Canvas Tutorials

Sakai (WISE) to Canvas

Several institutions have made the switch from Sakai (the system for WISE) to Canvas, and so there are several tutorials explaining how to import materials available online. This page gives you an overview of Sakai to Canvas equivalencies, and resources on transferring your course content from WISE to Canvas.

• If you prefer to copy files to your computer by mapping them, click on the tab you want to copy from (like Resources), click the "Transfer Files" tab, follow the directions written on that page. You must copy the URL at the top of the page. You can map files to both Mac and PC computers.

If you are unsure which method is best for you, please feel free to reach out to the Canvas team for advice and assistance on transferring your course content by starting a ticket in WITS!

Table of Contents:

1. Crosswalk (equivalencies) between Sakai and Canvas
2. Transferring Course Content from Sakai into Canvas
3. How do I export Lessons content? (pdf)
4. Transferring Quizzes from Sakai into Canvas (for quizzes WITHOUT question banks in WISE)
5. WISE question bank transfer (use this method if your quizzes have question banks in WISE)
6. Downloading other materials (grade book, past student submissions, assignments, drop box, forum topics)
7. Video demonstrations

Crosswalk Between Sakai and Canvas

Here are tool equivalents and details between the Sakai and Canvas learning management systems. See Canvas Instructor Guides to learn more about each tool.

Basic Tool Equivalents Between Sakai and Canvas

Transferring course content from Sakai

There are a couple ways to transfer course material from WISE to Canvas. One method involves using the Lessons tool, another involves creating a zip file from your Resources folder, and a third involves mapping files onto your computer.

• If you prefer to copy files to your computer by mapping them, click on the tab you want to copy from (like Resources), click the "Transfer Files" tab, follow the directions written on that page. You must copy the URL at the top of the page. You can map files to both Mac and PC computers.
• If you are ONLY concerned with exporting files like pdfs, use the zip file method explained below.

Exporting Files from Sakai

Using the Lessons Tool

To export Sakai courses, your course materials must be in Lessons, OR you may only need to enable the Lessons tool (see directions in the first step of Transferring Quizzes from Sakai to Canvas box below). Several of these resources will tell you how to make sure you course material is contained in the Lessons tool, which you can add to your course at any time.

NOTE: only content from the following categories can be exported using Lessons: Assignments, Forums, Test & Quizzes, and Resources.

• Sakai directions: How do I export Lessons content?

Using the Resources tab and and Zip files

Other types of content can be exported by creating a zip archive file.

• Sakai directions: How do I create a zip archive file in Resources?

Importing course content into Canvas

Once you have your course content saved as a Common Cartidge or zip archive file you can upload it to Canvas.

• Canvas directions: How do I import content from Common Cartridge into Canvas?
• Canvas directions: How do I upload ZIP files as an instructor?

It's important to note that this process is not always clean, and you will need to check your files once they have been imported into Canvas. If you renamed files in Sakai for student view, you will need to rename them again in Canvas. 

Notes on the process from other institutions

NOTE: Because these are from other institutions, they discuss options that may not be available to you (such as migrated archives). 

• Providence College, Backup Sakai Courses
• Providence College, Import Sakai Backup to Canvas Course Site
• Rutgers, Migration – Sakai to Canvas Instructions
• How do I export Lessons content? (short notes available as a pdf below)
• St. Lawrence University, Sakai to Canvas Migration Information
• UNC Chapel Hill, Getting Content into Canvas

WISE question bank transfer

If your quiz has question banks in WISE, you will need to follow this process. Monika has created a video demonstration, available in the tabbed box below. 

Downloading other materials

You may be able to use the mapping method to copy files to your computer for some of these materials. If you prefer to copy files to your computer by mapping them, click on the tab you want to copy from (like Resources), click the "Transfer Files" tab, follow the directions written on that page. You must copy the URL at the top of the page. You can map files to both Mac and PC computers.

• Materials for each course must be downloaded on a course-by-course basis.
• If you are downloading materials for multiple courses, I recommend first creating a folder on your computer and copying the materials from a course into that folder as you go. 

Grade book for records

You can download your grade book from each course as a .csv file, which can be opened as a spreadsheet. This is a grades only file. Submissions to assignments must be downloaded separately.

• Navigate to the course grade book.
• Click the Import / Export tab at the top of the page.
• Click the "Export Gradebook" button.

Assignment directions

This must be done on an assignment by assignment basis.

• Navigate to the Assignment page.
• Click on the title of an assignment. Copy or download whatever directions you have provided.

Past student submissions

You can download student submissions from an assignment in bulk as a zip file. 

• Click on the "Assignments" tab.
• Click on the linked number in the "In / New" column. 
• Click the "Download All" link on the new page. 
• Check the "All" box on the Download All page, then click the "Download" button at the bottom of the Download All page.

Drop boxes

You can download all submissions from a drop box as a zip file. 

• Click the "Actions" button next to the name of your top-level drop box. 
• Select "Compress to ZIP Archive" from the drop down menu.
• WISE will reload the page and create a file that has the same name. Locate this file, click on the title, and it will download to your computer. 

Forum topics

There is not a download option for forum topics, so you must copy these on an topic by topic basis.

• Go to the forum tab, click on a forum topic, click "full description," copy and paste to a document.

Tech support: For technical assistance, start a ticket with WITS 

Brainstorming: For ideas on how to use tools in your course, contact the DLS