Difference between revisions of "Translating Moodle to Canvas"

Revision as of 14:07, 17 February 2015

A Guide to Similarities and Differences between Canvas and Moodle

Differences between Moodle and Canvas

Using Canvas Student Groups for Collaborative Work

show less

Canvas Groups versus Moodle Groups

Groups in Canvas function as collaborative workspaces:
- Groups are like a smaller version of your course and are used as a collaborative tool where students can work together on group projects and assignments.

Sections in Canvas are used for administrative and grading purposes:
- For example, all offerings will have Sections designated for organizing students into seminar groups, and for manually enrolled students

Similarities between Moodle and Canvas

Making the switch to Modules, Discussions, Conversations, Pages, and more

show less

Weekly/Topic sections in Moodle = Canvas Modules

The concept of Canvas Modules is similar to Moodle's Weekly/Topic sections, though Modules also work a little differently (see Summary portion below).

Canvas Modules can be used to organize course content and may contain a variety of material in different formats - such as files, assignments, pages, embedded media, and more.
Items such as Pages, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes may be added to a Module via a Module.
However, unlike a Moodle section's summary space, a Canvas Module has a limited content field - it may only contain text by typing directly into the field or using copy-and-paste. No files - image, audio, video or text - can be added to a Module's content field at this time.

For more about Modules, see Designing Your Canvas Course.

Summary portion in Moodle's Weekly/Topic sections = Canvas Pages

In Canvas, Pages may be used along with Modules or on their own for containing and organizing course content.

Like the upper half, or summary portion, of a Moodle section, Pages may contain text, images, embedded media, external links, etc.

For more about Pages, see Designing Your Canvas Course.

Forums in Moodle = Discussions in Canvas

What are Discussions?
- Canvas provides an integrated system for class discussions, allowing both faculty and students to start and contribute to as many discussion topics as desired. Discussions can also be created as an assignment for grading purposes (and seamlessly integrated with the Canvas Gradebook), or simply serve as a forum for topical and current events. Discussions can also be created within student groups.

For more on Discussions, see Communicating in Canvas.

Quickmail in Moodle = Conversations Inbox in Canvas

What is the Conversations Inbox in Canvas?
How do I send a message to an entire class in Canvas?

For more on Conversations, see Communicating in Canvas.

Meta Enrollment in Moodle = Cross-listing in Canvas

In Canvas, meta enrollment is achieved through the use of Sections.
How are Courses and Sections related?
How does cross-listing work in Canvas?

Have content in Moodle you would like to use in Canvas?

Migrating content from Moodle to Canvas is a three-part process. This article provides detailed instructions for each step:

Make a "Backup" (mbz) file of the Moodle site.
Download and save the mbz file to your computer.
Import the mbz file into your Canvas site.

If you already have a backup/mbz file of your Moodle course(s), please see this guide: How do I import content from Moodle into Canvas?

If you would like help with migrating content, please contact Academic Computing for assistance.

Related pages

Canvas for Students

Canvas Guide Topics

Still Need Help?

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 *Canvas [http://guides.instructure.com/m/4152/l/55575-what-are-modules Modules] can be used to organize course content and may contain a variety of material in different formats - such as files, assignments, pages, embedded media, and more.
 *Items such as Pages, Assignments, Discussions, and Quizzes may be added to a Module via a Module.
-*However, unlike a Moodle section's summary space, a Module has a limited text field. Although several lines of text may be entered in a Module's text field, only the first line or so will be visible at a glance. The entire text may be viewed by hovering the cursor over the line of text. Images, or other files, cannot be inserted into the text field.
+*However, unlike a Moodle section's summary space, a Canvas Module has a limited content field - it may only contain text by typing directly into the field or using copy-and-paste. No files - image, audio, video or text - can be added to a Module's content field at this time.
 *For more about '''Modules''', see [[Designing Your Canvas Course]].
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 <hr />
 ===Have content in Moodle you would like to use in Canvas?===
 *[http://wikis.evergreen.edu/computing/index.php/Content_Migration_from_Moodle_to_Canvas Migrating content from Moodle to Canvas] is a three-part process. [http://wikis.evergreen.edu/computing/index.php/Content_Migration_from_Moodle_to_Canvas This article] provides detailed instructions for each step: