The file size limit for uploads to Brightspace is 500 MB. (See the LMS Policy and accompanying Standard Operating Procedures documents.) Anything larger than the limit will need to be stored elsewhere and a link to the material can be placed in Brightspace.
Note: Storage is limited in Brightspace by contractual limits with the vendor, D2L. The current limit is 750 MB per full-time-equivalent student. Storage usage grows as the number of courses and material saved in Brightspace each term grows.
Brightspace is not meant to be a repository of videos and large files, and the University of Windsor has systems meant to store and organize larger files. This document describes how to use those options.
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The University of Windsor provides two video platforms for creating, editing, storing, and sharing videos:
- YuJa Enterprise Video Platform:
YuJa is integrated into Brightspace for easy linking and sharing of video and audio files.
- Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint):
Stream is not integrated into Brightspace, but videos created and stored in Stream are automatically saved to your OneDrive and can be shared and linked to.
Also, OneDrive and SharePoint are where recordings of your MS Teams meetings video files automatically save. Files in OneDrive and SharePoint can easily be linked to Brightspace.
Other platforms, such as YouTube, are available but are not supported by the University of Windsor.
YuJa can be used to create, edit, store, and share videos. It is available to all faculty, staff, and students at the University of Windsor.
YuJa is integrated into Brightspace, allowing you to link to a video stored in your YuJa account without leaving your Brightspace course.
You can add a link to a video stored in YuJa to your Brightspace site anywhere the Brightspace text editor appears, or directly as a topic (item added to a module) in the Content area.
Anywhere the Brightspace text editor appears, you can:
- Click the Insert Stuff icon and select YuJa Media Chooser or
click the Quick Links icon and select YuJa Quicklink.
- Select your desired video that you have saved in your YuJa account.
- Click Insert Content.
- Click Insert to embed your link in your text.
You can also insert a link to a video saved in YuJa as a topic (item added to a module) in the Content area.
- In your course, click Content and in the left Table of Contents click to open the module you want to place the link into.
- Click Existing Activities and select YuJa Quicklink.
- Select your desired video that you have saved in your YuJa account.
- Click Insert Content.
The title of your video will appear as a link in your module.
Microsoft Stream (on SharePoint) is a video-sharing service that is included with our Microsoft 365 license. It is available to all faculty, staff, and students at the University of Windsor. You can record your screen and/or your webcam, edit and save it in Stream (on SharePoint), and share it from Stream (on SharePoint) the same way you would share any file in your OneDrive. You can control who (users or groups/courses) can access the videos you share.
IT Services has provided directions for accessing, publishing and sharing (via email, rather than posting in Brightspace) videos in Microsoft Stream and provides support and consultation for Stream.
Microsoft provides training resources for Stream.
- Open MS Stream (on SharePoint) and find the file you want to share.
- Click the More Options icon (the three dots) to the right of the file name.
- Select Share and select Copy link.
- Click Settings.
- Select People you choose and type your course code into the To: name, group, or email box and select your course when it appears to restrict access to those in your course. This gives access to only the people in your course group. If someone forwards the link, only people who already have access to the item will be able to use the link to access it.
- By default, the link will allow others to view only. You can change that permission, if needed. Click Apply.
- Follow the instructions below to Place a link into your Brightspace course below.
All class and meeting recordings made in MS Teams, except ones held in a Teams channel, are automatically saved in a folder called “Recordings” in the OneDrive of the person who started the recording. Meetings conducted in a Teams Channel will be stored in a folder called “Recordings” in the Team’s document library.
To share any file saved in your OneDrive through Brightspace, including a meeting recording:
- Find the file in your OneDrive. Meeting recordings will be found in the “Recordings” folder.
- Right click on the file name, if using the desktop app. If using the web version, click the three dots to the right of the file name. If using a Mac, Control + click.
- From the drop-down menu, select Share.
Type your course code into the Add a name, group, or email box and select your course when it appears. This gives access to only the people in your course group. If someone forwards the link, only people who already have access to the item will be able to use the link to access it.
- If you don’t want your students to be able to edit the document, click the Link settings (gear) icon, click Can edit, select Can view, and click Apply.
- Click Copy link. The message “Link copied. People you specify can view.” will appear.
- Click the “x” in the top right corner to close the dialog box.
- Follow the instructions below to Place a link into your Brightspace course below.
Files that are too large to upload to Brightspace can be stored in OneDrive then linked to from Brightspace, in the same way as sharing a Teams recording file.
- Find the file in your OneDrive.
- Right click on the file name, if using the desktop app. If using the web version, click the three dots to the right of the file name. If using a Mac, use Control + click.
- From the drop-down menu, select Share.
Type your course code into the Add a name, group, or email box and select your course when it appears. This gives access to only the people in your course group. If someone forwards the link, only people who already have access to the item will be able to use the link to access it.
- If you don’t want your students to be able to edit the document, click the Link settings (gear) icon, click Can edit, select Can view, and click Apply.
- Click Copy link. The message “Link copied. People you specify can view.” will appear.
- Click the “x” in the top right corner to close the dialog box.
- Follow the instructions below to Place a link into your Brightspace course below.
You can add a link to a file to your Brightspace site as a topic (item within a module) in the Content area or anywhere the Brightspace text editor appears.
To insert a link to a file, including a Teams meeting recording, directly in a module in the Content area:
- In your course, click Content and in the left Table of Contents, click to open the module you want to place the link into.
- In the right-hand side editing panel, click Upload/Create and select Create a Link.
- Enter a Title (the text that will appear in the module and will be linked) and type or paste the URL.
- Click Create.
To insert a link to a file in the Brightspace text editor anywhere it appears:
- Click the Insert Quicklink icon.
- Select Link from the Insert Quicklink dialogue box.
- Type or paste the link to the file in the Link field.
- Provide the Text that will appear and will be linked to the file.
- Click Save and Close, Insert or Update, depending on where you are using the Brightspace editor.
