Migrating from Moodle
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Graham Pearson
Jul 5, 2011, 10:30:19 AM7/5/11
to Canvas LMS Users
Has anyone migrated from Moodle to Canvas that can share some guidance
in how they performed this. I am looking to do this as from my initial
installation of Canvas, this is a much better product and will reduce my
administration tasks by a ton.
in how they performed this. I am looking to do this as from my initial
installation of Canvas, this is a much better product and will reduce my
administration tasks by a ton.
Luke Fernandez
Jul 5, 2011, 12:28:10 PM7/5/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
There are a number of users on this listserv who have taught in Moodle
and are now teaching them in Canvas. If you have specific questions
just ask. When I brought my course over from Moodle I didn't use any
automated migration tools -- I rebuilt the course from scratch.
Others may have different approaches.
and are now teaching them in Canvas. If you have specific questions
just ask. When I brought my course over from Moodle I didn't use any
automated migration tools -- I rebuilt the course from scratch.
Others may have different approaches.
Luke
Graham Pearson
Jul 5, 2011, 2:31:33 PM7/5/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
I am the System Administrator of 3 Moodle Servers which currently has
nearly 50 courses amoung them. I would need to somehow convert them to
Canvas and create the accounts for the users in addition to provide some
training on how to use the new system. Just trying to find out how to go
about this.
nearly 50 courses amoung them. I would need to somehow convert them to
Canvas and create the accounts for the users in addition to provide some
training on how to use the new system. Just trying to find out how to go
about this.
Derek Chirnside
Jul 5, 2011, 3:22:59 PM7/5/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
The pragmatic part of this reply:
There is some information on the wiki: http://canvaswiki.uen.org/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_convert_my_Moodle_course_to_Canvas
But at this instant in time it is not loading for me, so I can't see what it ways. [ But from the fragment in Google, Moodle > canvas is not supported at the moment by any canvas scripts.]
This is the philosophic part of the reply:
There are some different ways of thinking in using Canvas. Many Moodle courses may NOT shift anyway, and will need massaging.
This requires a special type of PD to manage the inevitable grief at loss of familiarity.
I've worked on another transition, and have offered a process like this:
1) Experience of destination product
2) design differences, how to design
3) assemble files,create paper based design. For many lecturers used to chaos and no planning, this is hard.
4) Hire help to implement it. In my case, young computer whizzes who shifted files, crunched big videos (got a bit of quality control in on the way), set up templates on my designs etc. These guys sat in my office and just did it, and often the keyboards hardly stopped tinking, and they all developed multitasking setups to not have to wait for the pages to load.
We allowed 20 to 180 minutes a conversion.
5) We had fun and food when there were certain meetings also.
This is my advice:
Get a Canvas server up ASAP, or borrow space and have a pilot, even if it just one. Provide support those in the pilot. Learn what you need to know about the transition at leisure, and it'll be easy when the big move comes. Plus: this will determine any fishooks in the move. Maybe.
What I found
1) Many people took this as a chance to re think their courses anyway. Rebuild from scratch in destination platform. This was a highly satisfying part of the process.
2) Many people still fussed around (the logs show 10 hours over a weekend of wheel spinning, planning is a foreign concept to some, they have NO idea often 12 minutes on the phone to me can save them hours) I gave my cell phone to people, regularly prior to a weekend or evening of their serious work, and got very few calls.
3) Many lecturers did not use the student help, but liked that it was there. Some paid their grad students to do building.
Musing:
No LMS is perfect.
Push Canvas community a little even just to for help to manage the input of users/courses. Frankly if this was not done by a hack script somewhere or official canvas stuff I'd be surprised.
I have not mentioned hiring a programmer to make the conversion script.
Plan a holiday for when this is over to relax and smile.
