Folder Types

About organizing content

Before adding any content to the Content Collection, users should plan out how they will manage their content. This will allow them to organize content in ways which best meets their individual needs. Similarly, if administrators design the folder structure according to the institution's needs, more effective planning, training and messaging can be applied.

Files in the Content Collection are organized in a tree structure of nested folders up to, and including, the content area level. This means that each folder may contain other subfolders and files. The term "items" refers to files and folders.

A folder stores both files and other folders. Folders are automatically available to the user who added the folder but must be shared if other users are to view the folder and its contents. It is important to remember that all folders are contained within other folders up to the root (/) folder. Root folders are folders in which all other folders are placed. Content areas, such as users, courses, institution, and library, are simply folders stored under the root folder.

The system does not allow subfolders with the same name in a single parent folder. For example, two folders named Group Projects may not be created in the top-level of the username folder. The system also does not allow files with the same name to exist in a folder. Naming is case-sensitive, however, so as long as files and folders have different capitalizations, the characters can be the same. For example, Group Project and Group project folders can be created in the same parent folder.

Private content space and public content space

Creating separate folders for personal content (private space) and folders that are available to other users (public space) is very helpful. This method allows the user to have certain folders available only to them, where they can store personal content. For example, one personal folder may contain papers and projects that are in progress, while another contains professional content that is not ready to be shared, such as resumes and cover letters for jobs. Additional permissions for these personal folders are not granted to anyone else.

When a document is ready to be shared, it may be copied or moved to a public folder. For example, if an Instructor is working on a course document he or she can create the draft in a personal folder, and then move it to a shared folder when it is complete. The shared folder is shared with all users enrolled in the class (public space that is set to be available to only course members), and allows for collaboration.

Create a private folder

A private folder is created in the same way as other folders in the Content Collection, through the Add Folder function. The permissions granted on the folder determine whether or not it is private.

• In the username folder, a private folder is a subfolder that is not shared with any other users. A user may create a subfolder in his or her username folder and not grant any other users permissions to it.
• In a course folder, a private folder may be specifically for the Instructor, or it may also be accessible by users with other course roles. For example, a private subfolder may be created with permissions granted to the instructor, teaching assistant, and course builder. This folder would not be available to any students enrolled in the course.

Create a public folder

Similar to private folders, public folders are created in the same way as other folders, using the Add Folder function. The permissions granted on a folder determine whether or not it becomes to multiple users and groups of users. Any user with manage permissions may share the item with a wider audience.

• In a username folder, a public folder may be created and shared with a group of users collaborating on a project.
• In a course folder, a public folder may be created and shared with all users enrolled in the course. This folder would include course information or articles that the whole class needs to read.

Group folders