Export and Import a Blackboard Course Backup File

The Blackboard Section purge process will be executed biannually every January and June. Blackboard section content will be available in the production system for faculty use for a duration of two years.  Section data more than two years old, calculated by the start of the current semester, will be removed from the production system.  Faculty will be sent a reminder regarding the biannual purge process no less than 30 days prior to the date of the purge. This notification will provide faculty time to export Grade Book and any other pertinent section data prior to the purge, if necessary. 

To learn how to export the grade book go to Article 94: Working Offline with the Grade Center

Export a Blackboard Course Backup:

• Go to the course you want to backup.
• On the Control Panel Menu click on Packages and Utilities.
• Click on Export/Archive Course.
• Click on the Export Package button.
• Under Select Course Materials click Select All.
• Click Submit.
• Click Refresh to see the link to the file (this may take a while if the course is large. You should receive an email when the file is ready if you don't want to wait).
• Put your mouse over the file name listed and pull down the menu using the arrow that appears to the right of the title.
• Choose Open.
• You should be prompted by your browser to Open or Save the file.
• Choose Save and save it to a location you can find again when you require it.

Import a Backup into Blackboard Learn:

• Go to the blank course you want to import the content to.
• Click on Packages and Utilities at the bottom of the left menu (Control Panel).
• Click on Import Package/View Logs.
• Click the Import Package Button
• Click Browse My Computer and navigate to the saved export file you stored previously.
• Click Select All.
• Click Submit.