Getting Content into Your Course Site

There are four primary ways that I can think of by which content is placed into a course site.

• The instructor manually adds each item of content.
• Content can be copied from another course site (of which the Instructor also has access).
  • The “Course Copy” function found in the old (or source) course site allows the Instructor to select the areas from which to copy, and the destination course, in which to copy to.
    • Normally, you should not leave the “Enrollment” option checked, for this will copy old students into your new course site.
  • The “Export” function from the old course site Control Panel, allows the Instructor to select the areas that they want to “package up” (the System creates one Zip file for all the files & content) and then “Import” to the new site.
    • The first task when using the “Export” function, is to select the areas you want to copy from the old site (you have to be in the old site Control Panel to do this), and then start the process.
    • You will need to wait, depending upon the length of time it takes the System to package up the content you are planning to export, until the System sends you an email that the process was completed (zipping up the Export file).
      • Actually, you could keep checking to see if a link to the zip file is showing.
    • Once the zipped file link is showing in the Export area, you may click on the link and download the file somewhere, outside of Blackboard.  This could be on your Desktop, network drive, or anywhere that there is enough room to hold the file.  *Remember what the file name is, and where you have saved it.
    • Go into the course Control Panel of the new site (the destination course, to where you want the content copied), and click on the “Import” link.  You will be asked for the source file, which is the Zip file.  You will need to remember where you saved it, and what it’s name was.  *If you used the Export function, the file name will begin with “Export_file…”.
      • Select the areas that you want to copy from the Zip file into your new course site.
      • Start the Import process.
  • NOTE:  Sometimes the Course Copy function does not work, or does not work completely (leaving some content uncopied).  If this is the case, then you might “Recycle” the new course, to get rid of any partially copied content, and then use the “Export/Import” process to try moving the content over.  *If you try both ways of copying content over, and neither works, then you are probably going to have to manually add content to the new site.
• The “Course Cartridge” or “Import Package” options are used to transfer content from a publishers web site.
  • When using the “Course Cartridge” option, the publisher sends you a copy key (usually a series of letters and numbers), that you will need to paste into the window, after you click on “Import Course Cartridge” from the course Control Panel of your new site.
    • Content is copied into the course site, in the background, via the Internet, from the publisher’s web site.
  • When using the “Import Package” option, the publisher will have sent to you, or allowed you to download from their web site, a Zip file, which contains their course content.  Just browse to this Zip file and start the Import process.