Here, we'll guide you through the process of creating a course template that has all the settings and configurations needed to facilitate the creation of new courses.
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Step 1: Set Course Default Settings
Before you start creating your course and configuring the settings, look at the default settings in Site Administration > Courses > Course Default Settings. This will give you a running start, in case you want to change your template later, or make minor modifications to it.
Make changes to things like the course format, the number of sections, and the course layout. Once you've done that, determine the Completion tracking settings.
Completion tracking should be enabled by default so that you can effectively track your activities and courses. In the case where you don't care about completion tracking, you can simply select "Do not track activity completion" within the activity settings.
Also think about if you need to choose any grouping, language, or tagging settings for the majority of your courses.
Finish up what settings you want in the template, and click Save changes.
Step 2: Create Your Course Template
The goal here is to create a course with activities, documents, or blocks that you can use in a variety of courses.
Our recommendation is that this course remains hidden to end-users, either belonging to an "Archive" category (one that is hidden or not used), or simply hidden in a category that other courses can be built by using this template.
Once you are satisfied with your design of the course, go to Course Administration > Backup.
From here, you will see a list of settings you can include or exclude. Do not include users or groups/groupings.
If you wish to choose specific activities or sections to include, you can click "Next"; or if you are satisfied with everything else, click "Jump to Final Step".
Once complete, you will be directed to the Backup area of your site, where you can download a copy of your course (as an .mbz file). You can either click the Restore link and start now or download it and use it at a later date.
STEP 3: Restore Your Course from a Template
Now, if you go to Site Administration > Courses > Restore course, you can "Import a backup file". This is where you will need a copy of your course in .mbz format. Take that file and upload it to the drop area, then click Restore.
The restore process will show you what the backup file contains and which elements of it you would like to include or exclude. You can also select the category the new course will belong to, and the name of it.
Finish confirming your settings, and Restore the course file. This new course should be identical to the course you made a backup of - allowing you to create the same course template over and over, specifically with the activities, blocks, or documents in it.
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You can create a course template using a CSV file, which allows you to configure the Course Settings, like shortname, fullname, category, format, etc. However, this "Upload course" feature does not allow you to add blocks, activities, or users.