Before starting the migration process, it's recommended you read about some of the differences between Blackboard and Canvas. For information on differences between specific tools in Blackboard and Canvas, see the pages linked below:

Announcements
Assignments
Banner vs. Course Image
Content Folders and Learning Modules vs. Modules
Discussions
Grade Center vs. Gradebook
Home Page
Publishing
Rich Content Area
Tests vs. Quizzes

Announcements

While Blackboard and Canvas offer similar Announcements features and experiences, there are some key differences to understand when moving to Canvas.

*Functionality changes when moving from Blackboard to Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
Users can receive notifications via Facebook, Twitter, email, and text, but they will need to set these notifications within Notification Settings (found under Account in Global Navigation). You can allow students to comment and reply on announcements. (You can also turn this function off.) You can add RSS feeds to your announcements. New announcements show in the Dashboard. Attachments are not limited to files which have already been uploaded to Canvas.	You cannot reorganize the order of announcements without using the Delay Posting option. You cannot pin an important announcement to the top of the Announcements feed.

Assignments

While Blackboard and Canvas both have Assignments, there are some differences between options and features in the two systems. Here are some key differences to consider.

*Functionality changes when moving from Blackboard to Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
You can markup an assignment using SpeedGrader without downloading the assignment All created assignments will automatically be added to the Calendar and the Syllabus tool (even assignments without associated dates) Students can submit multimedia submissions Greater number of submission types (On Paper, External Tool, No Submission) You can restrict the type of file required for a File Upload assignment Students can always make multiple submissions for assignments You can use Rubrics which are linked to Outcomes You can use Moderated Grading	You cannot set a specific number of allowed attempts You cannot grade multiple attempts separately

Additional differences with Assignments in Canvas include:

You must make an assignment in order to create a column in the Gradebook.
The Assignments Index Page includes all types of assignments (including those using the Assignment tool, Quizzes, and Assignments).

Banner vs. Course Image


Sample course area from Blackboard's My Blackboard.	Sample course area of Canvas' Dashboard.

In Blackboard, there was a way to set a course banner that stretched across a course's homepage. Canvas is a bit different. First of all, Canvas' Dashboard can be seen as similar to Blackboard's My Blackboard, with updates from courses and access to those courses. It's here on the Dashboard that we get our first difference from Blackboard. Instead of courses just being listed via text, Canvas displays them as tiles with text, images, and course specific notification icons. These are Course Images on the Dashboard and are called the equivalent of Blackboard's course banners.

Front Page Sample.png

Sample front page with banner / course image.

Within a course, Canvas does not have a native use of the banner / course image. As the default Home Page in Canvas is the Modules Index Page, you'd have to change the Home Page to a Front Page and then add a banner image to that Front Page to have a banner on a course's Home Page. (See the Canvas Home Page Guide, Canvas Front Page Guide, and Managing Images in the Rich Content Editor for more information.)

Content Folders and Learning Modules vs. Modules

Sample of content folders in course navigation and in the main content area.

Sample of Content Folders in Course Navigation and in the main "Content" area.

In Blackboard many people use Content Folders to organize their content, whether they are Content Folders in the Course Navigation or on a main Content page. Just like a file folder in a drawer in a desk, the content folder consists of a name and description on the front and any amount of content inside.

Learning module sample that shows the table of contents and the single item display.

Sample of within a Learning Module, showing the Table of Contents and a single piece of content on the page.

Some people also use Learning Modules. Learning Modules are always located within a Content Folder (be it the main "Content" folder or another folder). Learning Modules are more similar to a book than a folder. Still having a name and description on the cover, a Learning Module also has a Table of Contents available for users to navigate through content. Also, like the pages of a book, the content can only be viewed one item at a time.

Inside a sample module with a single page showing and "Previous" and "Next" buttons indicated.

Sample of within a Canvas Module. Shows a single page from within a module with content navigation buttons.

In Canvas there are Modules. Modules are similar to Learning Modules in that they only allow you to view one item at a time. Unlike Learning Modules, all Modules display on the Modules page. Clicking any Module will then expand it to show its "table of contents". Once within a Module you can navigate through the content by clicking the "Previous" or "Next" buttons, but there is no Table of Contents within the module for navigation. Unlike Blackboard Content Folders and Learning Modules, Canvas Modules do not have a "cover" on which you can put a description of the content of the module. The closest way to replicate such information is to create a Page as the first item within the module on which you can include the description of the content of the module.

