Canvas: Import Assignments from a previous course using a CSV File

Task: This article describes how to upload multiple assignments at once using a Microsoft Excel CSV (comma separated values) file.

Instructions:

Issue

Using the Canvas UI (User Interface), assignments must be manually entered individually.

Discussion

Many Instructors have lists of assignments or can extract assignments from gradebooks used in prior semesters. Canvas also offers a method for importing those assignments in a batch using a CSV file.

Solution

  1. Select your course and click Grades on the course menu.
  2. Click Export (top-right), then click Current.
  3. Follow the prompts presented by your browser. (You are downloading a .csv file from Canvas in the proper format.)

    1. Here is a link to the Canvas guides for additional details about downloading scores from the gradebook.

      https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2849

  4. Open the Excel file you just saved to your computer and add columns for each assignment you want to create. (If you already have an Excel gradebook, you can paste the assignments.) Do not change the file name when you save your updated file.

    1. Here is a link to the Canvas guides for additional details about uploading scores to the gradebook.

       https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2850

  5. Back in the Canvas gradebook, click Import (top-right). You will be prompted to choose a CSV file to upload, browse for the file you saved in step 4 and click the blue Upload Data button.
  6. Follow the prompts presented in Canvas (usually asking if a particular assignment is new and how many points should be assigned.) Then click Continue.
  7. You will be presented with a screen asking to change student grades from a certain value to a desired value. You can just click Save Changes without doing anything else.
  8. The new assignments will populate the syllabus and gradebook.

  9. Please note that you will have to assign due-dates as desired.

Further reading:

Here is a link to the Canvas guides for additional details about downloading scores from the gradebook.

https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2849

Here is a link to the Canvas guides for additional details about uploading scores to the gradebook.

 https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2850

Need additional help?

Please use this link to the Technology Help Desk to locate your local campus contact information.  Use the “Submit a Question” for your campus to enter an online support request.

Print Article