In the 2021/22 academic year, modules on My Studies will have a 2GB quota/allowance for files stored in a module study area. For the majority of teaching staff, this will have little impact. For some teaching staff, there will be a need to change practice to avoid exceeding the quota. However, these changes are to ensure better usability and accessibility for our students, and so will be worth it! This post covers everything staff need to know
What is included in the quota?
The table below shows what is and isn’t included in the quota. THis only impacts 2021/22 study areas and beyond – there is no impact on older study areas.
| Included | Not Included |
Course Files (files updated by tutor to content areas). E.g.
|
Student assessment submissions (My Studies & Turnitin) |
| Files imported/copied (e.g. from previous years modules) | Discussion Board, Blog, Journal and Wiki attachments |
| Panopto/Mediastream videos | |
| Files shared in Group File Exchanges |
As you can see, it is just the files uploaded by teaching staff to content areas (e.g. Study Materials) that are included in the quota. Students are not impacted by the module quota and can freely add content to interactive tools as they currently do.
Why are we using quotas?
We ran an analysis looking at modules that were larger than 2GB in 2020/21. In the majority of cases, these modules contained large numbers of video files added using the ‘Video’ option in My Studies, or simply attached as a file. This represents a significant accessibility challenge, as well as requiring students to download large files unnecessarily. In most cases, these videos should be added to My Studies using Panopto. This produces a much better experience for students.
We are aware there are examples of where large files need to be shared with students (such as specialist files), and if this is a requirement please contact your Learning Technologist for advice.
How do I know this will affect me?
We are in the process of contacting all module leaders who are likely to be impacted by this change, based on this year’s data. This represents a small fraction of modules. However, we would recommend all staff to read the best practice guidance at the bottom of this page.
What happens if I go over quota?
Your Learning Technologist will aim to get in touch if your module area is nearing its storage limit, and discuss with you some actions moving forward. If you do try and upload files that take you over the quota, you’ll be prevented from doing so and receive an error. At that point, get in touch with your Learning Technologist and we can help.
Best practice guidance
Video
- If a video file needs to be added to My Studies for students to view, this should be uploaded as a Panopto video. An instructional video is available here, or ask your Learning Technologist for advice.
- If you have a Microsoft Teams recording, our recommendation is to download this and then upload to My Studies via Panopto. This provides the best viewing experience for students. Instructions available on how to do this
- If you have a video you wish to share across multiple module areas, you can change the permissions on a Panopto video to achieve this – check out our guide on this
- If you have requirements where you need to share large files with students that they can download for their own use, please consult with your Learning Technologist for advice, as we have some more suitable workflows.
Powerpoint files
- Uploading powerpoint files that contain audio tracks (for example, where you have produced a mini-lecture) aren’t particularly easy for students to use. Talk to your Learning Technologist about how these can be incorporated into Panopto for improved accessibility.
- If your powerpoint files are large due to lots of images/high-res images, consider saving as a PDF and uploading that instead.
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