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Why Use the Content Collection?
Blackboard’s Content Collection stores all your files in personal, course, and institution folders. Using the Content Collection allows you to link the same file in multiple areas of a course without having to upload duplicate files. This is particularly helpful when updating content. When you edit, update, or replace a file in the Content Collection, all linked instances to that file are automatically updated.
Using the Content Collection to Troubleshoot Problems
In some instances, Blackboard may indicate issues with existing course content—such as accessibility errors—that cannot be located in the course content area.
Sample Scenario: An instructor runs a Blackboard Ally accessibility report. Ally assigns one of their files a 26%, so the instructor needs to locate this file to make edits. The instructor navigates back to their course content area to locate the file, yet they can’t seem to find it. They then check in the Unused Files section of their Course Content page, but they still can’t find the file. Because the file is not active in their course, the instructor decides to just delete the file to increase their Blackboard Ally score. How do they locate and delete this file?
This scenario is a good example of something known as a ghost file—a file that still exists in the course’s Content Collection but is no longer being actively used in a course. In order to delete a ghost file, you will need to locate it in the Content Collection.
Locate Files in the Content Collection
You can access your Content Collection in two ways:
- From an individual course (locate and link to content only).
- From Blackboard Tools (manage, delete, and organize content).
From an Individual Course
- Open the course where the desired content is located.
- Select the plus (+) sign in the course content area.
- Choose Content Collection from the menu. This will open your course’s Content Collection.
Once in the Content Collection, you can search for specific files. These files may be stored within different file folders (such as imported, embedded, or read-only content); you may need to browse several file folders to locate your desired content.
Note: When accessing the Content Collection from within a course, you can only select files to link to. You cannot delete files from this view.
From Blackboard Tools
- Navigate to the Blackboard Home page. You will not be in a course.
- Locate the Tools option in the left-hand pane.
- Select Content Collection.
- Choose the desired course from your list of all available courses.
When accessing the Content Collection from Blackboard tools, you will be able to locate files using the same folder structure. From this view, you can manage, organize, and delete your course content.
