Can I make a common folder available to all students in my class on the MATLAB online access under my university concurrent license license

I teach physics classes in which the students use MATLAB for analysis and visualization of laboratory data as well as to do calculations for homework problems. For some tasks the students have written simple m-files to do common calculations we do with laboratory data. For other cases, such as homework problems or visualization of vector field properties I have written a number of matlab apps that do the visualizations interactively. Our license allows the students to use MATLAB on the laboratory laptops as well as a number of university computers on campus. Many students find it convenient to use MATLAB online via their personal laptops instead of needing to be in the lab or in one of the campus computer rooms.

As it is right now, each student logs in to MATLAB online under our university license, but when they work on it they need to upload whatever functions or apps we or I have prepared for them to use in their individual drive folder. It would be very convenient if I could somehow maintain a common folder that any student could access if they are using MATLAB online under our license and accessing the apps and m-files in that folder was easy for the students, essentially equivalent to putting it in their MATLAB online path. That way, I could put anything they needed in that folder and they would not have to manipulate any files or folders once they had added that folder to their path. Can this be done?

As an aside, I have tried compiling standalone apps for the students to use on their computers but it turns out some use Windows, some use Apple, some use Chromebooks, and some even use tablets, which complicates that process. I have looked into having our IT department set up a web server, but for now I would rather avoid that avenue. Any advice would be appreciated.

Answer 1

[Cris LaPierre]

Yes. The file system of MATLAB Online is MATLAB Drive. You can share a folder in your MATLAB Drive with others either directly (add their emails in the Share with Individuals dialog) or via a link.

Those receiving the share invite/link have the following options

• Add a shortcut to the folder to their account - they see what you see. You can add and remove content dynamically and their folder will update
• Add a copy - copies the folder to their account. There is no connection to your folder
• Download a zip - The content is not automicatlly added to their drive account, so not automatically available in MATLAB Online.

I would recommend using a link to share with your students. Instruct them to use the 'Add a shortcut' option so you can update the content in the folder as needed. It grants them read-only access, so they can use but not modify your apps.

You can learn more about this in Ch 3 of Teachiing with MATLAB.

[Frank]

Thanks very much. Will do that. It helps so much to know there is a simple solution.

[Cris LaPierre]

They can obtain an editable copy of anything you share by copy/pasting it outside the shared folder.