When upgrading from a pre-9.1 release of Blackboard Learn, administrators can move specific existing course content to the Course Files directory to take advantage of its capabilities.

Using the Move Files tool to move course content to Course Files is only necessary in specific scenarios where pre-9.1 courses are copied to or reused in a 9.1 installation.

Do not use the Move Files tool when Export and Import processes are used to move courses to the 9.1 installation. The import operation ensures that all file attachments in a pre-9.1 course are placed in Course Files of the new course so instructors can begin managing files in a central location.

When files are moved from local file storage to Course Files, the resulting folder structure reflects the course menu structure. Instructors can change the folder structure after the files are moved.

If a file with the same name exists in the folder, the name of the moved file is saved with a number appended to the name. For example, Course_Assignment.doc becomes Course_Assignment(1).doc.

All content moved to Course Files is stored in a subfolder of the /courses/MyCourseID directory. The subfolder is named using the following format: Course ID_ImportedContent_DateTimeStamp.

Make the move tool available to instructors in the course

Administrators can make this tool available to instructors in their courses.

  1. In the Administrator Panel, in the Tools and Utilities section, select Tools.
  2. On the Manage Tools page, select the Move Files to Course Files Action Link to open the menu.
  3. Select Edit.
  4. On the Edit Tool Availability page, select Yes in the Tool Availability section.
  5. Select Submit.

Instructors access this tool in their courses' Control Panel in the Package and Utilities section.

Administrators can disable the Move tool for other course roles. For example, if you have made the Move tool available in the course, but do not want any teaching assistants to have access to the tool, remove the privilege for this tool. To learn more, see About User Roles and Privileges.

Move content using the move tool on the Administrator Panel

To move the course content to Course Files, administrators can use the Move Files to Course Files tool in the Administrator Panel.

  1. In the Administrator Panel, in the Courses section, select Move Files to Course Files.
  2. On the Move Files to Course Files page, select Browse to select a course where the content resides and select Submit.

    If your institution has access to content management features, select Browse to select the destination folder in the Content Collection and select Submit.

  3. On the Move Files to Course Files page, select Submit again.

What's moved?

The Move Files tool moves all files attached to course Content Areas to the Course Files directory. This includes files originally added to the course through the Attach File options available on specific pages in the application, as well as files attached using the Text Editor.

The following lists include the files that are moved and not moved when using the tool.

Types of content moved

  • Content folders
  • Content items
  • Course links
  • Instructions
  • Web links
  • Learning modules

Types of content not moved

  • Self and Peer Assessments
  • Messages
  • Tests, surveys, and question pools
  • Assignments
  • Items added to the Grade Assignment page by an instructor, including comments for a specific user
  • Student files added when participating in course activities, such as uploading an assignment document or adding files when creating journal entries