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Canvas - How Automated Course and Section Creation Works [UW-Madison]
Canvas courses and sections are created at UW-Madison through a process called the "Student Information System (SIS) import" process. Courses are created based on the course sections listed in the UW-Madison course catalog. This document describes how Canvas courses and sections are created during the SIS import process and how people are populated into those courses and sections.
Overview
In Canvas at UW-Madison, Course Guide courses and sections are automatically created during the SIS import process. The SIS import process keeps course enrollments up to date by running six times during each 24-hour period, seven days a week, to handle adds and drops.
User records for all UW-Madison-affiliated individuals are also imported into Canvas. New user records are introduced into Canvas on an hourly basis.
For the schedule for creation of courses each semester, please see Canvas - Automatic Course Creation Schedule [UW-Madison] .
How are courses and sections related?
Courses and sections work together in Canvas. Before understanding how courses and sections are created at UW-Madison, please read How are courses and sections related? It will provide you with a brief understanding of Canvas courses and sections and their interrelation.
Basics of course and section creation at UW-Madison
Course creation
At UW-Madison, some classes have multiple sections that students may enroll in. In that case, a individual Canvas course is automatically created for each section. For example, if seven sections of Chemistry 103 are offered, the automated SIS import process will create seven individual Canvas courses:
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (001)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (002)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (003)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (004)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (005)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (006)
- CHEM103: General Chemistry I (007
Course names and codes
In Canvas, there are two course title elements: Name and Course Code. Course name and code are based on course information entered in the SIS and follow these formats:
- Name format - Subject and course catalog number: course title (section number)
- Example - ASIANAM101: Introduction to Asian American Studies (001)
- Course Code format - Subject, course catalog number, section number
- Example - ASIANAM 101 001
Instructors and course designers cannot modify Name and Course Code in Canvas. Instead, contact a curricular representative if you need to change these.
College and University committees must approve any changes to course attributes (numbers, titles, credits, prerequisites, descriptions or course reorganizations, grading, cross-list status, new courses or course deletions). Also, course attributes should be changed in SIS, which will sync with Canvas.
Section creation and user enrollment
Each Canvas course has at least one section. This matches the sections that students enroll into when they sign up for a course. If your course is missing its sections, it will have no enrolled students.
At UW-Madison, Canvas sections are automatically created for different course enrollment packages. For example, let's say Chem 103: General Chemistry I (001) has 10 corresponding discussion and lab sections where students can enroll, along with the main lecture. That Chem 103: General Chemistry I (001) Canvas course will contain the following sections, with students enrolled into each.
- CHEM 103: LEC001
- CHEM 103: DIS301
- CHEM 103: DIS302
- CHEM 103: DIS303
- CHEM 103: DIS304
- CHEM 103: DIS305
- CHEM 103: DIS306
- CHEM 103: DIS307
- CHEM 103: DIS308
- CHEM 103: DIS309
- CHEM 103: DIS301
- CHEM 103: LAB601
- CHEM 103: LAB602
- CHEM 103: LAB603
- CHEM 103: LAB604
- CHEM 103: LAB605
- CHEM 103: LAB606
- CHEM 103: LAB607
- CHEM 103: LAB608
- CHEM 103: LAB609
- CHEM 103: LAB610
Courses and sections each have unique identifiers, known as "SIS IDs." These identifiers help the automated process know where to put sections, and where to put students.
Course start and end dates
Canvas courses originating from SIS are created with the Participation setting set to Course. They get a start and end date for the course indicated in a data file imported from the Office of the Registrar.
Crosslisted and meets-with course combinations
Classes and sections can be presented a number of ways in the Course Guide. Below are some of examples:
Cross-listed classes
These are the same exact class, listed across multiple subjects (departments). They have the same catalog number. Each class may have multiple sections.
Example
- Zoology 523 section 001
- NTP 523 section 001
- Psych 523 section 001
SIS/Course Catalog detailsWithin the SIS, a "primary subject" is indicated for each crosslisted class. The classes are combined in the SIS under one ID (beginning with the "XL" code; for example, "XL AN SCI 434 A1 001").What happens during Canvas SIS integrationThe cross-listed classes are combined into one Canvas course, as different sections, under the primary subject as defined in the SIS.For example, let's say Zoology is indicated in SIS as the primary subject for the three cross-listed classes listed above. As a result, a Canvas course is created for Zoology 523, along with a respective Zoology 523 section that contains all enrollments for that class. Also within that Canvas course reside sections for NTP 523 and Psych 523, each of which contains enrollments for those classes.
