“Cleaning” duplicate, outdated, and unused files from Bruinlearn
Over time, as Bruinlearn sites are copied and updated, they may accumulate old, outdated, or duplicate files hidden within their architecture. While students may not be able to access these materials, accessibility tools like Ally or UDOIT do, and they will count them against your overall accessibility score. A good first step in tackling the daunting task of remediating files on a course site is to delete any unused files and pages before beginning the process. There is no sense in taking the time to make a .pdf accessible when it's no longer a part of your course, and students will not see it!
Though Bruinlearn currently does NOT have a built-in tool to assist with this process, here are some techniques that can help you do it yourself:
Delete duplicate pages
Click on the “Pages” link in the Bruinlearn sidebar. If you have a Front Page set, you’ll then click on the “View All Pages” button at the top of the page. Here is a list of all the pages for your site. Check for any duplicates, and once you are sure a page is not needed or being used, delete it.
Note: Unfortunately, there is no Bruinlearn tool for identifying pages that are not being actively used on your site, but as the instructor, you will likely recognize those that are no longer a part of your course.
(The following techniques will only work IF all of your course files are connected to pages, modules, quizzes, etc. If you use “Files” strictly as a repository for course materials like readings or videos, these techniques will not work for you.)
UDOIT
If you find duplicate files on your site but are not sure which is being used, you can use UDOIT to help figure out which can be deleted. Under UDOIT’s “Review Course Files” tab, search for the files in question (they probably have the same, or very similar names). Using the “Filter” button, you can toggle “Hide Unused Files” on and off. Any files that disappear as you do so are “unused,” meaning they are not linked to any course content, and can probably be deleted. You cannot delete them directly from UDOIT; you must go into “Files” and delete them from there. Unfortunately, there is no filter to “Show Unused Files” or “Hide Used Files.”
Mass remove unused items in “Files”
A very efficient way to remove unused files is to create a new course shell and import your old course into it. When prompted, choose “Select specific content” to import, rather than “All content.”
After clicking on the “Select content” button in the import queue, choose to import everything EXCEPT “Files.” By doing this, only the files that are linked to pages, modules, assignments, etc. will be imported to the new site. Any files that ONLY exist in the “Files” tab will not be brought over to the new site.