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Follow the steps below to help reduce your Blackboard course storage footprint.
- Use Panopto to distribute your audio/video files.
- Allow for student audio/video submissions via Panopto.
- Remove old files or files with multiple versions from your Blackboard course.
What are the Impacts of Large Courses?
You have more control over your content and can archive a course and maintain it locally on your own computer when your course is less than 1GB in size. A course that is larger than 1GB requires assistance to archive - your LMS Administrator has the ability to help with courses between 0-2 GB. Please submit a Blackboard Ultra Request and choose the Consultation option for further assistance.
Once a course is removed from the LMS you will no longer have easy access to the course content and will require a course restore request to access this data which takes a minimum of 5 working days post-request. To request a course restoration, you will need to provide the specific term, course number, and CRN in order to find the archive in our repository.
Distribution of Audio/Video Files
To use Panopto to distribute your audio/video files:
- Configure your course to use Panopto.
- Upload your audio/video files to Panopto or create lecture captures using Panopto software.
- Link/Embed your audio/video files in the content area of your Blackboard Learn course:
- In Course Content, click/tap on the + on the divider where you would like to put your audio/video file.
- Select Content Market from the menu.
- Find and click/tap on Panopto Video Embed.
- Select the audio/video file you would like to use.
- If needed, edit the Video Embed Options at the bottom of the list of audio/video files.
- Click on the Insert button.
Student Audio/Video Creation and Submissions
Creating Assignments folder in Panopto:
Student audio/video submissions use the Assignments folder in Panopto. This requires a bit of a change in student behavior.
You need to be aware of how permissions get assigned to the Assignments folder in Panopto. When a student submits an audio/video-only file you and the student can both see it by default. This means that students cannot see the videos submitted by other students.
Assignment folder permission options:
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Prepare instructions to inform the students that all students will be able to view videos students uploaded to the Panopto Assignments folder. NOTE: This option has the potential to be a possible FERPA violation, so make sure instructions are clear. In addition, modify the view permissions on the Assignments folder to “Allow viewers to see each others sessions.”
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The second option would be to ask each student to change the viewable permissions for their submitted videos to "everyone in the class".
NOTE: The creation of the Panopto Assignments folder does not create a grade book column in your Blackboard Learn course. You need to create Blackboard assignment so students can submit their video URLs if you wish to assign a grade. It's recommended to tell students to "paste a link to your Panopto submission in the Blackboard assignment". This will be a two-step process for the students, and it will alert you to a student submission which can be assessed by you.
Student audio/video creation options:
Removing Old/Unused Files from your Blackboard Learn Course
Go to your Course Content page:
- Click on the three horizontal dots (...) menu next to the Search icon at the top right.
- In the dropdown menu, select Unused Files.
- Select the unused or duplicate file(s). (Files that are used in the course will not be able to be selected.)
- Click on the Delete Files button at the bottom.