Import Course uploads an Export package of course content. Export packages, created with the Export Course feature, are .ZIP files that contain course materials, but not user data or interactions. Export packages are useful for storing content that may be used to teach the same course to different Students at a later time. To create a permanent record of a course, use the Archive Course and Restore Course features.
Never upload an Exported Course package that has been modified since it was created and downloaded. Opening the .ZIP file and changing any of the files in the Exported Course package will result in unstable and unpredictable behavior when the course is imported.
Click Import Course from the Courses section of the System Control Panel.
The table below details the entry fields on the Import Course page.
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Field |
Description | |
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Course ID |
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Destination Course ID: |
Enter the Course ID of the course to receive course materials. If a course ID that does not exist on the system is entered, a new course with this ID will be created with the data and settings from the imported course. |
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Packaged Course: |
Enter the file location of the packaged course materials or browse for the file location. Imported materials must be .ZIP archive files of Blackboard Learning System course materials. Use the Export Course feature to create a package of course materials. |
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Select Course Materials: |
Select the option for each content area and tool in the course that should be imported. The Select course materials section below details these options. |
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The table below details what happens to each selectable option when the import is performed.
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Course Material |
Behavior when copied |
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Content |
Imports course materials, including the following, from the package: · Uploaded files · Learning Units · Links · Course Information · Course Documents · Assignments · External Links · System Extension content |
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Announcements |
All Announcements are imported. If Assessment links appear in Content Areas, then this option must be selected, or the link to the Assessment will be broken. |
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Tests, Surveys, and Pools |
All Assessments and Surveys, including questions and options for deploying them are imported. All Pools are imported to the new course. |
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Calendar |
All Calendar items are imported to the new course. |
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Course Settings |
Some Course Settings will be imported. See Course Setting below for more information. |
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Discussion Board |
Discussion Board forums, including the initial message in the Discussion Board, are imported. |
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Gradebook Items and Settings |
Items in the Gradebook, and their settings, such as type, categories, and display options, are imported. |
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Group Settings |
Group settings, such as availability of the Discussion Board and the Group Virtual Classroom. |
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Staff Information |
All Staff Information is imported. |
When Course Settings is selected, certain settings are imported to the course. These include the following:
· Course Name
· Course Description
· Course Entry Point
· Course Design
· Course Banner
· Blackboard Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing settings are not overwritten.
· System Extension Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing settings are not overwritten.
· Content Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing settings are not overwritten.
The following settings are not imported as part of this operation:
· Course ID
· Course Availability
· Guest Access
· Observer Access
· Course Duration
· Enrollment Options
· Course Disk Quota
When importing a package, the Course Menu must resolve itself in the destination course. The table below describes the how Course Menu items are resolved.
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If . . . |
then . . . |
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a Content Area in the package does not exist in the destination course |
the area will be added to the Course Menu in the destination course. |
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the Content Area in the package and the Content Area in the destination course have the same name and are of the same type (for example, External Links, Staff Information, or content) |
the content from the package will be added, but will not replace, the content in the area within the destination course. |
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the Content Area in the package and the Content Area in the destination course have the same name but are of different types |
the Content Area from the package will be added to the destination course under a different name. The new name will append an incremental numeral to the name (for example, Course Materials will become Course Materials1). |
Links to parts of a course that are not included in the export package will break when the links appear in the destination course. For example, if there is a link to a Test in a content area and Assessments are not exported, the link to the Test will break.