To enhance data management and optimize storage, we are conducting a course streamlining initiative to ensure efficient and structured handling of course materials.  This effort is essential for maintaining the performance and sustainability of our platform while ensuring that materials are stored in a manageable manner. 

Why This Initiative is Important

• Storage Optimization: The initiative helps keep our system running efficiently by ensuring that outdated materials do not consume valuable storage space.  As a result, you may notice fewer pinned sites on your menu, making it easier to navigate and access the most relevant resources.  This allows the platform to remain responsive and accessible to all users.
  
  
• Data Management: It ensures that course materials are organized and managed in a structured manner, simplifying access to relevant resources and reducing clutter from older courses that are no longer in use.
  
  
• Compliance and Data Security: Managing storage effectively aligns with best practices in data security and privacy, reducing the risk of retaining unnecessary data for extended periods and lowering the costs associated with keeping that data.

Upcoming Course Clean-up

Effective August 1, 2025, all course sites from 2010 to Spring 2018 will be permanently removed from Bridges.   Instructors are responsible for backing up their courses.

Note that Bridges course and project sites created after Fall of 2017/published during or after Spring 2018 will not be impacted.  Projects sites from 2010-2018 will also remain accessible at the present time.

COURSE CLEANUP WORKSHOP (10 minutes)

Actions for Instructors

• Backup Your Course:  To back up course content, you can export it as an IMS CC file (.zip) via Lessons.  For detailed instructions, please refer to this article: How do I export Lessons content?
  
  Note that exporting course content will not include student data and exists in a format that only exports into a Learning Management System. The IMS CC export often renames files and organizes them into complex folder structures that can be difficult to navigate -  do not try to open this .zip on your computer as that could compromise the files .  Additionally, both the IMS CC and the site archive format may not capture everything in the site, such as custom CSS, Lessons page sections/layouts, etc.  If you import the resulting archive into an empty course shell, it will contain the content and resources, but some of the formatting and organization may need modification to make it look the same as the original.  Assessment, assignments and question pools are transferable.  If you do do not use the Lessons tool in Bridges, you can still enable the transport of your assessments and assignments by adding the lessons tool to the course menu and then exporting the IMS CC.
  
  

• Backup Your Resources Folder: To ensure you have a complete backup of your course materials, we recommend backing up the Resources folder, where you keep your original files.  Backing up the Resources folder separately is advantageous because it allows for easier access to your files compared to an IMS CC zip file.   To back up your Resources, go to the top-level folder in Resources, create a zip archive of the course files, and then download the zip archive.  For step-by-step instructions, please refer to this article: How do I create a zip archive file in Resources?

• Backup the Gradebook: For potential grade challenges, as well as your own records please backup your Gradebook.  Instructions can be found here: How do I export grades from Gradebook?

• How do I download assignments for grading offline?
• How do I download Tests & Quizzes submissions for grading offline?
• How do I download the Student File Drop (Dropbox) area?

*Other Information:  The rubrics tool will not allow bulk export nor are they packaged in the IMS CC.  Here is how to export rubrics as a .pdf file. 

Support

For questions about the guidelines or assistance with backing up course materials, please contact Instructional Design.

For further assistance, please email id@rwu.edu