Now more than ever we are creating and sharing an abundance of electronic resources with our students. Some of these resources might be documents that take up very little space. However, some resources we create like lecture capture videos or narrated PowerPoint slides can take up a large amount of space. Making sure we’re firstly creating resources in the most efficient way and then putting resources of different types and file sizes in the right place ensures a consistent and positive student experience.
For example, whilst adding narration to individual PowerPoint slides sounds like a great idea, this can produce a PowerPoint file that is very large, eating up valuable space in your module. In addition, students have to download this very large file before they can access it. This causes issues for students: if they don’t have access to a fast or consistent Internet connection; have limited data allowance; or can only access via a mobile device.
A far better alternative would be to use ReView to create a video of you narrating over the slides whilst you navigate through them. Students can then stream the video directly on a multitude of devices and platforms.
Blackboard modules start out with a quota of 500MB which can always be increased if needed. All we ask is that you manage your Blackboard storage space by using the best tools for the job. If you need more space in your Blackboard module you can email elearning@tees.ac.uk to request more.
Using ReView to store video content and narrated PowerPoint slides
If you do need to upload video or other multimedia content to your module, the best tool to use is ReView. ReView can be used to host audio or video files you already have, demonstrations of something physical via a webcam, or (as mentioned above) narrating a PowerPoint (often referred to as a “screencast”).
We have a number of different guides to help you get started with ReView:
Once you’ve created your recording in ReView, you then simply “embed” the video inside your Blackboard module:
Course Files on Blackboard
If you have previously uploaded large files to Blackboard but have since moved them over to ReView, the original file might still be taking up space in your Blackboard module. Even if you delete a Content Item in your module, Blackboard still keeps a copy of it and this takes up space in your module.
When you upload a file to Blackboard in the background it is stored in the module’s Course Files area. You might have placed resources that you’ve uploaded into logical folders organised by week or subject, but in your Blackboard module if you go to Control Panel > Files and then click on the module code you’ll be taken to the Course Files area which shows you everything you’ve ever uploaded to a module.
When you’re in the Course Files area you can delete files that you are sure you are no longer using by placing your mouse cursor over the name of the file, clicking on the circular down arrow that appears and then choose Delete from the menu.
We recommend checking a file is no longer in use before deleting it. You can do this by clicking on the circular down arrow next to a file and going to 360° View whilst in the Course Files area. In the Links area you’ll see the name of any Content Item the file is still attached to. If nothing is listed, it’s not in use and you can safely delete it.
Please Note: Before you delete any files from the Course Files area ensure you definitely no longer need it or you have a backup copy. We can not recover files once you have deleted them from Course Files.
Further Support
If you have any questions or require further support in using Blackboard or ReView please get in touch with the Digital Learning Team via elearning@tees.ac.uk.