Admins can create courses and/or users in bulk by using the bulk import feature. All you have to do is upload a CSV file containing the course or user information you wish to import. The simplest way to create this file is by using a spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. When creating your document, you'll need to make sure your files have the correct column labels so that Kannu knows how to parse the file:
For course import, make sure the column headers are (in exact order):
- Number, Name, Description, External ID
For user import:
- First Name, Last Name, Email, External Course ID, Role
Let's get into a little more detail.
Bulk Course Import
The Number and Name values correspond to the same fields that you'll see in coursework creation, and will appear in your course title as on the right (the colon is placed automatically). The Description will go in the primary section of the syllabus as plain text. All of these fields can be updated later as well.
NOTE: Let's say your Description is "I am not afraid of storms, for I am learning how to sail my ship." Since this description has a comma in it, it must be contained in quotes to prevent errors in the upload. Excel should do this for you, but if you're encountering errors, this is the first place to look.
Finally, the External ID: this is NOT publicly visible anywhere for your courses, but is a string of numbers/characters you can use to reference a course later for bulk student upload. This can be whatever you like (as long as it isn't already in the system). You can edit it later on by going to the Syllabus of a course and changing it where you would edit the course name or number.
See the attached CSV below for a sample of the bulk course import in action. Remember, the file must always begin with the headers (column labels).
Bulk User Import
Bulk user importing is very similar. Provide each user's First Name, Last Name, and Email. If you want to simultaneously enroll them in a course, provide the External ID of that course, as well as the Role* you'd like to enroll them with. You can choose any role within the system, not just student or auditor. You can also enroll a single user in multiple courses, by repeating that line and using a different External ID and Role. See the attached CSV below for a sample of the bulk user import.
NOTE: Even if you aren't planning on adding a user (or users) to any courses, you'll still need the column headers for those two fields. Working in Excel, make sure to provide the "External Course ID" and "Role" columns, but simply leave them blank for the user rows.
If an imported user's email isn't in the system, a new account will be created for the user automatically, and they will be enrolled in the course(s) provided in the CSV. On the other hand, if their email is in the system already, they'll simply be enrolled in the courses provided. Either way, they'll receive an email to confirm they've had an enrollment and/or account creation on your Kannu portal.
NOTE: If the course you've enrolled them in isn't published, they won't be able to see it until it is.
Once the import is complete, the system will automatically send you a confirmation email. If there were any errors during the import, a list of all errors including which user(s) and/or course(s) failed to import will be included.
*For more information on the various types of user roles, click here.