Use the front page from a second course import

[agschmid]

Since all courses are currently online, we have two templates we use for provisioned courses. The templates each have a wiki page set as the front page.

The first template has a front page which contains instructions on setting up the course. The user at this point has the option to use the template that was imported or to apply a different template which has modules, content, etc.

The problem is that the second template has a different front page but  when importing the second template, the original front page is still the "front page".

While instructors can manually change the front page, it would be easier if there is an option that could be set to use the front page from the second import instead of keeping the front page from the first import.

[awilliams]

Hi, agschmid, thank you for taking the time to submit this idea and explain the use-case. I didn't see another one just like it so I have opened it up for voting. I did have one idea for how you might accomplish this now. I'm not positive it will work for you but here it goes...

Set up the first template course to have announcements on the homepage. Then use either the Syllabus or Modules page as the homepage. You could put the basic instructions for using that template and obtaining the others in an announcement, unpublished module item, or syllabus description. This way you still convey the important information in a readily accessible way, but also allow for the secondary templates to set the front page as desired.

[agschmid]

Thanks for the suggestions, Adam. The reason both templates used a page for the front page is because there is information for the students also, and placeholders for information the instructor needs to update. This would allow that information to display as soon as a student logged into the course and not have to search for important information and resources.

According to the guidelines, an import will override existing content, which is not true in the case of a wiki page as a front page. I would think if an instructor imports a template, then imports another template, their expectation is that the second template overwrites the first.

[leward]

This is going to be important to other Canvas customers if they decide to use the new course templating feature in Canvas.  If the templates have a Pages front page, all courses under that sub-account will have a default Pages home page.  instructors who decide to import content from another site will expect the front page for that course (if it has a front page) to replace the template Front Page.   The current behavior is counter-intuitive.

[lgekeler]

Notre Dame created a template from which all of our SIS-created courses are made. Of course we created and set a homepage. One would think that's part of the advantage of this method, right? It was only at the end of that semester, as Instructors were importing that content into their new course shells, that we discovered the homepage was now "unset" and had to be reset again.  I agree with @leward :that is just counter-intuitive.

We're trying to reduce steps faculty have to make by themselves. Yet our ticket in to Instructure so far is indicating it works this way "by design." I guess we're then looking for a better design.

[KristinL]

Thank you for sharing this idea with the Instructure Community!

The Product Team reviewed all feature proposals recently, and unfortunately, this thread was identified as one that they would not be able to include in their current or future plans. While we appreciate your proposal, we also want to be transparent about the likelihood of something like this making it to production.

Thank you for collaborating, and we hope that you submit another idea in the future!