KODI as IR controlled “file-manager” in classrooms

Dear KODI-enthusiasts,

i am going to set up some refurbished linux-boxes to be used as “classroom-media-centers”.

I wonder, if i can/should use KODI as the main graphical user interface (i.e. main application) to be used by my colleagues
to present stuff to our students.

Technically, i plan to prepare some folders for PDF-, ODT-, Video, Pictures and Sound-files on some mobile storage media (USB-Stick).
Whenever a colleague plugs-in her USB-Stick (that maybe holds a full linux-on-a-stick-system),
KODI runs automatically and by an IR-Remote-Control one is able to choose a file from one of these folders (…).

The available PDF-Add-ons are from my perspective no option.
PDF-, ODT-, (…)-files should be opened with stand-alone-applications such as okular, evince and libreoffice.

The “Advanced Launcher” is a great add-on that is able to launch such applications and also is able
(as far as i understood) to open files *manually* added to KODI with some user specified application — but:

Is it also possible to use KODI as a “file manager” that shows and opens a file based on a file-extension with
some suitable application? If so, how can i achieve this? Is there another (lightweight) “MediaCenter” around
that i should investigate instead of KODI?

I played around with KODI and searched the web, but think i should asked experts and collect some other opinions and ideas on this …

Thanks a lot for any hints!

Paul