Managing Files and Folders in Course Files

You can move a file to a different folder and you can move a folder into another folder. When files and folders are renamed or moved, any links to content in your course remain intact.

You can rename, copy, and move any file and any folder except the top level Course ID folder.

1. In Course Files, click a file or folder's Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> Action LinkThe Action Link is represented by two downward pointing arrows. Click it to access the contextual menu containing options for many components in Blackboard Learn, such as content items, Course Menu links, or Grade Center columns. The options in the contextual menu vary depending on the component. <end definition>. ( ) to access the contextual menu.
2. Select Copy or Move. Alternatively, select multiple check boxes and select Copy or Move on the Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> Action BarRows at the top of the page containing page-level actions such as Build Content, Search, Delete, and Upload. <end definition>.. To rename a file or folder, select Edit from the contextual menu.
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3. On the Copy or Move page, click Browse to select a destination folder for the file or folder.
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4. On the Select Folder page, you can:
• Select a folder to which to copy or move the file or folder.
• Click a folder's name to select a subfolder.
• Select Select current directory on the Action Bar to copy or move a file or folder from a subfolder to the top level Course Files folder.
• Click Create Folder on the Action Bar and create a new folder in the current folder.
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5. Click Submit on the Select Folder page.
6. Click Submit again on the Copy or Move page. The copied or moved file or folder appears in the folder selected.

Result

Copied Files and Folders

When a folder is copied, links to the content in the folder are NOT copied. The content remains linked to the files inside the original folder. The files inside the copied folder lose their original Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> permissionsSettings that control user access to files and folders in the course's file repository: Course Files or the Content Collection. User groups can be assigned Read, Write, Remove, and Manage permissions. Manage permission allows the user group to edit and add permissions. By default, Course Builders, Instructors, and Teaching Assistants are assigned all four permissions on files uploaded directly to the course's file repository. Permissions can be changed and deleted. <end definition>. and inherit any new ones associated with its new parent folder.

Moved Files and Folders

When a file or folder is moved, the links to content in your course remain intact. If a file is moved to a different folder, it maintains its original permissions. It does not inherit permissions associated with the parent folder. The same is true for all files in a moved folder. To learn more about permissions, see Controlling Access to Course Files.

You can edit and overwrite individual files in Course Files while maintaining the course links to those files.

Example:  

You create a link to the syllabus file in Course Files when creating a content item in the Getting Started Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> Content AreaA top level container that contains links to content an instructor has added to the course, such as lecture notes, assignments, and tests. Content Areas appear as links on the Course Menu. <end definition>.. Later, changes need to be made to the file. You edit a copy of the file on Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> your computer"Your computer" includes files on your local drive and desktop, files on a removable drive attached to your computer, and files on a network drive that you can access from your computer. <end definition>. and upload the new version of the syllabus to Course Files using the Overwrite File function. The link to the file in the Content Area remains intact. Students see the revised content when the syllabus is accessed in your course.

Before You Begin

Make changes to a file on your computer that was previously uploaded to Course Files, as well as linked in your course.

Two Methods to Overwrite a File

1. In Course Files, use the Overwrite File function in a file's contextual menu to browse for the edited file on your computer. The system overwrites the existing file in Course Files with the same name, even if the file from your computer has a different name. If the file is linked in your course, the link remains intact and the edits appear.



2. A file uploaded to Course Files with the same name as an existing file generates a prompt to overwrite the existing file with the new file. Overwriting a file is permanent and final. To keep both versions, change the name of one file or store one of the files in a different folder.

Result

When you edit or overwrite a file, changes made to the file appear in your course. The link in your course does not need to be edited. For example, you can edit and overwrite one or more files in an unzipped Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> packageAlso called zipped package, zipped file, or zipped archive. The ZIP file format compresses data to reduce file size. A package can contain one or more files. <end definition>., such as a lesson linked in your course. The entire unzipped package does not need to be removed and uploaded again. The link to the lesson will remain intact in your course.

File names and link titles in your course do not change when files are overwritten in Course Files. For example, if the original linked file in your course is named group_presentation.doc and the file is overwritten with group_information.doc, the original file name of group_presentation.doc remains in your course. This is different than some familiar workflows, such as in Windows Explorer, but it enables you to easily change content without creating new links.

You can select files and folders in Course Files and download them to Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> your computer"Your computer" includes files on your local drive and desktop, files on a removable drive attached to your computer, and files on a network drive that you can access from your computer. <end definition>. as a zipped Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> packageAlso called zipped package, zipped file, or zipped archive. The ZIP file format compresses data to reduce file size. A package can contain one or more files. <end definition>.. This is helpful if you want to reuse selected files and folders in other courses or edit several files and folders offline.

1. In Course Files, select the check boxes next to the files and folders to include in the zipped package.
2. On the Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> Action BarRows at the top of the page containing page-level actions such as Build Content, Search, Delete, and Upload. <end definition>., click Download Package.
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3. In the pop-up window, select Save and click OK to save the zipped package to your computer. The file name for the file is the Course ID with the .zip extension.

Result

Files and folders edited on your computer and uploaded again into Course Files retain their links in your course, as long as the original file names remain. If the name of a file or folder is changed while on your computer, a new file or folder is saved in Course Files when uploading. The edits made to the file or folder will not show in your course where it is linked. When uploading, you can overwrite files which may have been renamed while on your computer to ensure course links remain intact. To learn more, see How to Overwrite a File in Course Files.

Search for files and folders within Course Files using the Search function in the Files section of the Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> Control PanelAll course management functions are accessed through links in the Control Panel. The Control Panel is located under the Course Menu and is only available to users with one of the following defined Course Roles: Instructor, Teaching Assistant, Grader, Course Builder, or Administrator. <end definition>..

Note:  If this feature is not available, the Blackboard administrator at your school may have disabled the feature.

Quick and Basic Search

To perform a quick search of Course Files, expand the Files section of the Control Panel. Type a keyword or text string in the text box and click Go. Searches are NOT case-sensitive. Results appear on the Search Content page. The search produces files and folders in the specific course, not from across courses.

Alternatively, click Basic Search under the text box in the Files section to open the Basic Search page in the Click to toggle glossary term definition: <begin definition> content frameLarge area of the screen adjacent to the Course Menu that displays the selected Content Area, tool, or material. <end definition>.. A Basic Search locates files and folders based on a keyword or single text string AND allows file contents to be searched. Select the check box for Search File Contents. File contents are indexed periodically, so new content may not be found immediately. Searching file contents can increase the search time.