Merging Courses in Canvas

Merging, or "Cross-listing" allows multiple course sections to be combined into a single course site for easier content management.  If you use all the same content and assignments for each of your sections, merging them is a good idea to save time and effort.

Some things to consider:

• In Canvas, instructors have the ability to merge courses themselves. 
• Courses should be merged at the start of the semester before they are published and before students have submitted any coursework.  Student submissions will not be brought over if a course is merged after they submit. 
• Sections can only be in one course at a time, and the course that contains the merged sections will not be automatically renamed, so consider renaming the course to reflect the multiple sections.
• Due Dates for assignments and content visibility can be easily managed for different sections.
• Before you merge your sections, it is helpful to know the Canvas course ID for the parent course.  You can find this by going into the course and viewing the number at the end of the browser URL (e.g. stonehill.instructure.com/courses/XXXXXX)

This article contains the following topics:

• Merging Your Sections
• Sending Announcements to Specific Sections
• Assigning Different Due Dates to Sections
• Viewing Gradebook by Section
• Changing Permissions for Simple Syllabus

Merging Your Sections

To merge your sections, you will start in the child course.  If merging multiple sections, you will do this once for each child section.

1. Access the child course
2. Select Settings from the Course Navigation Menu.
   
    
3. Click the Sections tab.
   
    
4. Click on the Section Name.  Note, this can be difficult to notice as the link is usually just the section letter:
   
    
5. Click Cross-list this Section.
   
    
6. You can search for your course in the search box, or if you noted the Canvas course ID of the parent course (as mentioned above) you can enter that as well (note this is the Canvas course ID, not the CRN of your course):
   
    
7. Confirm you have selected the correct parent course and click Cross-list this Section.  
8. You can check if the merge was successful by accessing the Settings menu in the parent course and clicking the Sections tab.  Your parent course should now contain your added section.

Sending Announcements to Specific Sections

When creating an announcement, the default Post to setting is All Sections.

You can click in that field and select one or more sections to send an announcement only to those sections.

Assigning Different Due Dates to Sections

When creating an Assignment, Quiz, or graded Discussion, you have the ability to assign it to Everyone, one (or more) sections, or even individual users.  You can also add different due dates for the different assignees.  

Note: an un-graded discussion cannot be assigned to a specific section unless you create groups and make it a group discussion.  Otherwise all students in all sections will be able to access the discussion.

1. A typical Assign to menu has Everyone listed by default:
   
    
2. You can delete Everyone by clicking the X next to it and then choose your sections from the list.  Click the +Add button to add a different section (or individual student) with its own due date:
   
3. If some students need an extended due date different from the rest of class, click the +Add button to add another Assign to window and add the student(s) in the Assign to field.  You will notice that the default Everyone now changes to Everyone Else:
   

Viewing Gradebook by Section

By default, the Gradebook will show all students in all sections, with the section letter displayed under their names.  You can use the filter to view one section at a time.  

1. In the Gradebook, click the Apply Filters button:
   
    
2. Click Sections:
   
    
3. Choose the section you wish to view.
4. You'll notice the section letter displayed next to the Apply Filters button.  You can click the X next to it to remove that filter.  Or click the Clear All Filters button to reset to the default view.
   
    

Changing Permissions for Simple Syllabus

If you use Simple Syllabus, after merging your sections in Canvas, you need to change the setting at the top of your Syllabus from My Students to Campus Community in order for the students in the moved sections to be able to access the syllabus.