Folders - Introduction

When using the Accord LMS, hovering over information icons displays helpful tips.

Introduction

This article introduces the concept of Catalog Folders.

Purpose of Catalog Folders

The Accord LMS Catalog serves as a storage repository for various forms of learning content stored within the LMS system. The Catalog is organized by using a structure of hierarchical folders. This structure is very similar to a Windows File Manager, where folders are utilized to organize data files.

Depending on any specific Folder-Types, Catalog Folders may contain other folders, referred to as being Child Folders, and/or Learning Elements, which consists of various forms of learning content.

For more information about the Catalog, please see; Catalog - Introduction.

For more information about Learning Elements, please see; Learning Elements - Introduction.

For more information regarding various types of configuration for the various Folder-Types, please see; Configuration - Folder Types - Introduction.

Catalog Folder Types

The Accord LMS comes supplied with six standard folder-types. Additional custom folder-types can be created but the standard folder-types offer the necessary flexibility needed for most common-use cases.

The standard folder-types include:

Learning Paths - Intended as a Parent Folder containing multiple related Courses.

Courses - Contains Learning Elements which comprise a complete Course.

Chapters - Child folders of Courses. Organize related types of Learning Elements under given Courses contained within a broader Chapter Folder.

Folders - General purpose folder which can store most other folder-types.

Organizational Folders - Similar to Folders, but not visible to Learners. Typically used as an organizational tool for LMS administrators.

The Recycle Folder - This special-use Catalog Folder is automatically created when at least one Learning Element exists without having a home Parent Folder. The Recycle Folder functions by automatically saving and storing any orphaned Learning Elements which do not presently exist elsewhere in the Catalog. This allows for these Learning Elements to be easily retrieved and reused. Since deleting any Learning Elements from the Recycle Folder is permanent, please be sure you no longer want this Learning Element before permanently deleting it.

Parent and Child Folders

It is sometimes necessary to accurately refer to certain Catalog Folders which exist either above or below other folders within the folder hierarchy. We use general terms;

Parent Folder - The folder directly above the Folder in question.
Child Folder - A Folder contained within the Folder in question.
Children Folders - Larger group of folders contained under another Folder.

These terms are occasionally extended to include Grandparent or Grandchild folders. Any Folder can qualify as being both a Parent Folder and Child Folder, depending on it's unique position within the folder hierarchy.

An Example Folder Hierarchy

The image below contains a typical example of a Catalog Folder hierarchy.

In this example we'll follow one branch of the hierarchy;

'First Aid Certification' is a Learning Path which contains a number of Courses organized into 3 Collection Folders; 'Primary Assessment', 'Basic Wound Care' and 'Emergency Care' are all Child-Folders of 'First Aid Certification'.

'Emergency Care', a child of 'First Aid Certification', is a Collection Folder containing a Child Course folder called 'Circulatory Emergencies'.

'Circulatory Emergencies', a Child of 'Emergency Care', is a Course folder containing four different Chapter Folders, each of which contain a number of Learning Elements.

Chapter 3: Heart Attack, a Child of 'Circulatory Emergencies', which contains four Learning Elements.

This example demonstrates how the various Folder-Types can be used to organize a given learning experience which contains a variety of related Learning Activities.

In many cases, a simple Course Folder containing one or more Learning Elements will suffice.

Conclusion

The Accord LMS Catalog is comprised of Learning Elements stored inside digital containers called Folders. Administrators can create six different default Folder-Types or create their own folders.

For more information on Folder Details please see; Folder Details - All Folder-Types.

Direct Links to closely related articles are listed above at right.