Re-using Course Content

You can re-use the course content such as documents, and web links, but not the grade center columns and settings as well as learning activities such as discussion boards, blogs, tests, and assignments in the old course. This option enables you to clean up the grade center easily and provides opportunities to re-think learning activities.

First, go to your new empty course shell to remove all menu links that are included in your old course from which you want to copy. Do not remove "Bb & Tech Support," Tutoring, and "Library & Databases" in the new course as they may be updated every semester. Do not copy these links from your previous semester's course.

Then follow the steps below.

Course copying content

Instructions (Text)

Go to the past course where you have the course materials and in the Course Management section.
Open the Packages and Utilities tab then click on "Course Copy".
On the Copy Course page, under Select Copy Options, click the "Browse..." button.
In the pop-up window select the destination course by clicking the radio button next to the course. At the bottom right, click "Submit". You are back to the Copy Course page where you will select what to copy.
Under the "Content Areas," check the checkboxes for the content you want to copy over. Do not check Assignments.
If you want to re-use the test questions, check the checkbox for "Test, Surveys, and Pools". Then click "Submit".

Course copy can take a few minutes to a few hours. When the course copy is completed, you will receive an email notification.

Where to find the content in the destination course

Go to the destination course.

Look at the course menu on the left. Bb will copy the menu items from your source/older course to the destination course and place them at the bottom of the course menu.

If you do not see the menu items related to your source/older course, click the refresh button on top of the course menu.

You may find some duplicate menu names - one from the course template default menu, the other from copying from your older course. Clean up your course menu to remove those that are no longer needed and switch menu item orders to fit your course needs by following this tutorial.

Adjust availability dates and due dates

Bb has a Date Management tool that enables you to update availability dates and due dates easily. Watch this tutorial to learn how to update the dates in the course that is copied from a previous semester.

Course importing content

Instructions (Text)

Go to the appropriate folder on your computer to locate the file. Then go to your new course.
In the Course Management section, open the Packages and Utilities tab, and click on “Import Package/View Logs”.
On the Import Package/View Logs page, click “Import Package”. Then click “Browse My Computer” to find your exported course package in zip format.
Click on the file name and click on Open. You are back to the Import Package page where you will select what to import.
This option enables you to clean up the Grade Center easily and provides opportunities to re-think learning activities. In this case, you should select “Content Areas” under “Select Course Materials”.
If you want to re-use the test questions, select “Test, Surveys and Pools”. Then click "Submit".
Course import can take a few minutes to a few hours. When the course import is completed, you will receive an email notification.

What to do after?

After you copied or imported your course, you can go to your new course and do the following (you will need to scroll down once you clicked on the tutorial):

Updating the course syllabus and creating a syllabus quiz by following the tutorial on 1.2.2 Setting up your first learning activity: a syllabus quiz;
Setting up your grading breakdown in the grade center by following the tutorials on 1.2.4.2 Setting up your grading breakdown;
Clean up your course menu by following the tutorial on 1.3.4 Adding and deleting menu links to tools and content areas; re-ordering links;
Changing the looks of your course, making it available to students, and announcing it is open to students by following the tutorial on 1.4 Changing the looks of your course, making your course available, and sending a welcome announcement;
Setting up learning activities and assessments you choose to use at appropriate times by following the tutorials in the CTLET Recommended Bb Roadmap and Workflows section.

Need more help?

Blackboard for Faculty main page

Center for Teaching, Learning and Educational Technologies (CTLET) home page