Steps to Import
1. After downloading your Blackboard export, open your Canvas site and click on Settings on the side navigation bar.
2. Then select Import Content into this Course on the right side of the screen.
3. Using the Content Type drop down select Blackboard 6/7/8/9 export.zip file.
4. Use Browse to select and attach your .zip file.
5. If you want to import all content, click in the dot (radio button) for All content next to Content. If you wish to selectively migrate content, click in the dot (radio button) for Select specific content next to Content. You will be given the opportunity later to select specific course content.
7. Then select Import.
8. While the .zip file is uploading it will display as Running with a display bar indicating its progress. Depending on the size of your .zip file this process may take awhile. You will get a notification via email when the import is completed.
9. If you are uploading the entire .zip file the display bar will turn green and read Completed when finished. Your content is now imported into Canvas.
10. If you opted to Select Migration Content earlier, the display bar will instead read Waiting for select when the .zip has unpacked. Click on Select Content. Then you will be given a Select Content menu where you can check off which items to import. When finished click Select Content. The display bar will show the progress of the content. When the content has uploaded to Canvas it will read Completed.
About Importing from Blackboard
Please note that you can only import content from Blackboard once. Subsequent imports will overwrite and erase any content that was previously imported into your Canvas site.
Where does my content go?
Assignments go to Assignments (however to receive student submissions online they should be reset)
Quizzes/Tests/Surveys go to Quizzes (all copy over unpublished/unavailable to students)
Documents go to Files
Folders (with files in them) go to Modules (with the file structure mostly intact)
What doesn’t migrate and how can I work around it?
- Learning Objects Blogs/Wikis: Campus Pack Learning Objects was discontinued at the University of Pennsylvania on May 20, 2016.
- Turnitin Assignments: Turnitin is available in Canvas.
- Annotations on documents: Use Pages where you can add links to your readings and annotations.
What if the import fails?
Sometimes if a site is extremely large there can be issues with importing the .zip file into Canvas. Contact us at canvas@pobox.upenn.edu if you encounter any issues and we can assist you further.
Last Updated: 10 May 2018