File management in moodle

Talk about a hot button issue.  Moodle 2.x changed the way files are stored and accessed from moodle 1.x.

My colleague emailed me today and said could you upload this file to moodle, then send me the URL, so i can copy it into the bla bla bla.  In other words, I need to upload a file to the moodle server.  Where does it go?  Where do I upload it to?  How do I conceptualize this simple request?

In moodle 1.x, a file has a context of a course, period.  You started conceptually with a course and uploaded a file to it and then linked it from the activity where you were going to use it.  This was the paradym for a long time in moodle 1.x.  But, it was problematic.  See this explanation of those limitations.  A lot of smart people who use, train and develop moodle are debating moodle 2.x file management workflow.

On a simple level, moodle has *moved the storage or usage of a file into a more narrow focus.  Meaning a file is now associated not with the site OR THE COURSE, but with a more specific ACTIVITY.  This means a file is more closely associated with how and where it is used.  Gone, is the concept of a course and all its files associated and REPLACED BY a courses activities and the files they use.

This does make sense.  Think of moodle not as a repository, but as a constructionist entity.  Encourage the users to put their content into activities, interactive activities like forums, assignments, web pages them selves.  If a teacher has an assignment, rather than uploading a document with the details, create a web page with the details!  Or have the teacher create a forum, wiki, database or some other interactive activity, requiring the students to respond and engage in a form other than an uploaded document.  Ah, but I digress...

This article displays a very good understanding of the tradeoffs between 1.x and 2.x file management.

This is a great quote that underscores the philosophical change in moodle thinking...

"regardless of the aspirant pedagogical philosophy where Moodle becomes the centre of learning, not a centre of resources."

In other words, the moodle developers and decision makes want to view moodle more as the center of learning where files revolve around activities and learning not the other way around!  Moodle is no longer mearly a *repository for abstract files...

Back to the question.  Where do I upload a file so my colleague can reference the URL to it? 

 I could not figure out how to make an activity in the course (that housed the file) publicly accessible.  It seems that feature is a course setting.  So, I ended up not putting the activity in the course where it really belongs but in a separate course that i called public information.  I added the file resource, saved the course and updated the course property to allow guest access.

Hmmmm, seems if the focus is to move the association from a more abstract site, course context to a more specific activity context, then I should be able to apply permissions at that level to allow for public access.