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.

Now, look on left hand side of the course, along the navigation, and towards the bottom. You will see two options - course map and control panel.  Click on the control panel link.

You now see the control panel.

If you look on the left hand side of the screen, at the bottom, you will see the course options.

Since we are taking a Blackboard course, and backing it up, or, to use the Blackboard terminology, exporting the course, click on the export course link

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 option 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.

After which, you will want to export the course.

Here, as you can see, all of the content areas have been selected.

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

Once the operation has been completed, you will receive a receipt, along with further instructions.

In Blackboard, your exported course must be downloaded.  Depending on the browser you are using, and the operating system you are using, the procedure may differ slightly.

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

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.

Accept the default file name and file type for your exported course. Changing either the name of the file type may cause problems should you choose to use this file within Blackboard.

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.

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

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