If you would like to retrieve an item from a Blackboard course prior to 2024/5 the course will be in a different format to the current Blackboard, so some differences in the copying process may exist.
- Warnings and cautions
- Copying from a Blackboard original course
- Copying original course Tests and Test Questions
- Copying original course rubrics
Warnings and Cautions
Structural differences between Blackboard original and Ultra any copying across these platforms needs consideration
- Do not attempt to copy an entire Blackboard original module or entire folders in a single ‘copy content’ action.
- Tests from original courses may contain question types and settings that are no longer supported (guide on original Test copy advice)
Copying from a Blackboard original course
Use the copy function in your course, this is the same process as usual:
- Step 1: Go to the place in the course where you would like the copied items to appear
- Step 2: In the copy items screen locate the relevant course/organisation
- Step 3: Click on the course to view the content areas (menu items from original course).
- Step 4: Select items to copy
Click on the content area title or the arrow on the far right of the content area you wish to copy files from. This will open the content area and show a list of the files within.
NB* Do not check the select box for the content area (in original courses). Selecting from here will add it to the Items Selected panel, the content area will copy as a folder and all nested folders contained within will flatten out to one level and may take some time or re-organise.
Copying Tests
There are two ways to copy tests from pre 2024/5 courses as a deployed Test or as a Pool. It is not possible to locate non-deployed tests using the copy function.
An alternative to using the copy function is to export a pool which can then be imported in the Question Banks area on your new course.
Prepare to copy tests by:
- Deploy the test on the course.
- Create a pool from any questions you wish to copy (will copy as a question bank)
- Check the guide on original Test copy advice (some question types will not copy)
In the Copy Items screen,
- deployed tests can be found via the content folders (a)
- and Pools via the Question Banks folder (b).
Tests which use Pools
When you copy tests which use pools the pool with copy as Question Banks and can be found in the Question Bank area.
If more than one test uses the same pool it would be best to copy the tests together rather than create duplicate question banks.
Copying course Rubrics
Use the copy function as usual in the Copy Items screen you will find a separate folder named Rubrics.
- Click on the folder named Rubrics
- Select which rubrics from the list you wish to copy
- Click Start Copy
You can view all of the rubrics in your Ultra course by going to the Gradebook, clicking on the Settings (cog wheel icon), then scrolling down to the ‘Rubrics’ section.
Qualitative Rubrics
Currently in Blackboard Ultra all Rubric are scoring. If you copy a qualitative rubric from a pre 2024/5 course, it will be converted into a scoring rubric in Ultra, but with 0 points associated with each criterion.
Once the Rubric is in Ultra, open the rubric and change the Rubric Type from percentage to points, to ensure that it is a zero point rubric.
Guide last updated on April 1, 2025