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How to add a resource/download to your course
How to add a resource/download to your course

Course authors can link to files uploaded to the Downloads area of a course.

Caitlin Foran avatar
Written by Caitlin Foran
Updated over a week ago

As an author, you can add files to the Downloads area in Create to use in your course and make these resources available for learners to download.

You can also link to these files in a page or task.

How do I add files to Downloads?

Authors can add files to the Downloads area in Create to use in your course and make these resources available for learners to download.

Once you have begun editing your course, you will find Downloads in your left menu. From here you can upload any files you want to add to use in your course.

Choose to Show or Hide resources within the learners’ Downloads list using the toggle and remove any files you don’t need using the bin icon. This lets you choose which resources will be listed in learners’ Downloads list.

How do learners see downloadable resources?

Learners only see the resources you have toggled to Show. They can find these files in the Downloads area from within their course.

Screenshot of a Learner's downloads section, the image shows the filenames as a link, with size and date uploaded.

Facilitators, reviewers and coaches viewing the course will only see the resources that learners can see.

Note: As you can see in the image above, learners see the filename for uploaded resources, so be sure to have clear and descriptive filenames.

How do I link to files within a page?

  1. In your Downloads area, copy the URL of the file you want to link to.

  2. In your page, select + and add a Text element.

  3. Select the text you want to link and select the File icon.

    Screenshot of text element when author is editing a page in a course showing the File icon.

  4. Add in the URL of the file.

  5. Choose to Open link in new tab.

  6. Edit the link text if needed.

Screenshot of pop up that allows an author to paste a URL and edit the link text.

To remove a file link, delete the relevant text from the text element.

How do I link to files within a task?

  1. In your Downloads area, copy the URL of the file you want to link to.

  2. In your page, select + and add a Task element.

  3. Select the text you want to link and select the Link icon.

Screenshot of adding a link within a task. The image highlights the link icon in the text editing toolbar.
  1. Add in the URL of the file.

  2. Choose to Open link in new tab.

  3. Edit the link text if needed.

To remove a file link, delete the relevant text or use the Unlink icon when you place your cursor within the linked text.

Tips

  • We recommend uploading all (or most) of the files you'll want to link to at the beginning of building your course. That way you don't need to switch back and forth between where you need to upload them (Downloads) and where you link them (editing a page).

  • It’s also important to note that files linked within the content, but deleted from Downloads in create, can still be downloaded through linked text on course pages.

  • Some browsers will open pdfs on the same page. So we recommend choosing to Open in a new tab so learners don't lose the page they're on.

  • Make sure to edit the link text to something that makes sense and readable. Often filenames can be a tad messy or have underscores etc.

  • In advice on writing for the web, you'll often see that we recommend inserting a link to a file with a very brief description of what learners should expect to see if they open it (or why they should open it). For instance, something like: "Read [File title] to see an explanation of..." See our blog on Turning resources into courses for more detail and examples.

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