How to make a file visible to just one student

[erica_wagner]

I have an issue where I need to make a Zoom recording visible to just one student, who had an excused absence that day. I uploaded the zoom recording mp4 to files, but there is no way to link to it in an individual within canvas message, and it's too large a file to send with outside canvas email.

I don't want to put this in a module or announcement, as it will create confusion for the rest of the students who will then ask why I don't upload and post every single zoom recording for the whole semester.

Is there some way within canvas to make a particular file available to just one student, as needed?

[TrishaMeyer1]

Hi @erica_wagner ,

For this I would create an Assignment and link to the file in the RCE. Set it to zero points and click on "Do not count this assignment towards the final grade." Choose No Submission. In the Assign to section select only the one student. That way no one else will receive it or even know about it. If you want to limit the time the student has access to the file, you can just use the Available dates feature.

[greydon]

Hello @erica_wagner 

Thank you for contacting the Instructure Community. We're sorry to hear you've been experiencing issues with giving a file to just one student. If you've already uploaded the video to files in your course, you may want to create an "assignment" for just them. Make the assignment worth 0 points and there is even also an option to enable "do not count this assignment towards the final grade" Either one would work just fine so that the gradebook doesn't count this as a "missing" assignment. The submission type can be "on paper" or "no submission." Then, in edit at the very bottom there is an "assign to" box that should default to everyone. Exit out of the word everyone and enter just  the single student's name. This way, they will be the only person who who access or sees the assignment. 

In the RCE box where you normally put instructions click Insert - Media - Cours Media and  choose the file you've uploaded. Then, you have a resource  only for  this single student, not counting towards  the gradebook, and they can view the file. If that isn't an option for some reason, you'll want to give them the file outside of Canvas. 

[erica_wagner]

Thanks for the suggestion. This should work. I didn't know about the option to not count toward final grade, but that will indeed solve the issue with it appearing as a missing assignment.