Local Content

Local Content allows you to reference media files that would be inefficient to download from the server. Because the files are loaded from the Student's computer rather than over the Internet, students with slower connections can view large files. This means that you can create links to multimedia files in your course files without slowing down online activities.  Note: the files would need to be stored on media (i.e. CD, DVD, or Flash drive) that will be distributed to the students.

The following steps must be completed to successfully enable Local Content:

1. In a file within your course, add links to local files.
2. Create a local content entry.
3. Distribute the local files to your class (i.e. via portable media).
4. Get Students to enable and configure local content for their computers.

Step 1: Add Links in Files

In an existing or newly created course file, add links to the files that you want Students to load from their computers. You must reference the file by entering the full path as it is structured on the local storage medium that you are using. Each link within the file must be hand coded in HTML.

Example: You are using a Compact Disc (CD) as your storage medium, and the file that you want to reference is located in the root folder named movies. You create a link in your file by entering the following, <a href="movies/movie.mpg">Movie</a>, where "movies/movie.mpg" is the full path to the movie file, and Movie is the linked text in the file.

Step 2: Create Local Content Entry

Using the Local Content tool, create a local content entry. When creating local content entries, you must create a folder in File Manager with a folder name that exactly matches the name of the root folder for your local content media, including spaces and capitalization. Once the root folder is created and then selected for your local content entry, any folders under the root folder can be referenced without creating new entries.

Example: If you are using a CD as your storage medium, and the file that you want to reference is located in a subfolder named musical scores in the root folder movies, you would create a folder in File Manager called movies and select it for your local content entry. In this example, you could create a link in your file similar to the following:<a href="movies/musical scores/symphony.mp3">Musical Score</a>

Step 3: Distribute Local Content Medium

You must distribute the files that you want Students to access locally. You can do this by distributing the content on a portable storage medium, such as a Compact Disc (CD).

Step 4: Configure Local Content Tool

To access content locally, Students must enable the Local Content tool on their local computers. They must also associate a drive path with the local content entry that you created in step 2 by specifying the following:

• drive letter of the device on their computer that will run the distributed portable storage medium
• root folder that you selected while creating your local content entry

Example: You are using a CD as your storage medium with a root folder named movies, and the Student's CD-ROM drive is mapped to the letter D. The Student enters D:\movies in the Drive Path text box.

Once Students have placed the storage medium in the specified drive, and they have configured Local Content for their computers, clicking a link in a file automatically loads the media file from the Student's local storage device.

You can test your local content entries by configuring them for your own computer. You can do this from the Student View tab. If you need help configuring Local Content as a Student, from the Student View tab, click Help.

With Local Content you can:

• create entries
• edit entries
• delete entries