Bb - Ending the Semester

Here are the steps for the end-of-semester prep. If you have a development course only, then proceed to step 2.

STEP 1: EXPORT YOUR GRADEBOOK

Instructors using the Gradebook can export and save a copy of it for use in Excel or in another spreadsheet program. Keeping a copy of your Gradebook is a good idea for backup and archival purposes because once students are removed or un-enrolled from a Blackboard course, their grades are also removed from the Gradebook.

• To export a copy of your existing Gradebook, follow the steps described below.
  
• Enter the course that contains the Gradebook you wish to export.
  CONTROL PANEL > ASSESSMENTS category > GRADEBOOK.
• To export the spreadsheet to an Excel spreadsheet, click on DOWNLOAD GRADES link. Read and follow all instructions listed on this page. Click on the OK button. The default name is gb_export.csv so you will want to save the file with a better name and in a folder on your hard drive where all Blackboard gradebooks can be stored. (HINT: this location is NOT your desktop!)
• To open your gradebook file in Excel, launch Excel, choose File, Open (yourFileName.csv). (CSV stands for comma delimited text file. Many other applications can open .csv files.) In the open dialog box, change the type of file to either All Files or to Text Files (*.prn, *.txt, *.csv). By default, Excel looks for *.xls files.

STEP 2: ARCHIVE YOUR COURSE

Archiving your course is the same as making a backup of your course and storing the backup file(s) on your own local hard drive, Zip disk, or CD. It is always a good idea to keep a backup of important data and information. Archived course files can be restored by the Blackboard Administrator only. The archive file is not something any other application can open and read. Only restoring your course archive to Blackboard makes your course content visible and editable again.

To archive your course, follow the steps described below.

• Enter the course you want to archive.
• CONTROL PANEL > COURSE OPTIONS >  EXPORT COURSE
• The Export Course screen will appear from which you can select areas of your course to archive. Under CONTENT AREAS, select the content areas you wish to archive. If you wish to archive your entire course, select all the items. At a minimum, you should select Course Content which will archive the data in Course Information, Course Documents, Assignments, and Staff Information, and Tests, Surveys, and Pools.
• Click on the SUBMIT button

At the Receipt screen, follow instructions for saving your archive.

• Right-click the CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD link to download the exported course site and select the Save Link As... (Netscape) or Save Target As... (Internet Explorer) choice. Macintosh users should hold the Control key down then click the link.
• Select the location on your hard drive where you wish to save the archive and click the Save button.

This archive is your backup of the course content. An archive file is ZIPPED and can only be opened by importing it back into a Blackboard course. Keep this archive until you can confirm the contents of your next semester's course, then delete it.

Course archives do not include course cartridge material from textbook publishers. If you are using course cartridges from your publisher, only your content will be archived. Each semester you will need to request a new course cartridge. A request is usually made from the publisher’s web site. Our current version of Blackboard is 6.0.

Sacramento City College
3835 Freeport Boulevard · Sacramento, California 95822
This page was last updated: Wednesday, December 10, 2003 at 10:35:53 AM