Blackboard Ultra (Faculty) - Importing Template Shells from Institution Content
Accessing Institution Content
Institution Content contains template shells that faculty can import into their courses. These shells provide a pre-designed structure and content to help get your course started. Not all programs and courses make use of the Institution Content storage. Someone in your department/program or an instructional designer working with you will make this recommendation as you prepare your course shell if this is the correct location for you to begin.
Most of the content is organized into folders for each program. Within the program's folder, locate the specific course template to download.
Steps to Access Institution Content:
Access and Download a File from the Institution Content Area
Accessing Institution Content
The Institution Content area in Blackboard Ultra provides access to resources and files shared by the institution. Follow these steps to access this area:
- Log in to Blackboard Ultra.
- From the main navigation menu (left side), click the Tools link.
- On the Tools Page, you will see various modules and information. Locate the Content Collection module.
- From the menu on the left, click on Institution Content for the list of folders containing course template files for various programs and courses.
Downloading a File from Institution Content
Once you have accessed the Institution Content area, you can download files as needed:
- In the Institution Content module, locate the file you want to download.
- Click on the file title or click the gray arrow and click Open. You may be prompted to "Save As" or it will download automatically to your device.
- If this is a .zip file that will be imported into a course shell, do not unzip the file.
Troubleshooting
- If you cannot find the Institution Content module, contact your department or ITS Help Desk to confirm its location or availability.
- If you are unable to download a document, ensure you have the necessary software (e.g., Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF files) installed on your computer.
Need Additional Support?
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the ITS Help Desk:
- Call: (618) 650-5500
- Email: help@siue.edu
- Visit: Lovejoy Library Room 0005 during regular business hours.
This guide aims to provide useful information, but as technology changes, interfaces or steps might vary. Please use the Comment button to let us know if anything differs from your experience. Your feedback helps us keep this information accurate. Thank you!
Importing the Template Shell
Steps to Import a Course Content:
- Navigate to the Blackboard Ultra course where you want to import the materials.
- In the Course Content area, click the ellipsis (...) icon on the top right.
- Select Import Content.
- Browse to the location of the course package file you previously exported (typically a .zip file).
- Select the file and click Open.
- A progress bar will appear, indicating the upload progress. Once uploaded, Blackboard will process the course package. This process may take several minutes, depending on the size of the course package.
- A message will appear at the top of the screen indicating the import is complete. You may need to refresh your page afterward.
Important Considerations:
- Content that is not compatible with Blackboard Ultra may change format or not import at all. A message will appear explaining which items were impacted by this. For example, "either/or" questions do not exist in Blackboard Ultra, so they would not be included in the import.
- The imported content will be added to the existing course content. It will not overwrite existing content.
- Review the imported content after the import is complete to ensure it is displayed as expected and that all links and resources are working correctly.
Troubleshooting:
If you encounter problems during the import process, consider the following:
- Try re-downloading the file.
- Check the size of the course package. Very large packages may take a long time to import or may fail to import completely.
Need Additional Support?
If you have any questions or need further assistance, please contact the ITS Help Desk:
- Call: (618) 650-5500
- Email: help@siue.edu
- Visit: Lovejoy Library Room 0005 during regular business hours.
This guide aims to provide useful information, but as technology changes, interfaces or steps might vary. Please use the Comment button to let us know if anything differs from your experience. Your feedback helps us keep this information accurate. Thank you!