Exporting and Importing Course Packages

Users with edit permission on course content can export and import course packages from their Blackboard course site.

There are a few cases where this may be useful:

Taking content from the Syracuse University system for use in a learning management system (LMS) at another institution.
Creating a version of the course that you can save yourself for later use.
Moving content from one course to another.
Importing course content from a textbook provider.

While this process is useful for moving content between courses in an LMS, it does not create a copy of your course files in a convenient package for browsing outside of an LMS. To download course files used in your Content area, access the Unused Files Tool and select the option to view “All Files” at the top. From there, you download individual course files with a single click.

Exporting Course Packages

You can export your course content from the main menu of the Course Content page.

You will be notified by email when the course export package is ready for download. You can return to the same course location to download it to save it for later or to upload into another Blackboard course.

The content will be downloaded in a .zip compressed file format. Keep the package zipped in that format — it’s the format that an LMS will expect when you go to import your content elsewhere.

Additional documentation is available from Blackboard with the exception that instructors are not able to include student activity data. If this is something you need, please email help@syr.edu or call 315-443-2677.

Importing Course Packages

You can import a course content package from the main menu of the Course Content Page.

Choose the option to “Import Course Content” to browse your computer for the correct file. In most cases the file you are looking for will be in a .zip compressed file format. Do not un-package or unzip this file before uploading it to Blackboard — .zip is the format that the LMS will expect.

You will be notified by email when the course import is complete at which time you can return to the course to review the imported content.

Additional documentation is available from Blackboard. Please note that importing information to the course content area is distinct from importing test questions.