Go well, good luck
-Derek
Derek Chirnside - lits.gen.nz
For the first two-thirds of the twentieth century a powerful tide bore Americans into ever deeper engagement in the life of their communities, but a few decades ago--silently, without warning--that tide reversed and we were overtaken by a treacherous rip current. Without at first noting, we have been pulled apart from one another and from our communities over the last third of the century - Bowling Alone; Putnam, 2000, p.27
There is some information on the wiki: http://canvaswiki.uen.org/wiki/FAQ#How_do_I_convert_my_Moodle_course_to_Canvas
But at this instant in time it is not loading for me, so I can't see what it ways. [ But from the fragment in Google, Moodle > canvas is not supported at the moment by any canvas scripts.]
This is the philosophic part of the reply:
There are some different ways of thinking in using Canvas. Many Moodle courses may NOT shift anyway, and will need massaging.
This requires a special type of PD to manage the inevitable grief at loss of familiarity.
I've worked on another transition, and have offered a process like this:
1) Experience of destination product
2) design differences, how to design
3) assemble files,create paper based design. For many lecturers used to chaos and no planning, this is hard.
4) Hire help to implement it. In my case, young computer whizzes who shifted files, crunched big videos (got a bit of quality control in on the way), set up templates on my designs etc. These guys sat in my office and just did it, and often the keyboards hardly stopped tinking, and they all developed multitasking setups to not have to wait for the pages to load.
We allowed 20 to 180 minutes a conversion.
5) We had fun and food when there were certain meetings also.
This is my advice:
Get a Canvas server up ASAP, or borrow space and have a pilot, even if it just one. Provide support those in the pilot. Learn what you need to know about the transition at leisure, and it'll be easy when the big move comes. Plus: this will determine any fishooks in the move. Maybe.
What I found
1) Many people took this as a chance to re think their courses anyway. Rebuild from scratch in destination platform. This was a highly satisfying part of the process.
2) Many people still fussed around (the logs show 10 hours over a weekend of wheel spinning, planning is a foreign concept to some, they have NO idea often 12 minutes on the phone to me can save them hours) I gave my cell phone to people, regularly prior to a weekend or evening of their serious work, and got very few calls.
3) Many lecturers did not use the student help, but liked that it was there. Some paid their grad students to do building.
Musing:
No LMS is perfect.
Push Canvas community a little even just to for help to manage the input of users/courses. Frankly if this was not done by a hack script somewhere or official canvas stuff I'd be surprised.
I have not mentioned hiring a programmer to make the conversion script.
Plan a holiday for when this is over to relax and smile.
Go well, good luck
-Derek
Derek Chirnside - lits.gen.nz
For the first two-thirds of the twentieth century a powerful tide bore Americans into ever deeper engagement in the life of their communities, but a few decades ago--silently, without warning--that tide reversed and we were overtaken by a treacherous rip current. Without at first noting, we have been pulled apart from one another and from our communities over the last third of the century - Bowling Alone; Putnam, 2000, p.27
Derek Chirnside
Jul 9, 2011, 6:19:10 PM7/9/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
I may need a comparison of Moodle and Canvas.
I've had a quick look at some of the standard LMS comparison tables and tools. Are there any that you guys may recommend?
Failing that I've attached a document with a few of the key questions I am interested in. [I realise that this kind of comparison is not the full story]
If someone who knew felt like filling in a few of the boxes it would be good.
My core question is "What does Canvas have to offer the small institution out of the box?" I'm looking at crisp comparisons in these areas:
The romantic view is that there is a person familiar with Moodle and Canvas who could very quickly fill in the chart - and maybe add some more aspects from a knowledge of Canvas. And hopefully not duplicating effort.
With regards,
Derek Chirnside
I've had a quick look at some of the standard LMS comparison tables and tools. Are there any that you guys may recommend?
Failing that I've attached a document with a few of the key questions I am interested in. [I realise that this kind of comparison is not the full story]
If someone who knew felt like filling in a few of the boxes it would be good.
My core question is "What does Canvas have to offer the small institution out of the box?" I'm looking at crisp comparisons in these areas:
- Admin tools to set up courses, groups, enrolments.
