What is the Content Collection?

In the Content Collection, you can store, share, and publish digital content in personal, course, and institution folders. When you want to edit content, you do so once and the updates appear throughout your work. You can share content by setting permissions for others and sending passes so that they can access it.

Content Collection list view

Your role determines which tools and workflows you have access to.


Access the Content Collection

After you log in to Blackboard Learn, select Tools in Base Navigation. Then select Content Collection.

Your institution may restrict access to the Content Collection. If you have difficulty finding the Content Collection, contact your institution.


Organization of the Content Collection 

The Content Collection contains files and folders organized for users, courses, and the institution. The three default groups of content are My Content, Course Content, and Institution Content. Each group displays folders and files if any are available to you. You access each group through the Content Collection menu.

  • My Content. Used to store folders and files-referred to as items-for your personal use. Use the search feature to find and view content items or folders that are shared with you. Add bookmarks to these locations so that you can easily find them in the future.
  • Course Content. Used to store folders and files for each course. A folder appears for each course you have access to. Instructors see folders for the courses they are teaching. Instructors must grant permissions to students before course folders are available to them.
  • Institution Content. Used to store folders and files for educational and administrative services not directly related to a course. You can also access library items. The institution's library may use this area to post e-Reserves, electronic manuscripts, and other resources.

View content

The content frame displays the items and workflows and you chose in the menu. Select a column title to sort the items and folders.

The orientation bar appears at the top of the content frame. Use this to show where you are located and how you got there. Select an item on the bar to go to that folder. Orientation bar drop-down lists act as folder separators and display a list of options for that folder.


Access portfolios and tools

Select Jump To to access portfolios, learning objects, and other tools in the Content Collection. You can collapse and expand each menu. Select a heading in the menu to open a tool in the content frame.

Your institution may restrict access to tools, such as portfolios.


Search the Content Collection

You can search to locate all of the files and folders others have shared with you. After a search, only those items you have permissions for are returned. If permissions are granted on a nested folder-and not the top-level folder-you can search for the folder and bookmark it.

All searches are case-insensitive.

  • Basic Search: You can search terms within metadata and file or folder names.
  • Advanced Search: You have more options for your search such as username, dates, file size, and more specific metadata.
  • Portfolio Search: You can only search portfolios created in Blackboard Learn. Your search returns portfolios set to available or shared with you. Your institution may restrict your access to the portfolios tool.
  • Saved Searches: After you run a search, you can save it. For example, you can search for a biology article shared by your instructor. You can bookmark a search so that you can easily find the article again.

More on searching


Set your personal home page

You can select an entry point into the Content Collection. If you access the same course every time you open the tab, set the home page to point to that course folder.

You can set any course or bookmarked location as your entry point.

  1. Go to the Content Collection.
  2. Select Jump To. select Personal Settings in the Tools section. 
  3. On the Personal Settings page, select Custom Location.
  4. Browse for a location.
  5. Select Submit.

Create a bookmark

You can go directly to a specific folder in the Content Collection. Select Go to Location and provide the path to open a folder and bookmark the location at the same time.

  1. Select Jump To. select Go to Location in the Tools section. 
  2. On the Go to Location page, browse for a location.
  3. Type a Name to create a bookmark.
  4. Select Submit.

Bookmark Items also appears on the action bar.

Access your bookmarks in the Jump To menu in the Tools section. On the Bookmarks page, you can create folders to organize your bookmarks. If you can no longer select a bookmark, the content may no longer exist.

You can also access bookmarks in your user menu. The user menu is accessed next to your name in the page header.

More on accessing bookmarks in the user menu