Backup and Export your Blackboard Course

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As a general rule, you should perform the backup/export function on your Blackboard course.  Ideally, this should be done once the course has been fully developed, and at a regular schedule throughout the semester. When the semester is completed, you should perform this function, in the event that this course would be taught again online in Blackboard. Once you have logged onto Blackboard, click on your course. In Control Panel area, click on Packages and Utilities and find Export/Archive Course, click on it.

 

In the Export/Archive Course screen, Click on Export button.

You will now see the export course screen. There are several important things that you should be aware of before you complete the process.

First, the course id is displayed.

Second, and most important are the areas to be exported.  In Blackboard you have the options to choose particular areas.  You should select the check boxes for the areas that you want to export. This could be every area, or just specific areas.

Once the areas are selected, press the Submit button located at the bottom right hand of the screen.

You will receive a massage that this action has been queued, an email will be sent when the process is complete. You will receive an confirmation email very soon.

Return to the Export/Archive Course screen, you will see your exported course was made into a zip file. In Blackboard, the exported course must be downloaded.  Depending on the browser you are using, and the operating system you are using, the procedure may differ slightly. Click on the course link.

The next dialogue box you will see will confirm that the exported course is being downloaded from Blackboard to your local machine. Click on Save.

You should select a location for the file.  As you will notice here, I have created a folder called "workshop backups" where all of the backups may be stored. Click Open button.

Accept the default file name and file type for your exported course. Changing either the name of the file type may cause problems. Once you have selected the download location, and accepted the default file names and file types, and pressed save, the process will begin. 

When you see a dialogue box similar to this one, the process is complete. Click Close button.

Looking on the desktop, you will see the exported a Blackboard course file.

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