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How do I export and/or import a course in Brightspace?

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In Brightspace, you can export and import an entire course. This can, for example, be useful if you want to take the course with you to another university where Brightspace is also used, or if you want to share the course with someone who has no access to your course in Brightspace.

1. Exporting a course

Open the course you wish the export.

  1. In the top bar, click the gear icon.
  2. Click Import/Export/Copy Components.
  1. Select Export as Brightspace Package.
  2. Click Start.
  1. Select the components you wish to export or choose Select All Components to export the course as a whole.
  2. Click Continue.

You can also choose to export specific items. To do so, choose Select individual items to export under the relevant section. A window will pop up where you can choose which items you wish or do not wish to export.

  1. If you want, you can now choose to edit your selection for the final time.
  2. Select Include course files in the export package to also include files in the package.
  3. Click Export.

You course will now be exported. You will receive a notification when the export is completed.

  1. Click the notification to go to the page where you can download your course as a ZIP file.

2. Importing a course

When importing a course, the contents will be placed in the course you have opened at that moment. No new course is created when importing a Brightspace package.

Open the course in which you wish to import the package.

  1. In the top bar, click the gear icon.
  2. Click Import/Export/Copy Components.
  1. Select Import Components.
  2. Click Start.
  1. Upload the ZIP file of the course you have exported in Brightspace.
  2. Choose whether you wish to import the entire course, or specific parts of a course.
  • For the entire course: Click Import All Components and continue to the import.
  • For specific parts: Click Advanced Options... and go through the steps below.

Advanced Options

  1. Your course package will first be converted and analysed. Click Continue until you end up at step 3 of 5.
  1. Select the parts you wish to import.

At the bottom of the page, you have a number of options.

  1. Select a location for the imported files.
  2. Choose whether or not you wish to overwrite files with identical names.
  3. Select Import metadata to keep the structure of the parts intact.
  4. By using Offset all dates of imported components you can edit the dates that are linked to the imported parts. This can also be done later via Manage Dates.
  5. Click Continue.

You will now be shown a window where you must confirm your changes and edit them if need be. Once again, click Continue.

The import

You will now be shown a progression bar. This can take a couple of minutes.

After the course parts have been imported, you will receive a notification that the import was successful.

You now have 3 options:

  1. If you click View content, you'll go to where the imported parts were placed.
  2. If you click Import Another Package, you can import more course parts.
  3. If you click Review and Manage Dates, you'll end up in an overview of the dates of the imported parts. You can then easily edit these via Manage Dates.
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