If you want to back up, save, or later import a course into a new semester's course shell, you can export your course in BOLT as a zipped course package.


There are 3 different types of course zips you can export from Brightspace:

  • Brightspace Package: Standard export for Brightspace including all Brightspace tools- use this for course backups and for sharing courses with other faculty.
  • Common Cartridge: This export uses standards for content and assessment to create LMS-independent packages. Use this if you need to put your course into another LMS/for OER. Specific Brightspace tools (like Rubrics) won't be exported.
  • Thin Common Cartridge: This export packages Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) Links, Web Links, and metadata. It is used in the rare case when you largely link to external tools.


To export a course,

  1. In the course you want to export, click Course Admin.
  2. Click Import/Export/Copy Components.
  3. On the Import/Export/Copy Components page, select the type of package you want to export. For this example we select Export as Brightspace Package.
    select Export as Brightspace Package
  4. Click Start.
    click Start to begin the process
  5. On the Select Course Material screen, select the components you want to export.
    1. If you want to export the whole course, select "Select All Components"
      SElect components you want to export. This screen shows selecting the option select all components
    2. If you only want to export certain things, select each one you want to export.
      Select the components you want to export. This screen shows specific components, Question Library, and Quizzes, selected for export
  6. Click Continue.
     Click Continue to continue, or go back to specify a different package type
  7. On the Confirm Components to Export page, confirm you selected what you want to export, and select to include course files, and click Export.
    NOTE: On the subject of course files, this is very important when exporting content, quizzes, and question library as course files are the supporting files like html files, image files, and documents that create the actual course and assessment content in your courses!
    Confirm the components you want to export and select to include course files- this is very important when exporting content, quizzes, and question library as course files are the supporting files like html files, image files, and documents that create the actual course and assessment content in your courses
  8. When the process ends, click Done.
    Click Done to exit this page.
  9. When the export package is ready for download, a notification is generated and can be accessed from the bell icon in the navigation bar.                                                        
  10. Click the Export finished notification message. This directs you back to the Import/Export/Copy Components tool in your course.
    Once the package is ready, you will get a notification on the bell icon in your nav bar                                                       
  11. Click the Click here to download the export Zip package link and save the zip file to a storage location of your choice. When you have downloaded your zip file, click Done to exit this page.
    Save your zip file by clicking the download link in the Export Summary page