Authoring Efficiency: Files & Uploads Results

TL;DR:

For course authors, adding assets to course content (images, documents, etc) is one the most frequent tasks, and previously was also one of the most painful and complicated. We simplified and streamlined this experience through improved asset management (sorting, searching, filtering) in addition to new functionality that allows course authors to add an image directly to course content.

Since roll out in mid-March, we’ve impacted 600-1000 course authors per month, and are on track to saving hundreds of thousands of unnecessary clicks per year.

In addition, it is one of the first projects to move towards edX's long term goal of less tightly coupled front and back ends. As part of this work, the team built up important infrastructure that soon became the foundation of a front end repository template that is being used by other teams to quickly spin up similar projects. In this initiative, the Dahlia team contributed many react components, which have helped speed development for other teams across edX.

Release date: March 15

Product owner: Shelby Quinn

What is it?

In Studio, we’ve created significantly improved asset management. Course authors generally add ~250-300 assets for a given course. We’ve added the ability to search, sort, and filter. Previously, to find a specific asset, a course author would have to click through dozens of pages.

Before this release, course authors needed to keep two browser windows open to locate their image, and copy/paste it into course content. Now, a course author can add their images directly to content.

Link(s) to additional details: Adding an Image documentation

Credits: The Dahlia & UX teams! Dennis, Farhanah, Michael, Eric, Ari, Darren, Audrey, Abby, Roya