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How do I use "Finalize" to help with future sync of ILOs and PLOS?

This article explains how Learning Outcome (LO) syncing works in Insights when integrated with Canvas, and how the new “Finalize” option for future curriculum maps affects ILO/PLO syncing. This will allow your PLO/ILO standards to sync before your mapping alignments are set to start. 

Current Syncing Behavior

1. Course-Level Outcomes (CLOs)

When the clo_sync_flag is enabled in Insights:

  • Insights syncs approved Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) into Canvas courses for the appropriate term.

  • Syncing is based on the term of the Canvas course and the effective (go-live) term of the CLO version.

Example

If ENG225 has: 3 currently approved CLOs and 3 future-approved CLOs scheduled to go live in Fall 2026

Then:

  • A Spring 2026 instance of ENG225 in Canvas will receive the current approved CLOs

  • A Fall 2026 instance will receive the future-approved CLOs

  • CLOs are only synced if they are not already present in the course

2. ILO/PLO Syncing (Program & Institutional Outcomes)

When the ilo_plo_sync_flag is enabled:

  • Insights uses the currently live curriculum maps

  • It syncs ILOs and PLOs based on mappings that have LO sync enabled

Example (Current Behavior)

If ENG225 is mapped to ILO1.1 (with LO sync enabled)

Then:

  • Spring 2026 ENG225 → receives ILO1.1

  • Fall 2026 ENG225 → receives ILO1.1

However:

If there is a future curriculum map (go-live in a term later than the current term) that maps ENG225 → ILO2.2 (with LO sync enabled)

Under current behavior:

  • For the latter term, ENG225 will NOT receive ILO2.2

  • Only mappings from the currently live map are used for syncing

Updated Syncing Behavior: Finalizing Future Maps

While the current sync process will still be active for normal mapping, we have added an additional feature to help with the sync of ILOs and PLOs for future maps. Future curriculum maps can now be checked in as “Finalized" to allow your PLO/ILO standards to sync before your mapping alignments are set to start. 

What “Finalized” Means

When a future map is finalized:

  • The map becomes locked

  • It can no longer be edited

  • Its go-live term cannot be changed

  • Its LO sync behavior becomes active for future Canvas course instances

How Syncing Works with Finalized Maps

NOTE: We are using ILO sync as an example here; this works the same for both PLOs and ILOs. 

If a future map is set to go live in a Term Later than the Current, then Is finalized, and contains LO sync mappings

Then:

  • Any ENG225 Canvas course for any term later than the current term.  Will receive LO sync mappings from:

    • The current live map

    • The finalized future map

Example

If: the Current map → ENG225 syncs to ILO1.1 and Finalized Future  map → ENG225 syncs to ILO2.2

Then:

  • Fall 2026 ENG225 → receives ILO1.1 AND ILO2.2

Insights effectively perform a union of:

  • Current LO sync mappings

  • Finalized future LO sync mappings


Important Notes for Future Mapping:

1. Finalized Maps Are Locked

Once finalized:

  • No changes can be made

  • The go-live term cannot be adjusted

2. Removing Sync in a Finalized Future Map.

If a finalized Fall 2026 map removes the mapping or LO sync check box for ILO1.1

That ILO will still sync for Fall 2026 courses because the sync is determined by the union of:

  • Current mappings

  • Finalized future mappings

3. What Happens When the Future Map Goes Live?

Once Fall 2026 becomes the current term:

  • The previously future map becomes the current map

  • The union recalculates

  • If ILO1.1 is no longer mapped in the now-current map,

    • It will no longer sync to future course instances

4. Maps with overlapping courses Can Still Affect Each Other

Courses often belong to multiple curriculum maps (e.g., ENG225 in English BA and Theatre Arts BA).

Important considerations:

  • A credentialed user modifying mappings in one map can affect sync behavior in another

  • A future finalized map’s sync behavior may be influenced by changes in other maps

  • In rare cases:

    • A 2027 finalized map’s sync setting could be overridden by a 2026 map, even if the 2026 map is not finalized

This is expected behavior because the system resolves mappings relative to the earliest point in time.

Best Practices

  • Finalize future maps only when the curriculum is confirmed

  • Coordinate across departments for shared courses

  • Be mindful of courses overlapping in program maps (especially Gen Ed courses)

  • Understand that sync behavior may impact the combined map logic