Discussions

While Blackboard's Discussions and Canvas' Discussions are very similar, there are some key differences. Here are some key differences to consider when moving Discussions to Canvas.

*Functionality changes when moving from Blackboard to Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
You can easily view/filter posts within a discussion You can enable podcast feeds from discussion which include audio posts You can require peer review of discussion posts You can organize discussions into their proper Assignment Groups easily during the discussion creation process You can choose between a Focused Discussion and a Threaded Discussion You can easily create a discussion as a Group Discussion within the same discussion creation tool	You can only grade activity within a discussion, not activity within a group of discussion threads You cannot set a minimum number of required posts before activity shows as needing grading A student's ability to edit and delete their own discussion posts can only be set on a course-wide basis rather than being set per discussion A student's ability to create discussions can only be set on a course-wide basis rather within a particular forum A student's ability to attach items to discussion posts can only be set on a course-wide basis rather than being set per discussion You cannot moderate posts You cannot allow anonymous posting in ungraded discussions

Another difference between Blackboard and Canvas discussions is how they are organized.

In Blackboard there are Discussion Boards. This is the top organization level of discussions in a course. Within the Discussion Boards are Discussion Forums. This is the level where settings are made concerning a discussion activity (including grading, availability dates, and posting requirements). The next level of discussions in Blackboard is Discussion Threads. These exist within forums as separate conversations and can be created by the instructor or the students (depending on settings).

In Canvas, there is the Discussion Index Page. This is the top organization level of discussions in a course and functions much like Blackboard Discussion Boards. Within the Discussion Index Page are Discussions. These function similarly to Blackboard Discussion Forums (as this is the level where settings are made), but they are different. Discussions in Canvas are the lowest level, thus they are also similar to Blackboard Discussion Threads.

A big difference here is grading. In Blackboard, it was possible to grade activity within a single Discussion Thread or to grade activity within a Discussion Forum. By grading activity within a discussion forum, students have the ability to choose which threads in a forum interest them and focus their activity in those areas. In Canvas, grading can only be set per Discussion.

These systems also differ in their use of the term Discussion Thread. In Blackboard, a thread is a conversation, including any branching conversations which occur from students replying to other students' replies. In Canvas, a discussion is a conversation and these replies to replies are considered threads.

Grade Center vs. Gradebook

While Blackboard's Grade Center and Canvas' Gradebook have some overlapping features, they offer different grading experiences. Here are some key differences to understand considering grades and grading when moving to Canvas.

*Functionality changes when moving from Blackboard to Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
You can arrange column order automatically by Assignment, due date, points, or Module You can arrange column order manually by dragging and dropping columns You can arrange rows by assignment Status You can filter rows by the Section in which a student is enrolled You can filter columns by Modules in which assignments exist Assignment Group Total Columns automatically appear in gray at the far right of the Gradebook Downloaded student submissions are auto-stamped with students' names Students can calculate hypothetical total scores using the What-If feature You can message students based on their submission status or score status within a particular assignment. You can view a submitted assignment, grading rubric, and media comment options all in Speedgrader You can curve grades for an assignment using a bell curve based on a manually entered average score Row colors alternate between white and gray to improve readability You can create Late and Missing Policies to automatically apply grading to late and missing assignments You can use the Mute feature on an assignment to hide comments and grades until a specific date and time	You cannot arrange column order automatically by Assignment Group or date created You cannot hide assignment columns or Assignment Group Total Columns from the instructor You cannot hide rows from the instructor You cannot manually sort a row to the top You cannot filter the Gradebook by assignment Status You cannot create Smart Views for custom Gradebook views You cannot manually create a column in the Gradebook (but can through building an assignment) You cannot create Weighted, Average, Minimum/Maximum, or Total Columns. You cannot weight individual assignments (weighting is only done by Assignment Group You cannot override the maximum point value of a column You cannot color code grades based upon student assignment performance

Some basic vocabulary differences concerning grades and grading are as follows:

*Comparison of Blackboard and Canvas grading vocabulary.*
Blackboard Vocabulary	Canvas Vocabulary
Grade Center	Gradebook
Categories	Assignment Groups

Home Page

Sample of a Blackboard homepage that is set to the course Dashboard.

