Blackboard Course Size Limits

Blackboard File Storage

If you have reached the 2GB course storage limit, schedule an instructional design consultation to have your course reviewed by an instructional designer. During the consultation, the instructional designer will make suggestions to improve the storage in your course site, as well as determine whether an increase of course storage is needed.

Instructors are encouraged to use BCM-supported tools to store, stream and integrate digital content to Blackboard. Using these tools gives students access to course content in Blackboard, allows instructors to manage course storage quotas properly, and ensures the system performs optimally.

Avoid Uploading Large File Types

Instructors should avoid uploading the file types listed below directly into Blackboard courses.

  • Audio (mp3, mp4, wav)
  • Compressed files (zip, rar, tar.gz, bz2)
  • Computer executables (iso, exe)
  • Image (tif/tiff, bmp, jpg, xif, heif, psd, svg, eps)
  • Interactive assets (swf, flv)
  • Narrated or media-rich PowerPoint (ppt, pptx, pps, ppm, ppsx, key)
  • Video (wmv, avi, mp4, m4v, mov)

Use Cloud Storage Services

  • Instructors have access to cloud storage services, Box and OneDrive.
  • Files uploaded to cloud storage services can be linked to your Blackboard course instead of the file being directly uploaded to Blackboard. Files linked to your Blackboard course from a cloud service do not use storage quota.
  • This will also not store copies of the same file every time you copy your Blackboard course, and you can modify files on your desktop computer by syncing them to the cloud storage tool of your choice.

Video File Do's & Don'ts

Don’t upload the video file directly in Blackboard, as you would with a word doc or pdf file.

Do upload videos to vBrick,Box, or VoiceThread and embed or place a link in Blackboard in any content area so your students can access the video in the context of your instruction.

Don’t request students to upload video files as part of a Blackboard Assignment.

Do create an assignment that allows students to upload a video via Cloud Storage in Blackboard. You can also use Box or VoiceThread to handle video assignments while keeping those videos protected.

Don’t record an hour-long lecture.

Do scaffold students’ learning by recording short (5 minutes or less) video segments with a clear concept or topic and check for understanding. Checking mastery of a concept using non-graded quizzes is a great way to let students try. If you plan to reuse your videos, using Blackboard is the best solution because if you create quizzes in VoiceThread, you will need to relink the quiz manually each time you use the video.

Don’t forget to check videos for universal design and that they are formatted for accessibility. Reference the Accessible Teaching and Accommodations Guide.

Do add closed-captioning to your videos.

How to Check Course Storage

To check the storage quota of your course, on the Blackboard course menu:

  1. Go to the Course Control Panel
  2. Select Course Tools
  3. Select Course Storage

Total course storage will be displayed as the sum of two file types:

  • Course Files (video, document, and other files uploaded to the course)
  • Legacy Files (content from earlier versions of Blackboard)

Advanced Content Management

BCM Instructors have 2 GB of storage space in the course content area of the Content Collection. You can store files in folders and link to these files in different areas in your course. If you upload files to your course you can store them in the Content Collection and link to them again. Files can be shared across courses and with other users.

For more information about using Course Content, view this video

For more information about using Course Content (you must be in the course), select from the following:

To access unused files in Blackboard Ultra, go to your course, click the ellipsis (three dots) next to "Course Content," and select "Unused Files," where you'll see a list of files not linked to content, allowing you to download or delete them to free up space and clean up your course. This tool helps instructors manage their digital footprint by identifying and removing inactive files, with options to view all files or just the unused ones. 

  • Navigate to Course Content: Open the specific course in Blackboard Ultra.
  • Open the Menu: Find the ellipsis (three dots) icon located on the far right, next to "Course Content".
  • Select "Unused Files": Click the ellipsis and choose "Unused Files" from the dropdown menu.
  • Choose Your View:
    • Unused files (default): Shows files not linked to anything in your course.
    • All files: Shows everything in your course.
  • Manage Files:
    • Download: Click the download icon to get a local copy.
    • Delete: Check the box next to files and click the "Delete Files" button to remove them.

NOTE: After deleting files from this area, Ultra has to refresh the backend database so it may take up to 30 minutes before files show as deleted.

To add files from the Content Collection in Blackboard Ultra, click the plus sign (+) on your Course Content page, choose "Content Collection," browse to select your files (checking boxes next to them), then Submit and Save to add them to your course. Alternatively, you can use the built-in editor to attach files while creating content by clicking the insert icon and browsing your files.

Method 1: Adding Files Directly via Content Collection

  1. Go to Course Content: Navigate to the section where you want the file to appear on your Course Content page.
  2. Click the Plus Sign: Select the purple plus sign (+) at the desired location.
  3. Select Content Collection: From the menu, choose Content Collection to browse your stored files.
  4. Browse & Select: Find your files, select the checkbox next to each one you want to add, and click Submit.
  5. Finalize: Review the list of selected items, then click Save to add them to your course. 

Method 2: Adding Files While Creating Content

  1. Create Content: Click the plus sign (+) and select Create to start a new item (like a Document).
  2. Open Editor: In the content editor, click the Insert Content icon (it looks like a circle with a plus sign inside).
  3. Choose Content Collection: Select Content Collection, check the box for your file, and click Submit.
  4. Save: Click Save on the content creation page to finalize. 

Tips for Ultra

  • Access Content Collection: You can also find the Content Collection in the main navigation menu under "Tools" to manage files before adding them.
  • Best Practice: Add files to the Content Collection first, then link them to your course content to maintain organization.