Can I post different files for different sections in a cross-listed class?

[bkhoover]

I teach a stats class that has a large lecture section (01) and multiple lab sections (02, 03). I am considering cross-listing the labs in the lecture section. My concern is that each lab section uses unique data sets. I would like students in section 02 to only see their data set and students in section 03 to only see their data set. Can I post files and restrict them to a section? 

[chofer]

Hello  @bkhoover  Welcome to the Canvas Community.  Thank you for posting your question.  I don't believe there are any settings within course "Files" that would allow you to limit certain files to specific people in a given cross-listed section of your course.  However, I may have a work-around solution for you...

1. Create a Group Set within the "People" page of your course.  Name this Group Set whatever you want...such as maybe an assignment name or something like that.  How do I add a group set in a course?
2. Create Groups within the Group Set.  These Groups would then contain the same students that are in each of your sections within your cross-listed course.  In fact, the Group names within the Group Set could be the same as the section names...if you wanted...or something completely different like "Red Team", "Blue Team", "Green Team", etc.
   • How do I automatically create groups in a group set?
   • How do I manually create groups in a group set?
   • How do I create self sign-up groups in a group set?

Once these groups are set up in your course, each group will have their own private "Files" area where you can then upload the files to.  People in the other groups (sections) will not be able to see the data sets that you shared with other groups (sections).  How do I view content and student activity within a group as an instructor?

Do you think this might work for your needs, Benjamin?  Please let us know if you have any other questions about this...thanks!

[rmurchshafer]

Benjamin,

Chris' method should work but I have another possibility I also want to share.  Files cannot be section specific and neither can Page or Modules.  But Assignments can.  And Assignments don't have to really be Assignments that are graded.  So one idea is to create Assignments assigned to each section and link to the files/data sets within the Assignment.  You can set Display Grade As to Not Graded and then you won't get a column in the gradebook either.  

The above method makes it so that students should see links only to the files that for the Assignments assigned to them.  This will work as long as you keep Files hidden on the left side navigation.  If you don't want to hide it you can also set a permission on the data set file so that they are only available from links and not from directly under Files.  

Here are a couple more links which might be useful with what I describe above.  

How do I assign an assignment to a course section? 

How do I restrict files and folders to students in Canvas? 

Let me know if this doesn't make sense and I can create some examples in screenshots or a video.

Rick

[michael_william]

@rmurchshafer 

How do you add a link to a different files/data sets within each assignment? I see how to create the assignment without requiring a grade, but if I change the content to add the link for a specific sections it changes the link for everyone.

[Simon_Grey]

I think the suggestion is that you create a different assignment for each section, with the appropriate links and files and content, then you assign those assignments to the section they apply to only, so if you have three sections you have three assignments, but students only see the assignment(s) for the section(s) that they are in.

Might be wrong though

[michael_william]

That is the work around we are doing now, but would be great if there was an option to this during creation.