Copy a Module item

[jthoms]

This idea has been developed and deployed to Canvas

A good instructional design practice is to have a predictable module structure for students to follow throughout a course. This means repeating a similar format for pages and assignments within a course.

Currently copying a module item requires creating a new module and items for each section, and copying content for each item. By adding a “copy” option to the Module gear, the effort to build a course will be greatly reduced. If this triggered a dialogue to state how many copies to make, it would be very simple to quickly build out a course structure.

Please help to flesh out this idea by discussing your particular use case in the comments.

Comments from Instructure

For more information, please read through the Canvas Product Release Notes (2017-11-18).

[scottdennis]

This feature idea is now open for voting.

[kerdman]

As I'm building my course in Canvas, I would like to be able to copy a particular assignment because a lot of the information is the same, but needs some tweaking. I don't see anything that allows me to do this.

[swright]

You can copy an individual assignment only. Go to the class you want to add the assignment to. Click: settings....import course content...select the course you are copying from....click select specific content....import.....select content....assignments....the ones you want.

This seems long so, I usually import whole modules and then delete the ones I don' t want. Hope that helps.

[elliott]

I use modules to organize links to a LOT of external resources in my courses.  Being able to completely copy a Module between sections would save SO MUCH MANUAL EFFORT.

Please please please please.

Exporting and Importing doesn't work when you are making new modules DURING the course.  I don't see any way to package and export specific content into a file that can be imported elsewhere.

[kmeeusen]

Rob:

This can be easily accomplished using Course Copy (no need to export and import). With Course Copy you have the options of either copying in an entire course, or just specific content from a course. When choosing specific content you can choose to copy a modules, and when you copy a module all the content in that module comes over.  I frequently do this with an orientation module I use in most of my courses.

To learn more: @How do I import content from another Canvas course?

I hope this helps!

[scottdennis]

Hey Rob,

Just to clarify; it is possible to copy a module and its content directly across from one course to another via the import content... copy from a Canvas Course... select content:

2015-10-30_0934 - Scott.Dennis's library

Thanks,

SD

[csalazar]

As is mentioned above, there is already a way to copy objects including modules into a course using the course copy tool. Commons can also be used to copy a module to another course. Given there are good alternatives to accomplish this goal, we will not be able to invest in adding this feature right now.

[hallm1]

Cosme: While "there is already a way to copy objects including modules into a course using the course copy tool. Commons can also be used to copy a module to another course," there doesn't appear to be a "good" way to copy alterable modules and module content within the same course.

I'm currently creating a canvas template for our school with weekly modules. Ideally, I would be able to simply copy the first module I create x the number of weeks in our semester and then tweak each weekly module by adding the appropriate information/content for that week. The only way I have been able to accomplish this is by sharing the week 1 module to the commons and then importing it back into the course and changing headings to reflect this as week 2's module. I then have to create, from scratch, a module for week 3, share it, and import it back into the course to tweak as week 4's module, since the commons won't let me import a module into the same course more than once. And so on, and so forth. This is an incredibly tedious process that would be greatly facilitated by the ability to simply copy a module within canvas. 

[kona]

 @michellewhall68 , you might be interested in this feature idea -

[kmatson]

I know that we can copy by using the Copy a Canvas Course and selecting what we want to copy. We have also broken more than one course with this approach and Canvas told us the limit is three copies. The naming structure doesn't change so after three Canvas is confused and starts deleting things in the course.  Canvas knows and will tell you the limit is three copies; when will we get a copy tool? YES faculty often want 10 - 15 copies of something since the average term is either 10 weeks for schools on quarters or 15 weeks for schools on semesters. So again when will we get a much needed copy tool? We need to copy individual items as well as an entire module.

Thanks so much,

Karen Matson