Adding Multiple Documents at a Time Using the Document Unpackager

Usually, it is better to upload documents into your Blackboard course one file at a time, since Blackboard allows you to provide descriptive information about each document and to set the options so that you can see (for example) whether students are actually viewing a particular document in your course. When you have a group of similar files to upload, however, it can be tedious to do that one file at a time. To make possible "bulk" uploads of files into a Blackboard course, we have installed a "building block" (that is, a program to extend Blackboard's functionality) called the Document Unpackager. The Document Unpackager allows you to upload a compressed (*.ZIP) archive file into your course. That ZIP archive can contain documents and even folders that themselves contain document. The building block will unzip the archive, create folders in Blackboard, and create an item for each of the documents as well. The title for each document will be the same as the file name, and the link to each document will also be the file name, with the appropriate file extension (as in mydocument.doc). The process involves two steps, which we will explain in two separate help sheets:

  1. Creating the Zip Archive (Macintosh version)
  2. Uploading the Package Into Blackboard

Creating the Zip Archive (Macintosh Version)

Please note that these instructions are for a Macintosh under OS X. If you are using a Windows computer, you can follow these instructions instead.

  1. Under OS X, Macintosh computers have a built-in mechanism to create compressed archives out of individual or multiple files. To create your archive, you need to navigate to the folder on your hard drive where you saved the group of files you want to upload. While holding down the "Apple key" (Apple/Command Key), also known as the "Command key" (Command Key), click on each document that you want to include in the package:

    Select Files for Archive

  2. With all those files selected, hold down the "control" key to reveal a menu of commands, and click on Create Archive of # items (with # replaced by the actual number of items you have selected):

    Create the ZIP file

  3. A new file called "Archive.zip" will be created in the same folder as the files you selected. You can upload that file into Blackboard following these instructions. (Please note that the instructions use screen captures from a Windows PC, but the steps you will take to upload and unpackage the file are the same.)


Last revised February 26, 2008.  Please send questions or comments to itec@bucknell.edu.