By using blueprint courses, schools can create content in a Canvas course, lock specific settings or content items, and push updates to all associated courses.
Video Tutorial
417 - Blueprint Courses Overview from Instructure Canvas Community on Vimeo.
Canvas Guides
- How do I enable a course as a blueprint course as an admin? - This lesson describes how to turn a Canvas course into a blueprint course.
- How do I associate a course with a blueprint course as an admin?- This lesson describes how to associate additional courses with your blueprint course.
- How do I lock course objects in a blueprint course as an admin?- This lesson describes how to lock course objects so they cannot be changed by instructors of associated courses.
- How do I sync course content in a blueprint course as an admin?- This lesson describes how to sync content to associated courses from a blueprint course.
- How do I view the sync history for a blueprint course as an admin?- This lesson describes how to view the sync history of your blueprint course.
- Blueprint Courses & Commons Comparison PDF- This document compares the features of blueprint courses to Canvas Commons. It contains a list of blueprint course features, advantages and disadvantages of the tool, and user role comparisons.
FAQ
Can I create a blueprint course in a sub-account?
Yes, but it is recommended that you create blueprint courses in the root account so they can be associated with any course in that account.
If a blueprint course is created in a sub-account, it can only be associated with courses in that same sub-account. Manually created courses are automatically placed in the Manually Created Courses sub-account. Courses in the Manually Created Courses sub-account will need to be moved to the same sub-account as the blueprint course in order to be associated.
Is there a limit to the number of courses I can associate with a blueprint course?
When initially associating courses, you will only be able to select 100 courses to associate. However, you can return later and associate additional courses (up to 100 each time). You can also opt to use the Canvas API to associate more than 100 courses with your blueprint course.
Can I leave all content unlockedin my blueprint course?
Yes. The best way to leave content unlocked is by choosing the Lock Objects by Type option and then not choosing anything to lock.
Caninstructors receive notifications when their course is updated from a blueprint course sync?
Yes. Instructors can manage notifications for blueprint course updated from their Notifications Preferences. To send a notification to those users, select the Send Notification option when syncing content. You can also send a custom message to users with the notification.
Can IuseMasteryPaths in a blueprint course?
Changes to MasteryPaths and syncing those changes should be made before any students have begun progress on MasteryPaths content. Syncing updates to MasteryPaths will reset any progress made by students in associated courses.
It is also recommended thatMasteryPaths in a blueprint courseuse New Quizzes instead of Classic Quizzes. Classic Quizzes may cause errors during sync and remove the quizzes from students.
Can I use outcomes in a blueprint course?
All outcomes changes should be made before the blueprint course is synced to its associated courses.Syncing outcomes againmay cause duplicate outcomes to display in associated courses. It is recommended to ask instructors to wait until after the blueprint sync to add any outcomes into their courses.
Can I sync announcements from a blueprint course to associated courses?
Yes. However, you should delay posting the announcementso notifications are sent to course users at the appropriate time. Announcements that post before the sync occurs will not send notifications to users. Announcements that post after the sync occurs will send notifications to users.
Can I view quiz and survey results for associated courses within the blueprint course?
No.Quiz and survey results can be found within the associated courses and are not available in the blueprint course itself.
Will LTI configurations sync to associated courses from the blueprint course?
Maybe.Some LTI configurations may not sync to associated courses. Instructors may need to configure the LTI from within their associated course.
Can I use the API to dissociate multiple courses from a blueprint course at the same time?
- Create an SIS import file with all the courses you want to dissociate.
- Use excel or word processing software to add a field to the header called "blueprint_course_id". Here's an example header:
course_id, short_name, long_name, status, term_id, account_id, blueprint_course_id - The value for the blueprint_course_id should be "dissociate" for all courses. You do not need to know which blueprint you are dissociating from.
An example line with header:
course_id, short_name, long_name, status, term_id, account_id, blueprint_course_id
Course11222333, SPRING 2019 HSCI 6090 011, Graduate Research Project - SPRING 2019 HSCI 6090 SEC011, active,SPRING18, NURS, dissociate - Upload the file using the SIS Import in the UI.It is recommended todissociate courseson your test server before uploading to production.
Is there anything else I should know about blueprint courses?
There are a few other things to know that might help you get the most out of using blueprint courses.
- Take time to consider what you want locked before associated courses to your blueprint course.
- Be conscientious of syncing only active courses in the current term, or year long courses as they apply.
- Discussion settings are not lockable and can always be managed by course instructors.
Additional Resources
Lessons Learned about Blueprint Courses: Introduction
Lessons Learned about Blueprint Courses: Getting Buy-In
- Lessons Learned about Blueprint: When Blueprint Wasn't the Solution
- Lessons Learned about Blueprint Courses: Replacing Course Copy Workflows
