Notifications for Imported Existing Content

[mcmaguire]

I’ve set up my current semester course in Canvas, which is a recurring course each semester. I imported course components from an earlier semester (a.k.a., Existing Content), including some Assignments. Then, I updated some Assignments for the current semester’s dates [I’ve learned not to trust the Canvas import function of adjusting dates, as it can’t account for holidays, school breaks, etc.].

Re:  Notifications....since I am publishing the current Assignments for the first time in the current semester, I check the box to Notify students of changes/updates, because, for this new course, they haven't seen the assignment before.

My Instructor’s Canvas account is set to receive notifications (weekly).  I just received a notification that indicates, “Assignment Due Date Changed.”  Hmmm. Technically, yes, the due date changed, because I just imported the assignment and updated the dates for the current semester. However, it’ll be the first time students will see this assignment this semester.

For any of my students in this class, if they’ve set their Canvas accounts to receive notifications, will they receive a similar message?  It’s not a big issue, and I can clear it up when we meet for class. However, it seems that I should be able to import components of prior semesters’ Canvas courses without having this particular, confusing (for students in this new course, early in the semester) notification triggered as (again, technically), for the CURRENT semester, the due date has NOT been changed - it’s the first time I’m publishing the assignment.

thanks for any insights

Michael Maguire, mcmaguire@wisc.edu

Teaching Faculty

UW-Madison

[SusanNiemeyer · Accepted solution]

Hi @mcmaguire,

I'm not entirely sure about how Notifications work, but I thought I'd share some thoughts about "importing" course material. 

For me, it's easier to "import" the original course modules into the target course before I actually publish the target course. I always "remove" the dates when I import. Then I set everything up, including the new dates, before I publish the course. I keep my weekly modules unpublished, and I hide assignments, quizzes, discussions, and pages in the students' course navigation bar. I don't rely on notifications, and my students have never had any issues with them.

Another option is to "import" the original course modules into an intermediary Sandbox course, make the necessary edits there, and then "import" the modules into the target course.

Keep in mind that when you "import" or "copy" something, if the item is published in the original course, it will be published in the target course. If the item is unpublished in the original course, it is unpublished in the target course. This is where an intermediary Sandbox course can become helpful if you want to copy or import something once the new semester is underway.

I keep the entire course unpublished while I'm setting it up. I also keep all of the modules and items unpublished until I want my students to see them.