Meets with classes
These are classes that meet together. Sometimes they are within the same subject (department) but that's not always necessarily the case. They have a different catalog number and the same section number.
Example
- Genetics 470, section 001
- Genetics 570, section 001
SIS/Course Catalog detailsIn the SIS, a "primary class number" is indicated for each meets with class. The classes are combined in the SIS under one ID (beginning with the "MW" code; for exanple, "MW SLAVIC 251 A1 001").What happens during Canvas SIS integrationThe classes are combined, as different sections, into one Canvas course under the primary class number as defined in the SIS.In our example, let's say Genetics 470 is indicated in SIS as the primary class number for these meets with courses. As a result, a Canvas course is created for Genetics 470, along with a respective Genetics 470 section that contains all enrollments for that class. Also within that Canvas course resides a section for Genetics 570 that contain enrollments for that class.
Section-level meets with classes
These are classes that meet together. They can be within the same department or across different subjects (departments). Catalog numbers can be the same or different. Section numbers can be different but typically are the same.
Example
- Comp Sci 302, section 005
- Comp Sci 302, section 007
SIS/Course Catalog detailsThe classes are combined in the SIS under one ID (beginning with the "SL" code; for example, "SL SOC 915 A1 001").What happens during Canvas SIS integrationThese classes are NOT combined during the Canvas SIS integration process. In other words, Canvas courses are created for each class and enrollments are kept completely separate.
Cross-listed and meets with classes
This is a grouping that contains both cross-listed and meets with classes.
- Cross-listed, in that different department classes are combined
- Could involve either a meets with or a section-level meets with:
- Meets with, in that they can be within the same subject (department) but that's not always necessarily the case. They have a different catalog number and the same section number.
- Section-level meets with, in that they can be within the same department or across different subjects (departments). Catalog numbers can be the same or different. Section numbers can be different but typically are the same.
Example
- German 804 section 001
- German 742 section 001
- French 804 section 001
- History 804 section 001
- Poli Sci 760 section 001
- Soc 804 section 001
SIS/Course Catalog Details
In the SIS, a "primary subject" is indicated for each cross-listed/meets with class, as well as a "primary class number." The classes are combined in the SIS under one ID (beginning with the "XM" code; for example, "XM GERMAN 804 A1 001").
What happens during Canvas SIS integration
The classes are combined into a single Canvas course, as sections, under the primary subject and primary class number as defined in the SIS.
For example, let's say German is indicated as the primary subject in the SIS for the classes above and that German 804 is indicated as the primary class number. As a result, a Canvas course is created for German 804, along with a respective German 804 section that contains all enrollments for that class. Also within that Canvas course reside sections for the cross-listed classes from other departments, each of which contains enrollments for those classes, as well as a section for the meets with German 742 class, which contains enrollments for that class.
Lecture/lab/discussion classes
These are classes that contain lecture, lab, and discussion components.
Example
- Chem 104 sec 001
- 001 LEC
- DIS 401-416
- LAB 701-716
- Chem 104 sec 002:
- 002 LEC
- DIS 421-430
- LAB 721-730
SIS/Course Catalog detailsMost commonly, for each class, discussions and labs are rolled up into "enrollment packages" of the main lecture.What happens during Canvas SIS integrationAll lectures, labs, and discussions from an SIS "enrollment package" are combined into one Canvas course.For example, the Chem 104 001 Canvas course is created with a respective lecture 001 section which contains enrollments for that lecture. Also within that Canvas course reside sections for the associated discussions and labs, each of which contains enrollments for those classes.Chem 104 section 002 is created as a separate Canvas course with its own associated lecture, lab, and discussion sections and enrollments.
Cross-listing/merging sections
In Canvas, instructors and instructional technologists can choose to change the section combinations in courses. For details, see Canvas - Cross-listing/Merging a Canvas Course [UW-Madison] .