One of the best things that you can do for the academic security of your course is to hide the Files navigation menu from students. This menu item is not necessary for using files in your course and it can cause more issues than it solves. If not done exactly right, students may find that they do not have access to files they are supposed to have (due to publishing issues) or they do have access to files that they shouldn’t have.
So, what can you do to help protect the academic integrity of your course and allow students to access the files that you want them to, when you want them to have access?
Step 1: Disable the Files navigation link in your course.
- Go to your course
- Click on Settings in the Course Navigation Menu.
- Click on Navigation in the Settings menu.
- Click on the three dots by the Files bar.
- Click on Disable
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Save.
Files will still be in your Course Navigation menu but it should have an eye with a line through it, indicating that it is no longer visible to the students. You can test it in the Student View to be sure if you would like.
Step 2: Publish all of your files.
Now that the Files menu has been turned off, you can safely publish all of your files. Remember, you (and any other teachers, or TAs) still have access to the Files navigation menu. You can continue to use this to edit, upload, and publish the files for the course. Students will only be able to access your files if they are in the course and you provide them with the link.
Click on Files in the Course Navigation menu.
Files with the prohibition symbol are unpublished.
Files with the green checkmark are published.
Click on the prohibition sign to publish the files. This will allow them to be seen when you link to them. If you do not do this step, you will have to manually publish them when you first share them. This is still an option but may lead to mistakes and students not being able to access the files when needed. If you organize your files into Folders, you will need to make sure that you Publish the folder as well.
Step 3: Share your files with the students when you want them shared.
Since students can no longer see your files outside of you sharing them, you will need to share your files when you are ready for them to be seen. Most instructors choose to share their files in two ways. As a Module item or linked inside of a page (or other Rich Text Field, such as a discussion or assignment).
As a Module:
- Go to the Modules page.
- Go to the Module you would like to add a file to.
- Click on the plus icon.
- Change the Add type to File (if necessary)
From this menu, you can either upload a new file or select one that has been previously uploaded. When you are done, select Add Item to save it to your Module.
In a Rich Text Field:
- Go to the item that you want the file linked to.
- Click on Edit or Add to go to the Rich Text Editor (for example, click Edit to add it to a page).
Two main options:
If you want your file to link to something (such as text or a picture) already on the page, highlight that text or select that picture.
If you want the file to come into the page as just its own name where it can be selected. Use your cursor to select where you want the file to go.
Use the Content Selector on the right (if it is not on the right, your window is too small and it will be at the bottom of the page) to find the file you want to link. Select it and it will be put onto your page.
Click Save when you are done.