Managing Course Files

If your course is in Original Course View, see the Original Course View tutorial collection.

Overview of File Storage

Files added to a course are housed within the Content Collection. Think of of the Content Collection as a file cabinet where files for all the courses you teach stored.  Each time you add a file by uploading it from your local computer into a content area of the Blackboard shell (whether it's a Word doc, image or PowerPoint file, etc.) you are adding and storing that file in the Content Collection (NOTE:  Student files uploaded to a course are not saved here). 

There are (3) File Types:

• Course Files (Shell ID of the course you are in): This section contains only the files within a given course you are the instructor of (again, student files uploaded to a course are not stored here).  Files found here are ones that have been uploaded directly into the course or are ones that were brought into the course shell via a course copy.  The files found here count against the maximum course quota of 1 GB.  Efforts should be made to clean out unused files from this area in order to keep the course below the maximum quota allotment. T
• All Courses Content: This section provides access to courses one is enrolled in as an instructor and the associated files found within those courses.  Access to a document from a different course can then be added to the current course you are in.
• Institution Content:  A collection of university-wide content items. This collection provides access to a collection of rubrics and images that can be used within the current course you are in.

Content Collection Files Behavior

When you add a file from the Content Collection to your course, the file in your course maintains a link to the original location. Keep these characteristics in mind when adding Content Collection files to your course:

• File permissions in the Content Collection don't impact whether a student can view a file in your course. You control visibility settings for these files the same way as all other content in your course.
• When a file is replaced in the course, the new replaces the old version.  If the file exists in multiple locations in the course, the instructors are prompted if they would like to replace the file in all instances or only this item.
• If a file you added to your course is updated or overwritten in the Content Collection, the file in your course reflects that change as well.
• If a file you added to your course is deleted in the Content Collection, the file is no longer accessible in your course. The file still appears in the Course Content page, but an error appears when a user opens it. You can access the 360° View before you delete Content Collection files to understand the impact.
• When you delete a course file that you added from the Content Collection, the file remains in the Content Collection. The only file removed is the one within your course.

Accessing the Course Files area

There are two paths for accessing files in a course:  Through Import Content or purple plus > Content Collection. 

Purple Plus > Content Collection

From the Course Content page, click the purple plus > Content Collection

Import Content

Files are accessed from the 3 dots to the right of Course Content:

Select Import Content:

Select Content Collection:

Regardless of the path used to access the Content Collection, both will bring you to this screen to select Browse Content Collection:

The default view is to present you with the Course Files for the current course you are in:

You can also access files in other courses you are enrolled in as an instructor along with Institution Content that is available to everyone across CMU.  These additional areas can be accessed by clicking on Browse in the upper left corner.