Course Material other than HTML documents


Please note:

While Bb will open an HTML file automatically, non-HTML files require that the requisite application is available on the user's computer.
Word is on most computers, including Mac's, but some students at home only have Works and therefore cannot open a Word doc.
The same is true for Excel.
Access and Powerpoint only come with MS Office Pro.
All of these applications are installed in the college computer labs but not necessarily on a student's home computer.

However, free viewers can be downloaded from Microsoft -- see Plug-ins / Viewers.
Tell your students about this if you are uploading files using these applications to Bb.


Audio or video clips:

This does not work in the college computer labs. No audio.
The user needs a viewer, and the viewer may differ from computer to computer, depending on date of installation and file association.

Your own audio or video clips

You can embed or link to very small files. Clips with a filesize of, say, 2 or more MB are very slow for someone who has dial up or sometimes even broadband or dsl off-campus.

Therefore,  burn larger files to CD ROMs and distribute them to your students, with instructions on how to access them as offline material.

Audio or video clips online: no problem

provided you link to the correct url and the student goes there from off-campus and has the appropriate viewer
try this: Media-files.html

A link to offline material on a CD ROM:

distribute the discs to your students, with instructions on how to access them as offline material.