Editing Content. Blackboard Learn

Transcription

1 Blackboard Learn Editing Content The Content Collection allows you to store, share, and publish files. It also allows you to very efficiently update digital content. In this lesson, we start with an overview of your editing options. We will cover different options for editing your files inside or outside of Blackboard Learn. We wrap up the lesson with a brief look at overwriting files in the Content Collection and the importance of versioning. Efficiency at its best! Ready, Set, Go 2014 Blackboard Inc. 1

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Objectives... 3 Editing Options... 3 Overwrite Files... 4 Overwrite File with Contextual Menu... 4 Overwrite Files with Upload Files... 5 Overwrite Files with Zip files... 6 Overwrite by Uploading a Zip Package... 6 WebDav... 7 Student Example... 7 Instructor Example... 7 Blackboard Drive... 8 How Does It Work for Files?... 8 How Does It Work for Folders... 9 Where do you get it? Best Practices Try It! Editing Content Activity Transcript for Easy Edit Video Blackboard Inc. 2

3 OBJECTIVES After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Download a file for editing Use the Overwrite File function to upload a new version Explain what Blackboard Drive is and how it can be used to directly edit content Use Web Folders (WebDAV) to directly edit content EDITING OPTIONS There are basically two ways to edit your files: Download the file for editing. Then overwrite the version in the Content Collection. Edit a file directly from the Content Collection using o Blackboard Drive o or o WebDAV (aka Web Folders) 2014 Blackboard Inc. 3

4 OVERWRITE FILES If you cannot use Blackboard Drive or Web Folders (WebDAV), you can still download the file you want to change and edit the file. Then use the Overwrite function to upload the new version. There are three ways to overwrite a file. 1. Use the file's Action Link Contextual Menu 2. Upload Multiple files using Drag and Drop 3. Upload a Zip file Remember that links to the files will automatically link to the newest version of the file. OVERWRITE FILE WITH CONTEXTUAL MENU The first way is to overwrite one file at a time by using the Action Link Contextual Menu for a single file. When using the Overwrite File function, the original name of the file is automatically retained even if the file has been renamed. Overwriting Files 2014 Blackboard Inc. 4

5 OVERWRITE FILES WITH UPLOAD FILES When you use the Upload Files option and there is a file already present with the same name then you will be prompted to overwrite it. Much like you would on your local computer. Uploading Files 2014 Blackboard Inc. 5

6 OVERWRITE FILES WITH ZIP FILES The third way to overwrite files is to upload a zip file using the Upload Zip Package. Remember that uploading a zip file simultaneously uploads and unzips the zipped file. If the intent is to overwrite the files with the same name then you need to put a checkmark in the If selected, the system automatically overwrites the existing file with the same name checkbox. Overwrite by Uploading a Zip Package When uploading a zip file using Upload Zip Package, remember that the process will actually UNZIP the zip package. If you need to upload a zip package and have it stay zipped, then use Upload Files or upload the zip file inside of another zip file. 1. In the Content Collection area click on Upload Files > Upload Zip Package 2. Browse to zip file. If you wish to overwrite files with the same name you MUST put a checkmark in the If selected, the system automatically overwrites the existing file with the same name checkbox. If you do not, then it will upload, unzip, and add a number after each new file. 3. Click Submit 2014 Blackboard Inc. 6

7 WEBDAV You can use Web Folders (WebDAV) to edit files directly from the Content Collection. When you save the edited file, it will save to the Content Collection, not to your local computer. Within a course, the edits are automatically reflected wherever the file is linked. Student Example You are working on a major project paper. By editing the file within the My Content area instead of on a local computer, you can work on it from any computer. Furthermore, you do not have worry about constantly backing it up. Instructor Example You have placed a link to your syllabus in two content areas within your course. You notice a typographical error in your syllabus. You open the file using the Web Folder, make the edits in Word, and save the file in the Web Folder. Since both links point to the file that resides in the Content Collection, students see the updated version no matter which link they select. To set up a Web Folder or WebDAV, look in any Content Collection area in the upper right corner of the screen for a Web Folder button. When you click on it, the next screen will present you with instructions for setup. Setting up Web Folders (WebDAV) 2014 Blackboard Inc. 7

