Shared Files in a BluePrint Course with Office 365 Integration. How are you doing it?

[Kevin_W]

I've been working with several instructors who are managing blueprint courses. We are an Office 365 institution. In some cases, we have multiple instructors managing a single blueprint course (contributing dept heads, etc.). These instructors would like to contribute to a shared OneDrive folder and integrate that (the files contained in the folder) into the blueprint course...and then have that share out to the associated courses. 

This would be beneficial in that instructors can update course documents from one shared folder and those updates will reflect in the links within the (blueprint) modules in the associated courses. 

This might be a pipe dream but has anyone been through file sharing and blueprints? What are your experiences?

I know I could have them set the individual contents of the folder to view only and share the url to each file in the modules...but the integration is much smoother! 

Thanks!

[chofer]

Hello kevin.wagenmaker@montcalm.edu Thank You for posting your question.  While I am not certain of an answer about Blueprint courses and O365 integrations, I thought I'd bring kblack@dom.edu‌ into the conversation.  Ken has done a lot of testing on his own with Blueprint courses...though I don't know if he's worked with the Office 365 LTI integration as well.  Hopefully, he will be able to provide some insights for you.

[Kevin_W]

Thanks, chofer@morainepark.edu!

[kblack]

Thank you for the shout-out chofer@morainepark.edu‌, but I'm afraid I have not really tried this out yet, kevin.wagenmaker@montcalm.edu.  We do use OneDrive and Office 365, and in fact we have an Office 365 menu item in Canvas sites, but all I have been able to do is either:

-Share the link to a shared OneDrive folder (which you've already discussed as a possibility) and then placed the link on a page, assignment, wherever.  OR

-Upload the files from a OneDrive one-by-one into Files.  One cannot upload an entire folder into Files unless it is zipped first, but that holds true for any files from a computer, whether OneDrive or not.  I have NOT, however, been able to click-and-drag a file from OneDrive into the Files area, even though my OneDrive is mapped (and synced) onto my own computer.  I've only been able to do it via the Upload button.

But if it's the latter you have in mind, once you upload a file from OneDrive into Files, it will "act" like any other file in a Canvas site, since you're copying the file into Canvas and not referencing the OneDrive file at all. I'm not sure if that's what you have in mind, Kevin, but certainly anyone with access to that shared OneDrive folder--and its files--should be able to copy the file into the Files area, whereupon it will be treated like any other file in a blueprint course.

But to be fair to you, I have not really done much with this, I'm sorry to say.

[Kevin_W]

Thanks, kblack@dom.edu!

Here's my order of preference for the BluePrint and file sharing:

1. Wishlist option: Use the 365 integration/external tool to share files from a shared OneDrive folder in the Blueprint course. This will allow multiple instructors to access the shared folder in OneDrive and make changes to course documents as needed. These documents will then immediately reflect those changes in the Blueprint course (and associated courses) with no further actions from the instructors. Using the integration allows the students to view the file within the Canvas window. Perfect!
2. Current Solution: Share the folder in OneDrive with the other instructor(s). Make sure all files added to the folder are view only for all users. Share the file via external URL in the Blueprint course. Student views in their associated course, file opens in a new tab. Instructors can still make changes to the files in the shared OneDrive folder and they will reflect in the shared links in Canvas. Definitely not a deal breaker. 
3. Avoid: Upload the file to the Canvas File area. Makes for a drawn-out process when changes need to be made to the files. 

[kblack]

Good ideas, Kevin! I'm pretty sure it's the same with Google Drive/Files, as well(?). Not entirely positive there.  You may want to consider making this a Feature Idea.  I will also point out lindalee@wharton.upenn.edu's excellent https://community.canvaslms.com/community/instcon/instructurecon-2018/blog/2018/07/31/lessons-learne... , which contains a listing of other blueprint-related feature ideas that you may want to look at and vote up.

[chofer]

Hi there, kevin.wagenmaker@montcalm.edu...

Checking in with you again since it's been several months without any new activity in this topic.  I am glad to see that kblack@dom.edu‌ has been able to help you out a bit with your question.  Do you feel that one of his responses could be marked as "Correct"?  If so, please click on the "Mark Correct" button next to one of his replies.  However, if you're still looking for some help, please post a note below letting us know how we might be able to help you further.  For the time being, I am going to mark your question as "Assumed Answered" mainly because there hasn't been any new activity in this topic since March 15, 2019.  However, that won't prevent you or others from posting additional questions and/or comments below related to this topic.  I hope that's alright with you, Kevin.  Looking forward to hearing back from you soon.

[Kevin_W]

Thanks, Chris! I don't think a solution exists for it at this point.