Instructors may use the Import Package page to upload information into the course. For example, if they have exported a course then may import the whole course package, or selected parts of the course through Import Package.
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 feature.
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.
To open the Import Course Cartridge page, click Import Package in Course Options in the Course Control Panel.
The table below details the fields on the Import Package page.
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Field |
Description |
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Select a Course |
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Destination Course ID: |
Displays the Course ID for the course the package is being imported into. |
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Select a Package |
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Please “Browse” for the location of the packaged course: |
Either enter the path to the course package or click Browse to search for the course package. |
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Content Areas |
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Select the option for each content area and tool in the course that should be imported. The Select course materials section below details these options. |
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The table below details what happens to each selectable option when the import is performed.
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Course Material |
Behavior when copied |
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Content |
Imports course materials, including the following, from the package: · Uploaded files · Learning Units · Links · Course Information · Course Documents · Assignments · External Links · System Extension content |
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Announcements |
All Announcements are imported. If Assessment links appear in Content Areas, then this option must be selected, or the link to the Assessment will be broken. |
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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. |
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Calendar |
All Calendar items are imported to the new course. |
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Course Settings |
Some Course Settings will be imported. See Course Setting below for more information. |
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Discussion Board |
Discussion Board forums, including the initial message in the Discussion Board, are imported. |
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Gradebook Items and Settings |
Items in the Gradebook, and their settings, such as type, categories, and display options, are imported. |
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Group Settings |
Settings include the names of the Groups, the settings for tool availability, and the Discussion Board forum names. |
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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
· Course Banner
· Blackboard Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing settings are not overwritten.
· System Extension Tools settings that do not exist are added. Existing settings are not overwritten.
· Content 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 ID
· 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 . . . |
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a Content Area in the package does not exist in the destination course |
the area will be added to the Course Menu in the destination course. |
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the Content Area in the package and the Content 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. |
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the Content Area in the package and the Content Area in the destination course have the same name but are of different types |
the Content 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 content area and Tests, Surveys and Pools are not exported, the link to the Test will break.