Upload your own content to CourseCloud

Note: For eligibility, see the requirements.

CourseCloud has multiple ways to add training:

1. Sync courses from OpenSesame.
2. Upload your own content.
3. Upload your own content to synced OpenSesame courses.

This guide explains the upload options. 

When you create a course entirely from uploads, your organization’s name appears as the course publisher.

Contents:

• Requirements
• Content types
• Create a container
• Update a container
• Upload content
  Add a file
  Add a SCORM 1.2 or AICC package
  Add a URL
• Delete a section
• Exit edit mode

Requirements

To use these upload features:

• Your account role must be Platform Administrator.
• You need both an OpenSesame Plus subscription and an OpenSesame Customer Success Manager (CSM). To learn more, contact your CSM. 

If you don’t have a CSM and want to upgrade to a managed account, contact OpenSesame Support at support@opensesame.com.

Content types

CourseCloud supports the following content types:

• Media files: MP3, MP4, PDF, or PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX).
• SCORM 1.2 or AICC packages. You can add these to courses you create, but not to OpenSesame courses. AICC assets cannot be externally hosted.
• URLs.

The maximum file size is 256 MB. Each content type has its own completion criteria.

Create a container

Uploaded course files need a container. This is sometimes called a “course framework.”

• If you upload content to an OpenSesame course, the container already exists. Select Discover, locate the synced course, and skip to Upload content.

Log in to CourseCloud as a Platform Administrator and select Admin Tools.

Select the Courses tab, then Create Course.

Set up the container for your files.

This page has the following fields:

• Course full name (required)
• Course category (required) - The same main categories as OpenSesame.
• Enable self-enrollments - Lets learners enroll on their own.
• Course start date - Sets when enrolled learners can launch the course.
• Course end date - When launches stop. This does not remove the course from CourseCloud. More details follow on how this field operates.
• Duration (required) - The estimated time, in hours and minutes, it takes to complete all course activities.
• Course summary
• Course image - An image file (GIF, JPEG, JPG, or PNG) up to 256 MB that represents the course. More details follow.

The course end date, when enabled:

• Lets you set a date to stop launches of the course. For a course synced from OpenSesame, remove it in the OpenSesame My Courses dashboard. (If you do not remove the synced course and the publisher later retires it, you will receive retirement notifications.)
• Removes the course from learner search results on the end date. Learners who are enrolled or in progress still see the course in their dashboard, but cannot launch it.
• Can be used in custom reports.

A course image can be uploaded with the file manager tool. You can also drag the file into the Course image area.

• For best results, use an image with a 16:9 aspect ratio and at least 1280 x 720 pixels. Uploaded GIF files don’t animate.
• The upload time includes a security check. If a file isn’t accepted, it’s discarded and an error appears.
• If you don’t upload a course image, CourseCloud uses a placeholder.

When finished with your settings, save them.

• To return to the previous page, select Save and return.
• To open the container, select Save and display.

The following example uses Save and display. 

To find your course later, navigate to Discover or to Admin Tools > Courses > Edit Courses and search for its title.

Update a container

To adjust these settings, visit the course page and select the Edit Course tab.

Upload content

Now that the container exists, add content, such as an activity or resource.

• For all file types, the maximum size is 256 MB. 
• The upload time includes a security check.
• For file uploads, learners can see the file name when they select the file. If needed, rename the file on your device before you upload it.

On the course page, when Edit mode is on, select the Add new button.

This reveals three upload types.

Note: If you upload to an OpenSesame course, there is no SCORM / AICC option.

Add a file

To upload an MP3, MP4, PDF, or PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX), select File, then Add new.

This adds a section to your course. Each section can contain one file.

Enter a name for the section. Any description appears when learners open the section.

To find an image file on your device, select the file manager tool. You can also drag the file into the Select files area.

Note: PowerPoint files can quickly exceed the 256 MB size limit. If you encounter this, consider using PowerPoint to export the file as a PDF, then uploading the PDF.

Next, you can adjust the file’s Appearance.

The display options are:

• Automatic (default) - Varies. CourseCloud displays files differently based on their type.
• Embed - The file appears in the active browser window, after CourseCloud's navigation bar.
• Force download - CourseCloud tells the learner to save the file to their device.
• Open - The file appears in the active browser window without any CourseCloud elements. To return to CourseCloud, learners must use their browser’s Back button.
• In pop-up - The file appears in a new, smaller browser window.

You can also show the file’s size, type, or when it was uploaded.

When finished with your settings, save the section.

• To return to the previous page, select Save and return to course.
• To check the file’s appearance, select Save and display.

The section now appears in the course.

Add a SCORM 1.2 or AICC package

Note: You can’t upload a SCORM or AICC package to an OpenSesame course.

SCORM 1.2 and AICC packages must be uploaded as an XML or ZIP file.

For AICC packages, include all course files in the upload. Do not link to files hosted outside the package. This includes audio, video, and images.

• If the package links to files that are not included, the course will not load or play correctly in CourseCloud.
• If you are unsure whether your package includes all required files, upload it and thoroughly test it in CourseCloud before sharing it with learners.

To upload a package, select SCORM / AICC, then Add new.

This adds a section to your course. Each section can contain one file.

Note: If you want learners to view multiple SCORM or AICC packages, we recommend that you use a Learning Path instead of adding more sections.

Enter a name for the section. Any description appears when learners open the section.

To find a SCORM 1.2 or AICC package on your device, select the file manager tool. The package must be an XML or ZIP file. You can also drag it into the Package file area.

When finished with your settings, save the section.

• To return to the previous page, select Save and return to course.
• To check the section’s appearance, select Save and display.

The section now appears in the course.

Add a URL

To add a URL, select URL, then Add new.

This adds a section to your course. Each section can contain one URL.

Enter a name for the section, then the full external URL, including “https://” at the beginning. Adding a description is optional.

Next, you can adjust the URL’s Appearance.

The display options are:

• Automatic (default)
  • The URL opens in the active browser window without any CourseCloud elements.
  • To return to CourseCloud, learners must use their browser’s Back button.
• Embed
  • The URL opens in the active browser window, after CourseCloud's navigation bar.
  • If you choose this option, check how it looks, as some sites don’t allow embeds.
• Open
  • The URL opens in the active browser window without any CourseCloud elements.
  • To return to CourseCloud, learners must use their browser’s Back button.
• In pop-up
  • The URL opens in a new, smaller browser window.

Finally, if you added a description and want it to be visible to learners, turn on the Display URL description toggle.

When finished with your settings, save the section.

• To return to the previous page, select Save and return to course.
• To check the section’s appearance, select Save and display.

The section now appears in the course.

Delete a section

To delete a section from your course, Edit mode must be on.

Open the section’s Edit menu and select Delete.

A confirmation prompt appears. To confirm, select Delete.

Exit edit mode

When you finish editing courses, turn off the Edit mode toggle.

If you have further questions, contact OpenSesame Support at support@opensesame.com, through live chat, or by phone: (503) 808-1268, ext. 2 (U.S.) or +44 203 744 5541 (Europe).