Copy Course Content

Course copy options

Objective:

Copy Course Materials from an old course into a new course for new term OR copy from 1 section to another section

Simple Copy of Content Items/Folders

Some content (moreso than activities/exams, etc.) can be copied from course to course simply using the menu next to an item or folder and using the Copy function. You will then be prompted to pick a course, and then to choose a location within the course, where you want to copy the content. This is a quick and easy way to copy an item or folder of content from course to course. Note that not ALL items in a Blackboard course can copy from course to course this way, and the Course Copy method below can copy all types of items from course to course. 

Course Copy - Any type of course content

(Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course): Copying course materials into an existing course will add content to a course, but it won't remove existing content. You can only copy materials into a course if you have the role of instructor, teaching assistant (TA), or course builder.

Steps

1. Go to Blackboard home (My Institution) and navigate to the OLD course, the one that has all the content/activities you want to duplicate/copy. Click to enter that course and, if you are copying the whole course, CLEAN OUT anything you do not need. This includes standard but unused content, items in the gradebook you don’t need, and any files in the file area you don’t need.

2. On the Control Panel, expand the Packages and Utilities section and select Course Copy.

3. Select copy type

Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course

1. Click the “Browse” button and locate the NEW course you want to copy the content into. This will likely be at the very bottom - scroll down. If you don’t see it, it may be on page 2. 2. Select the course materials that you want to copy over by checking all the appropriate boxes. A course copy operation can't be completed if you don't select at least one of these areas: Content, Contacts, or Settings. If you don't select one, a warning appears and Blackboard Learn can't copy.

• • NOTE: if copying tests, exams, assignments, or anything graded, it is very important to check the “Grade Center Columns and Settings” box!

3. In the File Attachments section, select the option to copy links to:

• • • Copy Links to Course Files *(Not recommended!! This may make it so that current students cannot see the content because it will only exist in the older version of the course!) Copy Links to Course Files: No copies of linked files are included in the copy. The copied course will have the same set of links. Those links will point back to the original location of the link defined in the origin course.

    • **Copy links and copies of the content: Make copies of linked files, but only those files that are linked. Files within the course’s home folder that aren't linked to any content within the course aren't included in the copy.

    • **This is recommended if you want to trim down your course by removing unlinked items from the files folders.

    • ***Copy links and copies of the content (include the entire course home folder): Make copies of all files in the course’s home folder regardless of whether those files are linked to course content.

    • ***This is ONLY recommended if you have unlinked files in your folders that you want to keep.

4. Select the Folder for Content Collection Files, if applicable.

5. (Not recommended!!) Select Enrollments to copy the list of users in the course. User records, such as discussion activity and grades won't be copied. User records are only copied if you select the Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy) option.

6. Select Submit.

Behavior of copied materials

When you copy, the course availability of the source course is applied to the destination course. If the destination course's availability is set to unavailable, but the original course is available, the destination course's availability is changed.

When you copy course materials, these occur:

• • Content: Course materials, including uploaded files, learning modules, and links are copied. Course information, course documents, assignments, and URLs are optional.

  • Assignments created inside lesson plans won't copy properly. Be sure to copy your assignments separately so that everything is correct.

  • Announcements: All announcements are copied.

  • Tests, Surveys, and Pools: All tests and surveys, including questions and options for deploying them are copied. All pools are copied.

  • Calendar: All calendar items are copied to the new course.

  • Dates: Course item and tool dates don't change. To learn how to quickly adjust dates, see Date Management.

  • Discussion Board: Include starter posts for each thread in each forum (anonymously) or include only forums with no started posts in the course copy. (Unless you yourself create starter posts within discussion boards, we recommend the latter, or you will end up with student posts from last year in this year’s boards.)

  • Grade Center Items and Settings: Items in the Grade Center and their settings such as type, categories, and display options are copied.

  • Group Settings: Settings include the names of the groups, the settings for tool availability, and the discussion forum names.

  • Contacts: All contacts are copied.

  • Course Settings: If selected, these settings are copied:

    • Course Name

    • Course Description

    • Course Entry Point

    • Course Design

    • Course Banner

    • Blackboard Tools

    • Building Block Tools

    • Content Tools

    • Course ID

    • Course Availability

    • Guest Access

    • Observer Access

    • Course Duration

    • Enrollment Options

  • Links: Links to parts of a course that aren't included in the copy will break when the links appear in the destination course. For example, if a link to a test appears in a content area and you choose not to copy tests, the link to the test will break.

  • Course Cartridge Materials: This option is successful only if the source course includes copy-protected cartridge content and the destination course doesn't have a cartridge ID.

  • Content Areas: Content from content areas appearing on the course menu that have the same name in each course will be added in the same content area. Nothing is removed from the destination course and replaced with content from the source course.

  • Enrollments: (NOT RECOMMENDED!!) If selected, the list of users in the course is copied. User records, such as discussion activity and grades aren't copied. User records are copied only if you select the Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy) option.

  • Delegated grading: Graders and settings are carried over to the new course when you use these:

    • Copy Course with Users (Exact Copy).

    • Copy Course Materials into a New Course and select the check box for Include Enrollments in the Copy.

    • Archive/restore, as users and their settings are part of an archived course.

  • Delegated Grading Setting Without Enrollments

  • When you copy a course without enrollments into a new course, the delegated setting is brought over as enabled for all existing delegated grading assignments. The instructor who copies the course is set to grade all submissions and reconcile grades.

  • When you copy or import a course without enrollments into an existing course, the delegated setting is brought over as enabled for all existing delegated grading assignments. All current users who can reconcile are also set to grade all submissions.

This document was edited for SSW from the original, here:

https://en-us.help.blackboard.com/Learn/Instructor/Course_Content/Reuse_Content/Copy_Courses