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Blackboard to Canvas Migration Guide - 4WEB
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Migration Guide

When it comes to course migration; no one size fits all. It requires you as the designer of your course to make some decisions about how to move your instructional content from one LMS to the other. The good news is that you don’t have to make those decisions without information; in this document we have made recommendations and provided options for you to choose from when making decisions about migrating your content from Blackboard to Canvas.

Part 1: Blackboard Prep

✽ Step 1: Backup Your Course

✽ Step 2: Evaluate and Organize Your Existing Content

✽ Step 3: Download Your Course Files

✽ Step 4: Export Tests, Surveys, and Pools

Part 2: Canvas Building

✩ Step 1: Upload Your Tests, Surveys and Pools

✩ Step 2: Upload Your Files

✩ Step 3: Copy and Paste Instructional Content

✩ Step 4: Update Images and Course Links

✩ Step 5: Review Course in Student View

Part 1: Blackboard Prep

Step 1: Backup Your Course

Before you begin migration from Blackboard to Canvas, you can backup your course. Your course backup can be retained on your local computer and will serve as an archive of all your original content.

✽ Step 2: Evaluate and Organize Your Existing Content

To expedite migration from Blackboard to Canvas, organize all your course content in Blackboard first. This is your opportunity to clean up your course and reduce the amount of data that you will transfer to Canvas. Review all your content to decide what is still relevant to your course. Refer to your course objectives to check that your content is aligned. Delete excess content including duplicate files and outdated materials.

✽ Step 3: Download Your Course Files                                                                            

All files that you have uploaded to your Blackboard course are stored in the Files section in the Control Panel. Files include images, documents, slides, PDFs, MP3s, etc. Your files will be downloaded as a .zip file that you will later upload into Canvas. Keep track of this .zip file name, which can begin with “Export File” or the course name.

✽ Step 4: Export Tests, Surveys, and Pools

In Blackboard, you may be able to export your tests, surveys, and pools and upload them to Canvas. A successful transfer will depend on a few factors. First, did you create your tests, or did you upload your tests from a publisher? If your tests are from a publisher, you may need to contact the publisher’s representative assigned to you, to assist you in obtaining tests compatible with Canvas. If you created tests to draw from pools and applied specific conditions, for example drawing specific question types from more than one pool, you may need to create new pools in Blackboard before transferring to Canvas. The following steps will help guide you to the best option for your transfer.

  1. In Blackboard, locate the Control Panel, select the “Packages and Utilities” dropdown menu, then select the “Export/Archive Course” link.
  2. In the “Select Course Materials” section, locate and select the “Tests, Surveys, and Pools” checkbox.
  3. Select the “Submit” button.

Part 2: Canvas Building

Step 1: Upload Your Tests, Surveys and Pools

  1. Log into the Canvas course you want to build in
  2. In the navigation menu, select “Settings.”
  3. In the sidebar, select “Import Course Content.”
  4. Locate the “Content Type” select the dropdown menu, then select the Blackboard 6/7/8/9 export .zip file.
  5. Locate the “Source” section, then select the “Choose File” button.
  6. Locate and select the file name, then select the “Open” button.
  7. In the “Content” section, select “All content.”
  8. Select the “Import” button.
  9. To confirm that your tests and surveys transferred, locate the navigation menu and select the “Quizzes” link. If the transfer was successful, you will see your tests and surveys as quizzes.
  10. To check your pools, locate and select the gear icon (in Quizzes), then select “Manage Question Banks.”

🎯 If your transfer was unsuccessful or you want to create quizzes from different pools based on quiz type, review the CLC Guide Blackboard Pools to Canvas Question Banks.  

✩ Step 2: Upload Your Files

Navigate to your Canvas course shell and upload your files. Review the following Canvas Guides for instructions:

Step 3: Copy and Paste Instructional Content

You can import your Bb Course Export package entirely in one step; however, depending on how your course was setup in Blackboard, it may not transfer correctly. You will need to complete a detailed audit of each item/page in Canvas to determine any errors created during the migration process. For example; Bb Mashups do not migrate to Canvas completely, and additional editing will be required. Review the Canvas Guide for importing a Bb Export into Canvas.

 Due to the complete and detailed audit that is required with direct import, we recommend you copy and paste each item separately, followed by an update of images and links. This will ensure that only the content you want included in your course is brought over (extraneous information is eliminated) and the content functions correctly.

  1. Open your Blackboard course and your Canvas course in two separate web browser windows (or tabs).
  2. In Blackboard, select an item to copy and paste.
  3. Select the chevron, then select “Edit.”
  4. Locate the text editor and select the HTML button. A pop-up window will appear with the item’s HTML code. Select all (ctrl + A), then copy (ctrl + C) the code.
  5. In your Canvas course, select “New Page” and name the page.
  6. Select your new page, then select the “Edit” button.
  7. Select the HTML Editor, then paste (ctrl + V) your Blackboard content into the text field.
  1. Canvas Guide: How do I use the HTML view in the Rich Content Editor 
  1. Select “Save”

🎯  Repeat Steps 1 - 8 for additional Pages, Assignments, Discussions, Announcements, and the Syllabus.

 Step 4: Update Images and Course Links

After you copy and paste content, you will need to update images and course links.

Step 5: Review Course in Student View

Thoroughly check all content of your course after the migration to ensure the course navigation is correct and students cannot see items you wish to keep hidden.


⭐ For a complete list of the resources presented in this document go to: http://bit.ly/MigrationResources