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Advanced Content Authoring and Reporting - How to export a Pressbook as a Thin Common Cartridge for use in Canvas [UW-Madison]
Pressbooks can be used to author and host basic course content with interactivity as well as more advanced content authoring and reporting (ACAR) features (such as H5P activities, Hypothes.is annotations and reporting).
If you're interested in these advanced content authoring and reporting features, we highly recommended requesting a consultation from the Learn@UW-Madison team to help you get started.
This document describes how an instructor can export Pressbooks in a format (Thin Common Cartridge) for import into Canvas.
You can export a non-interactive version of your Pressbook in PDF format. However, if you're using Pressbooks with plugins like H5P and would like to embed your pressbook in a Canvas course, you'll have to first export it as a Thin Common Cartridge (TCC) file.
Prepare Pressbook chapters for Canvas
Before you export your Pressbook, consider how you want the content to appear in Canvas. Each Pressbooks chapter will import as a Canvas course module by default, and modules will not connect to the Canvas gradebook. You can create Canvas assignments and discussions by prefacing the name of a chapter with Discussion: or Assignment: .
Export Pressbook as a Common Cartridge file
- Click Organize → Organize to display a list of your Pressbook's chapters:
- Check the box under Export for all of the content you wish to bring into your Canvas course:
- Select Export → Export Common Cartridge:
- Click the Download Cartridge button and save the file locally:
- By default, the plugin will produce a Thin CC with LTI links, which will include all chapters in the book (including front and back matter) which have been selected for export.
- A reminder: The export can also create 'discussion' and 'assignment' activities from chapters in your book. To do this, the title of the chapter should be prefaced with 'Discussion:' or 'Assignment:', respectively.
Once you are done exporting the Thin Common Cartridge file, you will import it into your Canvas course by following the directions in Advanced Content Authoring and Reporting - Importing a Pressbooks Thin Common Cartridge file into your Canvas course [UW-Madison] .