Canvas - Exporting a Course

When exporting a Canvas course, the following items are typically included in the export file (usually in IMS Common Cartridge format, .imscc):

  1. Course Content:

    • Assignments and assignment settings.
    • Quizzes, including question banks.
    • Discussions.
    • Pages and their content.
    • Modules, along with their structure and links.
    • Files uploaded to the course, such as documents and images.
    • External URLs and embedded media links.

  2. Course Organization:

    • Module and assignment structures.
    • Publishing statuses of course materials.

  3. Gradebook Framework:

    • Assignment groups and weighting settings (if used).

What is Not Included in a Canvas Course Export?

Some content and data are excluded to protect privacy and maintain compliance with regulations like FERPA:

  1. Student Data:

    • Grades, assignment submissions, and quiz attempts.
    • Discussion posts and replies authored by students.

  2. Third-Party Integrations:

    • Content from external tools (e.g., publisher platforms, Turnitin) may not be fully transferred and might appear only as placeholders.

  3. Analytics and Participation:

    • Reports on student activity and engagement are excluded.

FERPA and Canvas Course Exports

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) governs the privacy and handling of student educational records. When exporting a Canvas course:

  1. Student Records Are Protected:

    • The export does not include any identifiable student information, such as grades, assignment submissions, or discussion contributions. This ensures compliance with FERPA's privacy requirements.

  2. Instructor Responsibilities:

    • Instructors must avoid manually including or sharing student data (e.g., copying and pasting grades or discussion content) as part of the course materials.
    • If student data is inadvertently exported or shared, it could constitute a FERPA violation.

  3. Data Sharing with External Systems:

    • If transferring course content to another LMS, instructors should verify that no student-identifiable data has been attached or shared during the process.

How to Export a Canvas Course

  1. Navigate to your course in Canvas.
  2. Go to Settings in the course menu.
  3. Click the Export Course Content button.
  4. Select the type of content you want to export:
    • Entire course.
    • Specific content (choose the items to include).
  5. Download the .imscc file and save it securely.
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