect course load (ex- "Intro to Music").
Examples- Create Folder Hierarchy
Download Files from Blackboard
After cleaning old files and organizing files in the Bb Content Collection, download files to a local computer. Save the resulting .zip file (see below) to the appropriate folders created previously. Download one file package from each course.
Examples- Downloading Bb Content Collection
Back-up or Save Files
Save the file in a secure location such as a network drive. Online@JSU advises to save this and other files to JSU OneDrive (Office 365). Files located on OneDrive are secure and available from any location or device.
For details on using OneDrive, see- Office 365 OneDrive.
OneDrive may be accessed by logging in to JSU Office 365.
Step 3- Back Up Student Data
At the end of all semesters (regardless of the current LMS), instructors should consider the procedures under Minimum Recommendations and Other Considerations in order to preserve Blackboard course data and content appropriately in accordance with University, School, and Departmental policies. Faculty are responsible for having knowledge of these policies and are the best judge when determining what to preserve. In some courses, you may wish to preserve data/content beyond policy requirements.
As JSU transitions to Canvas, consider carefully the types and dates of student data in need of preservation. If you have questions regarding the steps for completing any of these tasks, please contact us at online@jsu.edu for assistance. For a more definitive answer on the requirements for archiving student data, check with the Department which offers a given course.
Typical student data to be archived includes:
- Grade Center Download
- Assignment Download
- Discussion Post Download (Collect Posts)
- Quiz Result Download
Save the student archive files in a secure location such as a network drive. Online@JSU advises to save this and other files to JSU OneDrive (Office 365). Files located on OneDrive are secure and available from any location or device.
For details on using OneDrive, see- Office 365 OneDrive.
OneDrive may be accessed by logging in to JSU Office 365.
Step 4- Prepare Bb Course for Export
Review and Edit Bb Course Organization (modules, items, etc.)
Items within a Bb shell which will likely be useful and capable of being easily transitioned to a newly built Canvas course include quizzes, question pools, and rubrics. Other items such as Bb Items, modules, discussions may better be rebuilt new in Canvas.
Regardless of which items are to be transitioned to Canvas, in preparation, plan to export all Bb content within a given course. Therefore, spending time cleaning and streamlining a Bb course shell will make building a Canvas course much easier and faster.
Streamline a Bb Course Shell
- Remove any unneeded items, announcements, discussions, links to files, etc.
- Check links to outside sources (YouTube, webpages, files, etc.). Correct or remove broken links.
- Organize remaining content in as clear and organized manner as possible. This organization may be the current course structure, a vision for a new structure, or one that is more for instructor purposes than a student's. Remember- this export will be used as a basis and resource for rebuilding a fresh course in Canvas.
- If unsure to delete or not delete content, choose to not-delete.
Quizzes, Question Pools, and Rubrics may be included in the Bb export file. This Bb export file may then be used to import quizzes, pools, and rubrics directly into Canvas with minimal editing necessary. For instructions on importing these items into Canvas, see the instructions in the Canvas Basics Self-Paced Training Course- How do I Import Quizzes?
Step 5- Export Blackboard Course Shell
After the Bb course shell is organized and streamlined, export the entire contents of the course. Course exports are completed in Control Panel>Packages and Utilities>Export/Archive Course.
For more information regarding course exports, see- Course Exports
Note- a course export does not include student records.
Step 6- Access Canvas
All faculty and staff now have access to Canvas. Follow the instructions below to login to Canvas.
Canvas Login
Canvas Basics Self-Paced Training
It is often best to learn by doing. In the Canvas Basics Self-Paced Training Course, the most fundamental elements of Canvas are presented along with practical exercises. Use this course as the first step in learning to build Canvas courses.
