Instructors are encouraged to perform a Course Export to serve as a backup and preserve content for re-use in a future course. The course export process does NOT preserve course grade records, however this can be accomplished by downloading the Grade Center, which is a separate procedure. Refer to the Grade Center Upload/Download tutorial for more information. To keep a "permanent*record of the entire course, not only the instructor prepared materials, a Course Archive may be made.
- Enter the course which contains the materials to be exported.
- From the Control Panel, click Packages and Utilities followed by Export/Archive Course.
3. Click the
Export Package or Archive Course button.
The Export Package feature is what most instructors will use. It creates a ZIP file of your course content that you can use to import materials to use in another course. The export course package feature doesn't include any users or user interactions within the zip package.
Note: Export packages will be removed from the course shell 30 days after creation
The Archive Course option includes all the course content, as well as all student enrollments and their course interactions, such as quiz/test/exam results, discussion/blog posts, grades and course statistics. Having an archive package of course materials may be desirable for end of the semester record keeping, however, the process to fully restore an archive package requires the services of a Blackboard System Administrator.
- Under the File Attachments area, keep the default options "Copy links and include copies of the files in the course default directory" and "Copy only links to files stored outside of the course default directory".
5. Under Select Course Materials, check the box next to each course area to be exported. If tests and assignments (or other gradable items) are to be exported, use the Select All button to ensure all the necessary components are included and to avoid missing items when importing. Please read the Best Practices section of this tutorial for additional information.
NOTE: Checking “Grade Center Columns and Settings” exports only the grade center STRUCTURE (columns) and SETTINGS only. Students and grade values are NOT exported. Downloading the grades center grades is a separate process.
- From the top or bottom of the page, click Submit. The export process will be queued and executed by the system as soon as possible. The amount of time required to complete the export will vary based on the size of the exported files and volume of requests. When the export file is available for download, the following email will be sent to the course instructor:
The operation has completed. The file may be downloaded from the Control Panel.
NOTE: Always verify whether there are any errors in the notification email that indicates whether materials or course components could not be successfully exported. If that saved .zip file is imported into another course, it may not have all the necessary information. Contact the Help Desk with any questions about the export/import process.
- After receiving the email, re-enter the course in which the export was processed. From the Control Panel, click Packages and Utilities.
- Click Export/Archive Course. A link to the export file will be listed. Download and save the export file to an easy-to-find location. This file can later be imported into any Blackboard course site in order to restore/reuse contents.
Note: Archived .zip files can also be imported into other courses, but only the course materials will be imported. Services of a Blackboard System Administrator are required to fully restore an archive with user interactions back onto the system. To import content from the archived .zip file into a Blackboard shell, see Importing a Course Package.
Best Practices with Course Export
If specific gradable items are to be exported, it is important to select the correct combination of materials to be included. Failure to include all related components (i.e. selecting just Assignments, or just Tests/Surveys & Pools, but not also selecting Grade Center Columns and Settings as well) will prevent the items from working correctly when imported to the new course. For best results, use of the Select All button will ensure all necessary components are correctly included in the package.
Exporting Tests/Quizzes
- Select the Content Area in which the test resides
- Grade Center Columns and Settings
- Tests, Surveys, and Pools
Exporting Assignments/SafeAssignments
- Select the Content Area in which the Assignment resides
- Grade Center Columns and Settings
Graded Discussion Forums
- Select Discussion Board
- Grade Center Columns and Settings
NOTE: When exporting a Discussion Board, select whether to export the Discussion Forums and initial starter post or just the forums. When the export package is imported into a new course, a specific author for the posts can be selected or set to "anonymous.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. Can I view the exported materials outside of Blackboard?
A1. No, neither exported nor archived .zip files may be opened or viewed outside of Blackboard. The file which is produced is intended only for import back into Blackboard.