Create Courses by Copying Existing Courses

If you're creating a course that has many of the same features as an existing course, you can copy the existing course to create a new course.

You can copy all course materials or a subset of course materials into a new or existing course. You also have the option to include or exclude user enrollments from the destination course. For example, if two courses use the same materials but have a different set of students, you can copy the course materials from one course to another without copying the user enrollments. If one course is the first semester of a two-semester course that includes the same students, you can copy some of the course materials and the enrollments.

User data isn't copied from one course to another. User data includes grades, test scores, blog posts and comments, journal posts and comments, discussion threads, wiki content, collaboration session data, and user statistics.

If the copied sections of a course include links to materials that you don't copy into the destination course, the links will break in the destination course. For example, if a course area links to a test but you don't copy the tests, the link to the test will break. After copying, edit the destination course to update or remove any broken links.

The course you copy is called the "source course." The course you create or add materials to is called the "destination course."

You can also copy several courses at one time with a batch file.

More on creating courses by using batch files

User privileges for copying

Content Collection items

All course users have Read permission for content management items that the course links to.

When you copy a course, Blackboard Learn automatically updates permissions for Content Collection items in all course areas except assessments. You must go to the Content Collection page to update permissions manually for Content Collection items linked to by tests, surveys, and question pools.

Course files

You must have Manage permissions in the course directory to include course files in a course package or to add course files from a course package to a destination directory. If you don't have Manage permissions, some content might not be copied.

If your institution has access to content management, only read permission is required to include links to course files. Manage permission is required to include copies of the course files.

All course users are granted read permission on the copied course files. Users with these course roles are granted manage permission:

• Instructors
• Course builders
• Teaching assistants

More on administering course files

We don't recommend using the workflow described in this help page to copy course materials from Original to Ultra or from Ultra to Ultra. Use the Copy Items option from within the Ultra course. Visit the "Copy Content from Other Courses" topic to learn how to copy with Ultra workflows. 

Create a new course from a copy

Copying course materials into a new course creates a course and populates it with content from an existing course. The course menu specified in the source course replaces the default course menu in the new course.

More on content included when creating course packages

1. On the Administrator Panel in the Courses section, select Courses.
2. Search for a course.
3. Open the course's menu and select Copy.
4. From the Select Copy Type menu, select Copy Course Materials into a New Course.
5. Type the course ID of the existing course in the Source Course ID box.
   If you don't know the course ID, select Browse to launch the search dialog. Select the course and select Submit to use it as the source course.
6. Type the course ID for the new course in the Destination Course ID box. Follow the naming convention for your institution.
7. Select Submit.
8. In the Select Course Materials section, select each type of course material you want to copy to the destination course.
   Select at least one of these areas: Content, Contacts, or Settings. 
9. In the File Attachments section, select the option to copy links to. Note: Your institution determines what options are available when linking to course files for copying courses.
   • Copy Links to Course Files: No copies of linked files are included in the copy. The copied course will have the same set of links and those links will point back to the original location of the link defined in the origin course.
   • Copy links and copies of the content: This will make copies of linked files, but ONLY those files that are linked. Files within the course's home folder that aren't linked to any content within the course aren't included in the copy.
   • Copy links and copies of the content (include entire course home folder): This will make copies of ALL files in the course's home folder whether those files are linked to course content or not. Note: You need Manage permission on an item to include copies of those files. If you don't have this permission, you may be missing some files after the copy.

10. To copy enrollments for all users in the course, select the Include Enrollments in the Copy. This copies only the users and their course roles. It doesn't copy user records such as grades or discussion board posts.

    More on copying complete user records, including grades

11. Select Submit.

Use the Copy Course button

If you know the exact course IDs of the source and destination courses, you might find it faster to use the copy course function.

1. On the Administrator Panel in the Courses section, select Courses.
2. On the Courses page, select Copy Course.
3. Select the type of copy to perform. To learn more about copy types, see the other procedures in this topic.

4. Type the course ID in Source Course ID box.

   More on courses and enrollments

   If you don't know the course ID, select Browse to launch the search dialog. Select the course and select Submit to use it as the source course.

5. Type the course ID in the Destination Course ID box. If this course doesn't already exist, Blackboard Learn creates a new course with the course ID you provide here.
6. Select Submit.

Copying course materials

When you copy a course, you choose which course materials to include. For example, you can include content areas, collaboration sessions, and contacts, but exclude journal entries.

If you create a new course, you must select at least one of these areas: Content, Contacts, or Settings. If you don't select one of these options, a warning appears and Blackboard Learn can't create a new course.

This table describes each type of course materials you can copy.

Add course materials to an existing course

You can add course materials to an existing course by copying them from another course. You can maintain the course materials, user enrollments, and records of the existing course while adding the new course materials.

1. From the Administrator Panel in the Courses section, select Courses.
2. Search for a course.
3. Open the course's menu and select Copy.
4. In the Select Copy Type menu, select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course.
5. In the Destination Course ID box, provide the course ID of the course you're adding the materials to. If you don't know the course ID, select Browse to launch the search dialog. Select the course and select Submit to use it as the destination course. 

1. Select Submit.

2. In the Select Course Materials section, select each type of course material you want to copy to the destination course.

