Preserving Course Content on the X:Drive

Preserving Editable Canvas Course Content on the X:Drive

By combining a few simple Canvas tools, faculty can create fully usable backups on the X:Drive. These methods produce files that open directly in Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, web browsers, or spreadsheet programs—allowing instructors to edit, search, reuse, and reference content without needing Canvas access.

NOTE:

The standard Canvas “Export Course Content” feature produces an .imscc (IMS Common Cartridge) file designed primarily for re-importing an entire course into another Canvas instance. While useful for full restoration, this format is not easily opened or edited outside of an LMS.

Best Practices

• Perform these exports at the end of each semester while the course is still active.

• Keep the original .imscc file alongside the editable versions so you can quickly re-import the full course structure into a new Canvas shell or sandbox.

• The X:Drive is backed up nightly and accessible via VPN—ideal for institutional compliance.

• For the most interactive “living” version of your course, maintain a Master/Sandbox copy in Canvas and use the X:Drive as the offline editable archive.

• Limitations: Dynamic LTI tools, live student interactions, and certain New Quiz types may not transfer perfectly.

Benefits

• Full editability and searchability outside Canvas

• Protection against course archiving, deletion, or data loss

• Easy reuse when building future semesters

• Alignment with TWU’s data management and retention policies

• Instructor control over materials for teaching, research, or accreditation needs

For help mapping the X:Drive, troubleshooting exports, or Canvas Archives, Contact an Instructional Designer.

Exporting the Gradebook (Fully Editable CSV / Excel Format)

The gradebook is exported as a clean CSV file that opens instantly in Excel for sorting, calculations, filtering, and archiving.

Steps

1. In your Canvas course, click Grades in the left navigation menu.

2. In the upper-right corner, click the Export button.

3. Select Export Entire Gradebook (recommended) or Export Current Gradebook View.

4. The file downloads automatically as a .csv.

5. Open the file in Microsoft Excel (or Google Sheets), make any desired edits or formatting changes, and Save As .xlsx for enhanced functionality.

6. Copy the file to your X:Drive (e.g.,  X:\Canvas_Archives\BIOL1010_Fall2025\01_Gradebook.xlsx).

NOTE:

This captures a snapshot of grades and scores at the time of export. Detailed submission comments or version history are not included.

Downloading All Course Files (Native Editable Formats)

Any documents, slides, images, videos, or other files you uploaded to Canvas remain in their original format.

Steps

1. Click Files in the left navigation menu.

2. Check the box at the top to select all files and folders (or use Ctrl+A / Cmd+A).

3. Click the Download icon (downward arrow) at the top of the Files page.

4. Canvas creates and downloads a single .zip file.

5. Extract (unzip) the file on your computer.

6. Copy the resulting folder to your X:Drive (e.g.,  X:\Canvas_Archives\CourseName_Year\02_Files\).

All Word documents, PowerPoints, PDFs, spreadsheets, and other files can now be opened and edited normally.

Digital Content (Unzipped Export for HTML and Editable Content)

For a complete backup of Pages, Modules, Assignments, Discussions, and the overall course organization:

Steps

1. Go to Settings → Export Course Content → select Course Export Package → Create Export.

2. Download the resulting .imscc file.

3. Rename the file extension from .imscc to .zip.

4. Extract the .zip file.

5. Inside the unzipped folder you will find:

   • web_resources folder → duplicate of your uploaded files (native formats).

   • HTML files for most Pages and content (open directly in any web browser; can also be opened in Microsoft Word for editing).

6. Copy the entire unzipped folder structure to your X:Drive (e.g.,  X:\Canvas_Archives\CourseName_Year\04_Full_Export_Unzipped\).

Additional Targeted Methods for Specific Content

• Individual Pages or Syllabus - Open the page, use your browser’s Print function → Save as PDF, or copy-paste content into a Word document. Store in a “Pages_PDFs” folder on the X:Drive.

• Quizzes - From the Quizzes tab, export individual quizzes (QTI format) or print each quiz (with answer key) to PDF for easy review and reuse.

Recommended X:Drive Folder Organization

Create a consistent structure for easy retrieval:

X:\Canvas_Archives\

    BIOL1010_Fall2025\

        01_Gradebook.xlsx

        02_Files\

        03_Pages_PDFs\

        04_Full_Export_Unzipped\

        05_Full_imscc_Backup.imscc   ← keep original for re-import

Support Options

1. Reach out to an Instructional Designer for guidance on preserving, organizing, and reusing your Canvas digital content that has been saved to the X:Drive. 

2. Canvas Support will be available 24/7 by phone, live chat, or email through the Help menu within Canvas after you have logged in. For more information see How to Contact Canvas Support.

3. If you are unable to log in, please contact the Technology Service Desk at 940-898-3971 or servicedesk@twu.edu for assistance.