How Do I Locate and Delete Large Files from My Blackboard Learn Ultra Course?
Deleting a file/icon from the Course Content Outline or from within a Learning Module or Folder in your course does not necessarily remove it from the behind-the-scenes file storage area (Content Collection). When you add files to your Bb Learn course, it uploads the file into your course's Content Collection. Simultaneously, it makes a link to the uploaded file wherever you were when starting the upload process. So when you delete the icon where students access the file, it may not delete the file itself. As a result, courses often have old files in their Content Collection that are no longer being used. These files contribute to your "Course Quota". You must also delete the file from this behind-the-scenes file storage are to permanently remove it from the course, thereby decreasing your course size. It is important to occasionally go into Blackboard Learn Ultra's "Unused Files" feature and delete files that are no longer needed. "Unused Files" quickly identifies and provides a list for you of files you are no longer linking to and, therefore, not using in the course.
Here's what you'll find on this page:
Why It's Important to Keep Your Course's Content Collection Behind-the-Scenes Storage Area Cleaned Up
UNI has implemented a 1GB "Course Quota" on each course (implemented on 4/23/2021, starting with the creation of Fall 2021 Bb Learn courses). This ensures we don't exceed the overall allotted storage limit as specified in our contract with Blackboard. Exceeding the limit subjects the University to additional storage expenses which, in turn, raises Student Technology Fees. So it is important to keep our courses as clean and efficient as possible.
Learn how to check your Bb Learn course size.
Be Aware! If you try to upload a file that would cause the course to exceed its quota, the upload will not complete.
How to Locate and Delete Unused Files in Your Course
In your Blackboard Learn Ultra course, locate and click the "More" button. This is the ... button just to the right of the magnifying glass icon located just above your Course Content Outline on the right side (see screenshot below). Select "Unused Files" from the dropdown menu.
Once in the "Unused Files" dialogue box, you will see a list of unused files in your course. Note the pagination controls at the bottom if you have too any files to fit on one page (see screenshot below). Each file has a checkbox in front of it. Click the checkboxes for any files you wish to delete. Then click the "Delete Files" button at the bottom right corner. Please note, you can click the "File Size" header twice to sort the files from largest to smallest. This can be particularly useful when you have course quota issues and are trying to recover space for new content.
How You Can Download and Save Files Before Deleting
In the same "Unused Files" dialogue box explained above, the column farthest to the right contains a download button for each file/row (see screenshot below). Click this button to download and save the file on your local computer or another storage location.