   More on course materials

3. In the File Attachments section, select the option to copy links to. Note:  Your institution determines what options are available when linking to course files for copying courses.
   • Copy Links to Course Files: No copies of linked files are included in the copy. The copied course will have the same set of links and those links will point back to the original location of the link defined in the origin course.
   • Copy links and copies of the content: This will make copies of linked files, but ONLY those files that are linked. Files within the course's home folder that aren't linked to any content within the course aren't included in the copy.
   • Copy links and copies of the content (include entire course home folder): This will make copies of ALL files in the course's home folder whether those files are linked to course content or not.
     You need manage permission on an item to include copies of those files. If you don't have this permission, you may be missing some files after the copy.
4. If you're including copies of the course files, select Calculate Size to ensure the course package does not exceed the maximum allowed size for copying. To reduce the package size, select Manage Package Contents and select the check box of each file to remove. The package size value updates as you exclude files so you know when the course package meets the size requirements. Select Submit to include the modified package in the copy.

5. To add the users of the source course along with the new materials, select Include Enrollments in the Copy. This copies only the users and their course roles. It doesn't copy user records such as grades or discussion board posts.

   More on copying complete user records, including grades

6. Select Submit.

Updates to course menus for copied materials

When you copy course materials into an existing course, the existing course might already have content and tools in the course menu. The course menu might have the same name and type or the names and types might be different between the two courses.

Blackboard Learn handles course menus in this manner:

• If the course materials don't exist in the destination course, Blackboard Learn adds the content area. For example, the source course has a content area called "Tools" that contains blogs and journals. The destination course doesn't contain any blogs or journals. After the copy, the destination course has a content area called "Tools" that contains blogs and journals.
• If a course area has the same name and type in both courses, Blackboard Learn adds the content to the course area in the destination course. It doesn't remove or replace the content that already exists in the destination course. For example, both courses have a content area called "Tools" that contains blogs and journals. The source course's "Tools" also contains discussion boards. After the copy, the destination course's "Tools" content area contains blogs, journals, and discussion boards.
• If a course area has the same name in both courses but have different content types, Blackboard Learn adds the course area to the destination course and appends a number to its name. For example, the destination course has a content area called "Tools" that contains blogs and journals. The source course has a content area called "Tools" that contains course files. After the copy, the destination course has two content areas: the original "Tools" and the new "Tools1."

Copy a complete course, including users (make an exact copy)

An exact copy creates a new course and includes course materials, user enrollments, and staff assignments. For example, if a course is split into multiple sections to accommodate a large number of students, you can make an exact copy and then adjust the enrollment to create two sections of the same course. Unlike the other copy methods, the exact copy preserves user records such as grades and discussion board posts.

To learn more about the Course Files or Content Collection items included, see About Course Materials.

1. On the Administrator Panel in the Courses section, select Courses.
2. Search for a course.
3. Open the course's menu and select Copy.
4. From the Select Copy Type menu, select Copy Course Materials into a New Course.
5. In the Destination Course ID box, provide the course ID of the course you're adding the materials to. If you don't know the course ID for an existing course, select Browse to launch the search dialog. Select the course and select Submit. 

1. In the File Attachments section, select the option to copy links to.

   Previously when users chose to include copies of course files, the entire course files directory was included in the package. With this new option, users can choose to take the entire folder of files or only those files that are actually linked to course content. Your institution determines what options are available when linking to course files for copying courses.

   • Copy Links to Course Files: No copies of linked files are included in the copy. The copied course will have the same set of links and those links will point back to the original location of the link defined in the origin course.
   • Copy links and copies of the content: This will make copies of linked files, but ONLY those files that are linked. Files within the course's home folder that aren't linked to any content within the course aren't included in the copy.
   • Copy links and copies of the content (include entire course home folder): This will make copies of ALL files in the course's home folder whether those files are linked to course content or not.
     Note: You need manage permission on an item to include copies of those files. If you don't have this permission, you may be missing some files after the copy.
2. If you're including copies of the course files, select Calculate Size to ensure the course package doesn't exceed the maximum allowed size for copying. To reduce the package size, select Manage Package Contents and select each file to remove. The package size value updates as you exclude files so you know when the course package meets the size requirements. Select Submit to include the modified package in the copy.
3. If your institution has access to content management, you can include Content Collection files in the copy. To include Content Collection files in the copy, select Select Folder and browse to a folder. Files are added to the sub-folder of the folder you select here.
   -OR-
   To ignore Content Collection files, select Course Files Default Directory. 
4. Select Submit.

Move users to another course

You can copy enrollments from one course to another even if you don't copy any course materials.

1. On the Administrator Panel in the Courses section, select Courses.
2. Search for a course.
3. Open the course's menu and select Copy.
4. In the Select Copy Type menu, select Copy Course Materials into an Existing Course if the destination course already exists or Copy Course Materials into a New Course if you're creating a new course.
5. In the Destination Course ID box, provide the course ID of the course you're adding the materials to. If you don't know the course ID for an existing course, select Browse to launch the search dialog. Select the course and select Submit. 

1. Select Submit.
2. In the Select Course Materials section, select each type of course material you want to copy to the destination course. To move only enrollments and no materials, leave these options cleared.

3. Select Include Enrollments in the Copy to copy the users and their course roles into the destination course. It does not copy user records such as grades or discussion board posts.

   More on copying complete user records, including grades

4. Select Submit.