Sample of a Blackboard homepage that is set to the course Dashboard.

While individual courses may have had different homepages in Blackboard, many of them landed students on the course Dashboard.

Sample of a Canvas homepage based off the Getting Started template.

Sample of a Canvas Home Page set to a Front Page with the most recent announcement, a banner, and navigational buttons.

Home Pages in Canvas can also be individual to each course. (See the Canvas Guides for more information.) By default, homepages are set to the Modules Index Page (Course Modules). Other options for the Home Page of a Canvas course include:

Course Activity Stream: Shows recent Announcements (posts and replies), new Discussions (posts and replies), new Assignments (including grading and peer reviews), due date changes for course activities, and Conversation messages from a course. (See the Canvas Guide for more information.)
Pages Front Page: Shows a Page also designated to be the first page that appears if entering the Pages Index Page. (See the Canvas Guide for more information.)
Assignments List: Shows the Assignments Index Page on which students can access all published activities in the course (Assignments, Quizzes, and Discussions). (See What is the Assignment Index Page? for more information.)
Syllabus: Shows the Syllabus tool through which students can see information about the course you have entered into the Syllabus tool and a list of all activities created in the course. (See Syllabus for more information.)

Note: Selecting Syllabus will not display your syllabus file or a page on which you have entered syllabus information if you were not using the specific Syllabus tool in Canvas.

Publishing

Sample of the "Permit Users to View" option in Blackboard.

Sample of the "Permit Users to View" option in Blackboard.

In Blackboard you would have to make sure that the option selected next to Permit Users to View This Content was "Yes" for any content you wanted viewed, as well as the Content Folders in which the content was contained.

Sample of the course "Published" button in Canvas.

Sample of the course "Published" button in Canvas.

In Canvas you will have to check on the Modules page that each content item you want viewable is "Published", while also ensuring the Module in which the item is contained is also "Published" and make sure that the course itself has been "Published".

Rich Content Area

While Blackboard's Rich Text Editor and Canvas' Rich Content Editor are very similar and should produce the same very basic experience, there are some key differences. The following elements are different in Canvas.

Note: Some of these functions are achievable through workarounds or HTML editing, but not through buttons as they were in Blackboard.

*Functionality changes between Blackboard and Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
Spell check is now automatic and you do not need to click a button. You can indicate that an image is decorative. (This improves image reader output for accessibility.) You can easily notify students of content changes. (Great to use if material needs live updates during a course.) You can easily check accessibility issues.	You cannot set internal hyperlinks to open in a new tab or window. You cannot change the font type. This means everything you type will be in the default sans serif. You are limited in text and highlight colors. You cannot change the bullet types. (You can still have different bullet types when indenting bullets within a list.) You cannot change numbered lists. This means you can't use letters or Roman numerals for lists. There is no button for creating strikethrough text. There are no buttons for cutting, copying, pasting, finding, undoing, and redoing. These must all be accessed through right-clicking or shortcut keys. You cannot choose justified alignment for text. You cannot insert a line. There are no buttons to add symbols or emoticons. You cannot preview how published content will appear from within the editor. There is no information button for learning about the editor functions. You cannot open the Content Development Area to full screen. You cannot choose display dates for the content item. You cannot track student views of a content item.

Tests vs. Quizzes

Blackboard's Test tool translates to Canvas' Quiz tool. While they are very similar, there are some differences between the two tools. Here are some key differences to understand considering Tests/Quizzes.

*Functionality changes when moving from Blackboard to Canvas.*
Functionality Gained in Canvas	Functionality Lost in Canvas
You can grade one question at a time You can add files, images, or links to other parts of the course through the sidebar You can choose one setting to shuffle answers on all questions You can assign quizzes by course section You can make non-question prompts to put between questions	You cannot choose to shuffle answers for individual questions You cannot assign quizzes by group You cannot make Hot Spot questions You cannot shuffle questions unless using Question Groups

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