8 BLACKBOARD DRIVE WebDAV is a Microsoft technology, however, not a Blackboard technology. With each new operating system release and updates in multiple browsers, it has become increasing complex to configure WebDAV by the local user. Blackboard Drive provides an alternative to WebDAV As a Blackboard developed technological solution we can support it and ensure its compatibility with our platform. It provides a seamless desktop environment to manage content within Course Files by making it easier to: Edit files directly from the Web User interface Access a folder s contents in Windows Explorer or the MAC OS Finder How Does It Work for Files? Editing a file in the Content Collection is as simple as Clicking the file name (or clicking the Action Link Contextual Menu then Open) Make changes to the file Saving the file It really is that simple! Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive for Blackboard Learn Note that this video is not close captioned. For a transcript of the video please see the last page of this section Blackboard Inc. 8

9 How Does It Work for Folders Opening a folder in Content Management is as simple as Clicking the Action Link / Contextual Menu Open with Blackboard Drive Copy, delete, edit, create new folders, move etc. just like you do on your local computer. The difference? These items reside on the Blackboard Learn platform in your Content Collection files Blackboard Inc. 9

10 Where do you get it? Blackboard Drive is free. It does require installing a small software package on your local computer. Work with your institution to get access to the software needed. This standalone software requires minimally Windows 7 or MAC OS 10.5 Installing and configuring Blackboard Drive is a once per user per computer operation. It can be installed on multiple computers to which one user may have access. A single Blackboard Drive installation on a local computer can be configured for more than one user account and/or Blackboard platform Blackboard Inc. 10

11 BEST PRACTICES If you edit documents frequently or create content collaboratively, consider using the Content Collection's Versioning feature. It maintains a record of all saved changes to a file. With Versioning, you can view all previous versions of a file and revert to older versions as desired. Example: You are working collaboratively on a research paper with two other users. Each time any of you edits the research paper and saves the changes, a new version of the paper is saved. You can view each version of the paper and revert to an earlier version if necessary. You can turn the Versioning feature on/off by accessing an item's contextual menu and selecting Edit. On the Edit File page, under Options, choose Enable Versioning. Editing Files when Versioning is Enabled You know how to edit Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files directly in their applications by opening the version saved in the Web Folder. If you have enabled versioning, the process for editing remains the same. When you open a file for editing, the most recent version of the file is opened and the file is automatically locked. When Versioning is enabled, each time you save the file, a new version is created. TRY IT! EDITING CONTENT ACTIVITY Upload a Word document to the My Content folder and experiment with different ways to edit or overwrite it. Edit the file on your local computer and then overwrite the file in the Content Collection using the file's Action Link Contextual Menu 2014 Blackboard Inc. 11

12 Overwrite the file using Upload Files Overwrite the file by first zipping it and then using Upload Zip Package Edit the file directly from the Content Collection using a Web Folder (WebDAV) or Blackboard Drive if your Institution provides access to it. Which way do you prefer? 2014 Blackboard Inc. 12

13 TRANSCRIPT FOR EASY EDIT VIDEO Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive for Blackboard Learn When editing files that are part of your Online Course wouldn t it be great if you didn t have to toggle back and forth between your local computer and the web interface and that you can just edit it all in one place? Well Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive allows you to do just that. Whether you re using a PC or MAC you can quickly and easily edit a document from the web UI of Blackboard Learn with as simple as one click. So let s take a look here. Here I am in my Blackboard Content Management Repository and I share this great resource here on the 7 Unifying Principles of Biology with some of my colleagues. I even know that a few of them have linked to it from different areas of their courses. So I need to make a quick edit. Using Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive I can simply click on the document and it open up in the native editor which is Microsoft Word. While the document is being edited it will automatically be locked so that other users can t modify it. Now after I make the minor changes that I need to make I can then save them back to the server. Those changes then will automatically be reflected in all courses that link to that document. Now note that the current time that it was modified last is 6/18 and the last version was 8. When I refresh this, you ll notice that the last modified time gets updated and the version number is increased to 9. As I just saved a new version to the server. So in just one click I can edit a document in one place, save my changes, and know they will populate everywhere where that document exists in the system. And this is all possible because of the power and ease of Easy Edit with Blackboard Drive Blackboard Inc. 13