How do I create a version or a variant of a course learning outcome?

When new course learning outcomes are created in Canvas, they will appear in Insights as Unapproved. Coordinators must review the unapproved outcome and select a classification (new, private, version, variation) and then Approve.

Insights allows users to define Canvas outcomes as versions and variants of one another in order to ensure relevant learning data is grouped together and to provide longitudinal visibility into student learning as outcome content is iterated.

Version: The most recent, canonical edition of an approved learning outcome. This is the outcome statement that is curriculum-mapped against. It can only be replaced by a newer version of the outcome after said outcome is introduced into the Canvas ecosystem and fetched to Insights for approval.

Variant: is a modified or customized iteration of an existing outcome version where the difference does not amount to a change in the meaning of the outcome version. The results collected for outcome variants will count towards the results for the outcome version because they are semantically the same thing (though differ in phrasing).

To make a version or variant of a course learning outcome, there has to be at least one outcome approved as NEW in a course (NEW = first outcome version). You cannot create versions and variants of unapproved outcomes.

Example: if a course has five learning outcomes listed from Canvas, they can each be approved as New and the course has five separate learning outcomes; or, three outcomes can be defined as new and the other two can be saved as versions or variants of any of the three that have been approved as new.

It is only after an initial (NEW) version of a learning outcome has been approved that a subsequent version of that learning outcome be defined, replacing the previous version.
Once a version of a learning outcome is approved, variants of that learning outcome can be defined and approved.

Versioning and Archiving Existing Outcomes

Use this process when you need to update the language of an existing outcome or retire outcomes that are no longer in use. This is a bulk process that applies to CLOs across your entire Insights instance.

Steps:

From the Course Central page, select Bulk CLO Upload.
When the Upload Course Learning Outcomes modal window opens, check the Version/Archive checkbox.
Select the term in which the versioned outcomes will become active (e.g., Fall 2025).
Click Download CLO Template (Version/Archive) to download the template file.

Working with the Version/Archive Template

The downloaded file contains all CLOs currently loaded in your Insights system. Here is how to work with the file:

Field	Instructions
context, offering, outcome code fields	Do not change. These are system identifiers.
academic_subject	Can be used to filter the list. Do not change the values.
offering_code	Can be used to filter the list. Do not change the values.
title	Displays the current version of the outcome name.
description	Displays the current version of the outcome statement.
new_title	Enter the updated outcome name here to create a new version.
new_description	Enter the updated outcome statement here to create a new version.
effective_term_name	Displays the term selected during setup (e.g., Fall 2025). Outcomes will become active in this term.
archive	Set to TRUE to archive an outcome.

💡 Tip: Use the academic_subject and offering_code fields to filter the spreadsheet down to only the courses that need updates before making changes.

📝 Note: To add outcomes that will be active in a future term, select a future term that has already been created in the Setup area of Insights.

Example File with New Versions

Versioned outcomes should be entered in the new_title and new_description fields. The new_title should contain the name of the SLO, and the new_description should contain the SLO statement.
Any outcomes that need to be archived should be labeled TRUE in the archive column.
The effective_term_name should match an existing Insights term, which determines when the updated outcome versions will become active.

After Uploading

Once the file is uploaded, updated outcomes will appear on the Outcomes page reflecting the new versions.

To view the version history of an outcome:

Click the chevron (›) to the left of the outcome name to expand it.
Click the chevron (›) next to Version History.
The previous versions of the outcome and their effective dates will be displayed.

Create a Variant of a Course Learning Outcome

In Insights, go to Outcomes > Review Learning Outcomes section and use the filters to locate the learning outcome. Once located, click the right chevron (>) icon to expand the learning outcome details.

Next, Select Outcome Classification dropdown and choose Variant; click the radio button to select the learning outcome this will be a variant of; and then click Approve.

NOTE: Variants can only be selected if there is a version of learning outcome approved.

Because the learning outcome above was approved as a Variant, it disappears from the top-level course outcome listing, and now appears in the Variation context of it's outcome version, as shown here.

INS_LO_VandV5