- Teacher tools: communication, e-mailing groups, enhancing collaboration
- Speed of course creation, adding resources, learning pathways etc.
- Quality of forums/blogs . . . Student functionality
- Teacher: Ease of 1<> communication as well as managing large groups
The romantic view is that there is a person familiar with Moodle and Canvas who could very quickly fill in the chart - and maybe add some more aspects from a knowledge of Canvas. And hopefully not duplicating effort.
With regards,
Derek Chirnside
Luke Fernandez
Jul 11, 2011, 2:12:27 PM7/11/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
Derek,
Instructors come from many different teaching contexts so there's
likely to be a good deal of subjectivity in our comparisons. So take
mine with a grain of salt: In short I'm fond of both LMSs.
Instructure's gradebook and Web 2.0-rich-client-interface has been
very nice to work with. Moodle's more classically designed discussion
tool and gradebook API integrations are very nice as well. Here's
some more impressions/contrasts:
http://itintheuniversity.blogspot.com
Luke
Derek Chirnside
Jul 11, 2011, 3:14:47 PM7/11/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
Cool, thanks. I know about subjectivity. :)
I've not had much success with the LMS comparison tools.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_learning_management_systems didn't even list canvas, so I added it. (There's a nice job for someone during the next tea break to add proper links to the Instructure page)
My challenge is this: I'm passing through a foreign country in early next year where I have run a Moodle workshop in the past. Canvas is not hosting for non-US at the moment, although this will change I am sure. The institutions involved are also looking at Canvas. I'm not really too worried about what decision they make, which could include both Moodle and Canvas, but suddenly I had to book airline tickets.
How to find information quickly was the question. Do we run a followup Moodle workshop?
On the basis of some small conversations Canvas may be better for these guys if you take a longer term view, but there is then the hosting question and the building expertise question.
If anyone was running a Canvas course I could join in on for a look-see, I'd be interested. I just hate trying to evaluate an LMS all on my own going from zero to teacher without ever experiencing it.
-Derek
Derek Chirnside - lits.gen.nz
For the first two-thirds of the twentieth century a powerful tide bore Americans into ever deeper engagement in the life of their communities, but a few decades ago--silently, without warning--that tide reversed and we were overtaken by a treacherous rip current. Without at first noting, we have been pulled apart from one another and from our communities over the last third of the century - Bowling Alone; Putnam, 2000, p.27
I've not had much success with the LMS comparison tools.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_learning_management_systems didn't even list canvas, so I added it. (There's a nice job for someone during the next tea break to add proper links to the Instructure page)
My challenge is this: I'm passing through a foreign country in early next year where I have run a Moodle workshop in the past. Canvas is not hosting for non-US at the moment, although this will change I am sure. The institutions involved are also looking at Canvas. I'm not really too worried about what decision they make, which could include both Moodle and Canvas, but suddenly I had to book airline tickets.
How to find information quickly was the question. Do we run a followup Moodle workshop?
On the basis of some small conversations Canvas may be better for these guys if you take a longer term view, but there is then the hosting question and the building expertise question.
If anyone was running a Canvas course I could join in on for a look-see, I'd be interested. I just hate trying to evaluate an LMS all on my own going from zero to teacher without ever experiencing it.
-Derek
Derek Chirnside - lits.gen.nz
For the first two-thirds of the twentieth century a powerful tide bore Americans into ever deeper engagement in the life of their communities, but a few decades ago--silently, without warning--that tide reversed and we were overtaken by a treacherous rip current. Without at first noting, we have been pulled apart from one another and from our communities over the last third of the century - Bowling Alone; Putnam, 2000, p.27
Bracken Mosbacker
Jul 11, 2011, 3:44:54 PM7/11/11
to canvas-l...@googlegroups.com
If you go to http://instructure.com and click the "Try Canvas Instantly" link you get a sandbox created for you where you have some courses already setup that you can click around and see how it works.
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