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.
Note: Course packages created before Blackboard 5.0 are not supported.
Click Import Course on the Administrator Panel.
The table below details the fields on the Import Course page.
Field
Description
Course ID
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.
Packaged Course
Either enter the path to the course package or click Browse to search for the course package.
Select Course Materials
Select the option for each course area and tool in the course that should be imported. The Select course materials section below details these options.
The table below details what happens to each selectable option when the import is performed.
Course Material
Behavior when copied
Content
Imports course materials, including the following, from the package
Uploaded files
Learning Units
Links
Course Information
Course Documents
Assignments
External Links
Building Block content
Announcements
All Announcements are imported. If Assessment links appear in Course areas, then this option must be selected, or the link to the Assessment will be broken.
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.
Calendar
All Calendar items are imported to the new course.
Course Settings
Some Course Settings will be imported. See Course Setting below for more information.
Discussion Board
Discussion Board forums, including the initial message in the Discussion Board, are imported.
Gradebook Items and Settings
Items in the Gradebook, and their settings, such as type, categories, and display options, are imported.
Group Settings
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool availability, and the Discussion Board forum names.
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
ourse Banner
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 Availability
Guest Access
Observer Access
Course Duration
Enrollment Options
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.
If . . .
then . . .
a Course area in the package does not exist in the destination course
the area will be added to the Course Menu in the destination course.
the Course area in the package and the Course 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.
the Course area in the package and the Course area in the destination course have the same name but are of different types
the Course 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 course area and Tests, Surveys and Pools are not exported, the link to the Test will break.