Files and Uploads

Files and Uploads

Adding Files to a Course

Follow the steps below to add and make use of files such as images within your courses.

Image: In progress

1. To upload files in Studio, the course’s team must primarily upload the file within the Files & Uploads section.
2. Two URLs are then generated for the uploaded file by Studio.
  1. One is the Studio URL, which is then used to address the file location internally; when you wish to add the file as a component within a course or on a separate page.
  2. The second is the Web URL, which is used to load the file outside the course, like when you wish to insert the file within an email or another external web page for instance.
3. A link targeted to the file is then added by the course team, either within or outside of the course.
  1. When designing the course content, the course team must make use of the Studio URL of a given file to upload the file as a component of the course or onto a page.
  2. To insert the uploaded file within an email message or onto a web page outside of Studio, the team must make use of the file’s Web URL.
4. The file will then be visible within the course, email, or external web page.

Studio’s Files & Uploads Page

Most course files, including image files, are managed using the Files & Uploads Page, which lists the files that you have uploaded, followed by details regarding the files. The file details include:

  1. The name of the file.
  2. An icon representing the file or the file preview, given the file, is an image.
You can click on the Hide File Preview checkbox from within the pane on the left to activate it if you do not wish to see a preview of your files. In reverse, to unhide the file preview, simply deselect this checkbox once more.
  1. The type of the file.
  2. A date indicating the initial date the file was uploaded.
  3. The URLs used to insert the file within different locations, such as your course or on the internet.
  4. An indicator signifying whether or not the file is locked.

If you are looking for a specific file, you can also use the Search option included on this page to help you find your desired file. See How to Find a Previously Uploaded File for more information in this regard.


It is possible to add textbooks or handouts for the course, which will then be available in the sidebar of the Course Page. To do this you can read more on Textbooks & How to Add Course Handouts.

Managing File Size

Each file can be up to 10 MB in size. Therefore, it is recommended to use standard compression tools to reduce the size of your PDF and image files before uploading them.

Additionally, it is possible to upload multiple files simultaneously.

Do not use the Files & Uploads page if you wish to share substantially large audio files or datasets with your learners. Instead, make use of other hosting services to host and add these files to your course.

Uploading Files in Studio

Make sure you own the copyright and properly cite the source of the files and images you upload to your course.


Follow the steps below if you want to upload one or more files.

1. Firstly, you must Create or browse the files on your computer.

After uploading, Studio generates URLs for the uploaded file. The file name is also part of the URL and is displayed to students when accessing the file. Therefore, you should not use file names that give away exclusive information about the file content (e.g.  "Answerkey.pdf").

  1. Select Files & Uploads from the Content menu.
  2. Drag your file or files into the Drag and Drop area of the Files & Uploads page.

Uploading a file with the same name as an existing course file will overwrite the original without warning.

Next, the Files & Uploads page refreshes so you can see the file or files you have just uploaded. You can drag more files into the Drag and Drop area to upload additional files.

How to Retrieve an Uploaded File

Up to 50 files are listed on the Files & Uploads page at a time. So, if your course contains more than 50 files, the additional files will appear on other pages.

You can use the Search option to find a file on the Files & Uploads page, or directly visit the page the file is listed within.

  1. To use the Search option, enter one of the following search terms in the Search field, and then select the magnifying glass icon
    • The file’s complete name.
    • The file type or its extension.
    • A part of or many parts of the file name.

As an example, imagine the file you are trying to find is named FirstCourseImage.jpg, entering any of the following terms in the Search field will help you retrieve the file from within the Files & Uploads page.


    • FirstCourseImage.jpg
    • .jpg
    • First Image
    • First .jpg
  • To navigate between pages within the Files & Uploads page that list the files, you can either use the Previous and Next buttons to move between pages, or you choose the page you want to visit from among the page numbers listed at the bottom of the page.

It is also possible to sort and filter files based on file type, for example. You can learn more about sorting and filtering files by reading Sorting Through Files or How to Filter Files.

Sorting Through Files

You can sort your files on the Files & Uploads page based on different criteria such as name, type, or upload date. Each of these criteria is presented in a separate column. To sort your files, you can simply click on the column name you wish to sort by. For example, if you wish to sort your files according to file type, click on the Type column name.

The column sort order is indicated with an arrow or arrows to the right of the column name. The arrow also means the files are sorted based on this column. Additionally, the arrow’s direction shows whether the files are sorted in ascending or descending order.

Select the column name again to switch between ascending and descending order.

Filter Files

You can filter the file list by type so that only the desired file types are displayed and the rest are left hidden. Not to mention, the list remains in its current sort order.

The following are possible file types you can filter by


Type
Possible File Name Extensions
Audio
.aac, .mpeg, .mp3, .ogg, .wav
Code
.css, .html, .json, .php, .sql
Documents
.pdf, .txt, Microsoft Office and Open Office documents, presentations, spreadsheets
Images
.gif, .ico, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .tif, .tiff
Other
Files not included in the other types, such as. sjson

The steps below guide you through filtering the list of files based on file type.


1. On the Files & Uploads page, locate Filter by File Type.

2. In the list, select the checkboxes for the types of files that you want.

The list refreshes to show only the selected file types. The resulting list can then be sorted by name, type, and date added.

Clear all checkboxes to reset the list and display files of all types.

Utilizing an Uploaded file Inside and Outside of a Course

Studio assigns a Studio URL and Web URL to a file once you upload it. These URLs are then listed in the Copy URLs column on the Files & Uploads page. Whenever you wish to use one of the files you have uploaded you must copy and enter the file’s Studio URL or Web URL in your content.

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Note: You can secure and lock your files if you do not want miscellaneous people to access the files. Hence, only users who have signed in and enrolled in the course may access your files. See How to Lock a File/ Securing a File.


Inserting an Image or File Within Your Course

You can upload an image or other data files within a course component, an updated version of the course, or onto your course handouts by going through the steps bellow.
1. In the Copy URLs column, click on the Studio option. This can be found on the Files & Uploads page.
Once you have selected the Studio option, a ‘Copied’ message is briefly shown to indicate you have successfully copied the Studio URL.
2. Paste the Studio URL in the component or other course contents.

Read How to Add an Image to a Text Component for more information in this regard.


Inserting an Image or File Outside of a Course

By following the steps bellow, you can insert an image or a file to sources outside of a course, into a bulk email, for instance.

1. In the Copy URLs column, which can be found on the Files & Uploads page, click on the Web option.
Once you have selected the Web option, a ‘Copied’ message is briefly displayed which means you have copied the Web URL onto your clipboard.
2. Paste the Web URL in the content you are creating outside of the course.

Please ensure you do not make use of the Studio URL for email messages. You can learn more about sending out emails at Sending Emails to Course Participants.

How to Lock a File

Generally, anyone with the web URL can access your uploaded files, even if they are not enrolled in the related course. You can prevent external access to a file by locking it. If you lock the file, the web URL will only allow learners who are enrolled in the course and logged in to access the file.

To lock a file, select the lock icon in the file's row.

Delete a File

Click on the delete icon in the row of a file to delete it. Once the confirmation dialogue box opens, click on Permanently Delete.


You must update your links to any files once they have been deleted; as deleting a file breaks any available links to the file from inside or outside of the course.

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