Import your D2L Brightspace Course Into Canvas Manually

Managing your own migration provides the flexibility to bring only the content that you need into Canvas. Once migrated, you can identify which assets can be used as-is and re-build any modules or content that did not migrate well. Follow the steps below to complete your course setup.

Request a Course Shell

To begin building your course in Canvas, you’ll first need to complete the Course Shell Request Form to obtain a new course shell.

Note: This course shell will not be accessible to students, but is used for the development of your course materials prior to the “live” course being created in Canvas.

Clean Up Your D2L Course

To minimize the time needed to adjust your course in Canvas, we recommend you "clean up" your course prior to exporting it. Use the Pre-migration Checklist  to guide your adjustments.

Export Content from D2L

Follow the tutorial below to export your course from D2L Brightspace. For a smoother migration, use the pre-migration checklist above to ensure all your content is ready to move. For detailed steps, visit our Export a Course Tutorial.

Navigate to your Course

1. Log in to Canvas at https://montana.instructure.com/login/saml.

2. When you log in, you will be in your Canvas dashboard.

3. Select the desired course by clicking on the course card.

Note: Depending on where we are in the migration schedule, you may not see all your courses right away. All courses that will be migrated for you will appear by July 2025.

Update Your Homepage

Each new course shell will feature an MSU-branded Homepage. This default homepage includes a banner and a designated area where instructors can share essential details about themselves and the course. Please refer to the Update your Homepage Tutorial for guidance on personalizing your homepage.

Import Content into Canvas

The time required to import your course content from D2L Brightspace into Canvas will vary depending on the size and features of your course. This video tutorial will guide you through each step to ensure a successful transition. For a full written tutortial, visit How Do I Import Content?

Keep in mind that some content may not transfer exactly as expected. Use the steps in the tutorial and the Post-Migration Checklist to identify and adjust any areas that need attention before publishing your course.

Review Your Migrated Content

Since migration is not always seamless, you will need to review and edit your content before sharing it with students. As part of the import process, Canvas identifies potential issues which may need to be addressed.

1. Once your import is complete, return to the Import page inside your course.

2. To view the issues log, click on the numbered issues link next to the "completed" box under “current jobs” on the Import page. This will display a list of items for review.

3. Review the issues and address each as necessary. Most issues will involve broken links or LTIs. For example, in the image below, Wednesday’s announcement will need to be relinked to the module titled Week 1. Refer to the Create Hyperlinks Tutorialto help you complete this task.

4. While these issues log is a good indication of items in your course that may need attention, we recommend following the Post-Migration Checklist fora more thorough review of your content as some issues may be difficult to locate through the log.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Organize your Course

Modules control the entire flow of your course and its content. As an instructor, you can add modules, add items to a module, and manage module settings. You can also reorder all modules and module items.

1. Navigate to the Modules tab from the course navigation menu on the left.
2. Scroll through your migrated modules. You will need to review and update these to fit with your course's structure.
   1. Note: You have the flexibility to structure your course into weeks, units, topics, or any other format you prefer.
3. Rename and reorder your modules and activities
1. Use the three dots on the top right of the module to edit the name.
2. Then, use the dot cluster on the left of each item to drag and reorder your modules and activities to a new location.

Note: Some activities may appear in a new category titled "Imported Assignments," created for activities that cannot be categorized into an existing module. You can access these by selecting Assignments from the course navigation menu. Consider relocating these activities to a more appropriate module for your course.

4. At the top right of the modules page, click on Student View to see how your modules look from the view of your students.
1. Note: When you or your students click on Modules, it will take you back to the top of the modules page so it may be helpful to have your most recent module at the top.
  

Create New Content

Some migrated content elements may not transfer well and will require rebuilding. Canvas offers a versatile toolkit for creating new content, including pages, assignments, discussions, quizzes, links, documents, and external tools. Use the links below to learn more about each content item.

Canvas Pages

Canvas Pages provide a platform for presenting course materials.

Tutorial: How Do I Create a New Page in a Course?

How Do I Create a New page in a Course?

Assignments

Assignments track student progress and facilitate feedback.

Tutorial: How Do I Create an Assignment?

How Do I Create an Assignment?

Quizzes

Quizzes assess student understanding with various question formats.

Tutorial: How Do I Use the Quizzes Index Page?

How Do I Use the Quizzes Index Page?

Discussions

Discussions foster collaborative learning environments.

Tutorial: How Do I Create a Disussion as an Instructor?

How Do I Create a Discussion as an Instructor?

Set up the Gradebook

Each assignment's grades can be calculated as points, percentages, complete or incomplete, pass or fail, GPA scale, and letter grades. Assignments can be organized into groups for weighting.

Only graded assignments, discussions, quizzes, and surveys published are shown in the Gradebook. “Not Graded” assignments will not be shown.

Tutorial: How Do I Use the Gradebook?

How Do I Use the Gradebook?

Weighting Grades

You can organize your assignments in Canvas into groups such as "quizzes" or "homework".

When you select this option, you assign a weight to the assignment group rather than to individual assignments. Canvas calculates the grade by dividing the total points a student has earned by the total possible points for all assignments in that group.

Tutorial: Weight Your Gradebook

Weight Your Gradebook

Create and Schedule Announcements

Finally, add new or review the announcements that were migrated from your Brightspace D2L course and make any necessary changes. Use the resources below to learn how to schedule announcements in advance or for a specific section.

Tutorial: How Do I Add an Announcement

How Do I Add an Announcement?

Copy Course

Once your content is complete in your shell and your live course becomes available prior to the start of the semester, you can copy your content over using the Copy a Canvas Course tutorial.

Next Steps

Canvas and ATO provide a variety of live training courses and webinars.

Visit our Training Calendar Page to view and sign up for upcoming sessions.

Additionally, explore our On-Demand Resources Page for links and information about Canvas live trainings, content-specific courses, and instructor-focused videos and guides.