Brightspace for LecturersBrightspace Help for Lecturers:Brightspace & Related Tools ManualsCONTENT: Adding Content to a CourseAdding Content to a Course | Which files are supported by Brightspace? Best Practices

Adding Content to a Course | Which files are supported by Brightspace? Best Practices

In this article you can review best practices on how to include course documents with step-by-step instructions.

Whatever the media type, it’s important to know the guidelines surrounding the publishing of copyright materials in Brightspace. The Library can assist.

For information about placing copyright materials in your course, please look here.

Video

Videos from platforms such as Ted, YouTube, or Vimeo, can be directly embedded into Brightspace; see How to add an Audio file or a Video to a course

Presentations

To ensure the correct layout is presented it is recommended to upload presentations as .pdf; especially when using the WUR-template. This is because Brightspace cannot display the cropped circles in the format used, and because the system might not read the older versions of Microsoft documents properly.

Exporting a presentation as .pdf

In PowerPoint, open the presentation to be exported.

1. Click File

Exporting a presentation as .pdf - step 1

2. Click Export

3. Click Create PDF/XPS Document

4. Click Create PDF/XPS

Exporting a presentation as .pdf - steps 2, 3, 4

Select the location where the presentation needs to be saved

5. If needed, change the File name

6. When the file needs to be opened when saved, tick the box Open file after publishing

7. Select the Optimize for option - with Minimum size a heavier compression will be used to decrease file size

8. Click the button Options to select what needs to be exported

 

Exporting a presentation as .pdf - steps 5, 6, 7, 8

9. If needed, a custom selection or Range can be selected (for example when only the first part of a lecture is to be uploaded)

10. Under Publish what, select what needs to be exported. Options are:

  • Slides - will export each slide to a page
  • Handouts - will create handouts, it is possible to have 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 9 slides per page (11)
  • Notes pages - will export the notes
  • Outline view - will only export the text per slide

12. click OK

Exporting a presentation as .pdf - steps 9, 10, 11, 12

13. Click Publish

Exporting a presentation as .pdf - step 13
Using PowerPoint (.ppt / .pptx)

If a presentation does need to be uploaded to Brightspace as a PowerPoint (for example when students need to be able to edit it), steps can be taken to decrease the file size.

In PowerPoint, click any image in your presentation

1. Click Format

2. Click Compress Pictures

Using PowerPoint (.ppt / .pptx) - steps 1 and 2

3. Apply only to this Picture has to be unticked (off), Delete cropped areas of pictures should be ticked (on)

4. Select the quality to be exported (options available depend on image quality of the source). Web will have a higher image quality than web, but at greater file size

5. Click OK

Using PowerPoint (.ppt / .pptx) - steps 3, 4, 5

After the pop up window closes, and you have compressed the pictures, do not forget to save the presentation before closing it.

Documents

Microsoft Word

When uploading documents, it is recommended to only upload .pdf files.

Open your Word-file.

1. Click File

Uploading documents - MS Word - step 1

2. Click Export

3. Click Create PDF/XPS Document

4. Click Create PDF/XPS

Uploading documents - MS Word - steps 2, 3, 4

Select a location where to save the file

5. Enter a File name

6. Tick the box Open file after publishing to automatically open the file .pdf after saving

7. Select the Optimize for setting - Minimum size will decrease file size by applying a higher compression

8. If needed, select extra Options, otherwise skip to step 11

Uploading documents - MS Word - steps 5, 6, 7, 8

9. Select the range of pages that need to be saved in the .pdf

10. Click OK

Uploading documents - MS Word - steps 9 and 10

11. Click Publish

Uploading documents - MS Word - step 11
Microsoft Excel

When using an Excel-file, be aware that Brightspace will preview the file in portrait mode; any information outside the width of the portrait will not be visible:

  • when the spreadsheet contains a list of people (for example a group division), export the file to .pdf (see below)
  • when the spreadsheet is used because of Excel-functions for calculations etc., and/or the information does not fit in portrait, give instructions to download the file
  • when using a .csv file, no preview is available. Downloading the file is the only way to view these documents
Checking what is visible in Portrait

Open the Excel-file.

1. Click Page Layout

2. Click Orientation

3. Select Portrait

Uploading documents - MS Excel - steps 1, 2, 3

4. Click Size

5. Select A4

Uploading documents - MS Excel - steps 4 and 5

6. A dotted line will appear to indicate the cells that will be the outline of the page

Uploading documents - MS Excel - step 6
Exporting an Excel-file to .pdf

Open the Excel-file to be exported

1. Click File

Exporting MS Excel to pdf - steps 1, 2, 3

2. Click Export

3. Click Create PDF/XPS Document

4. Click Create PDF/XPS

Exporting MS Excel to pdf - steps  2, 3, 4

Select a location to save the file

5. Enter a File name

6. Tick the box Open file after publishing to automatically open the .pdf file after saving

7. Select the Optimize for setting; Minimum size will decrease file size by applying a higher compression

8. If needed, select extra Options, otherwise skip to step 12

Exporting MS Excel to pdf - steps 5, 6, 7, 8

9. Select whether All pages have to be exported, or a Page rage

10. Select what needs to be exported;

  • Selection will only export the currently selected cells
  • Active sheet(s) will export the currently selected sheet(s)
  • Entire workbook will export all sheets

Ignore print areas will exclude the cells selected as print area from the export

11. Click OK

Exporting MS Excel to pdf - steps 1, 10, 11

12. Click Publish

Exporting MS Excel to pdf - step 12

Other file types

SCORM or e-module

SCORM specifies that a SCORM-package should:

  • Be packaged in a ZIP file. (the imsmanifest.xml should be a the root of the zip)
  • Be described in an XML file. (The imsmanifest.xml file)
  • Communicate via JavaScript.
  • Sequence using rules in XML. (if SCO’s excists)
  • SCORM is composed of three sub-specifications

The Content Packaging section specifies how content should be packaged and described. It is based primarily on XML. (This should be done by the creator of the package)

The Run-Time section specifies how content should be launched and how it communicates with the LMS. It is based primarily on ECMAScript (JavaScript).

The Sequencing section specifies how the learner can navigate between parts of the course (SCOs). It is defined by a set of rules and attributes written in XML. (These are settings in the LMS if you have an overall score or for every individual SCO)

If the everything is correct you can import the package in Brightspace otherwise it must be copied to the LMS as separate files (manual)

 Now you know about the files supported by Brightspace!

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