On this page you will see a variety of ways that video can be integrated into a Page, Discussions, or Assignment description. Be sure to provide a brief summary or explanation to set the context for viewing the video. Also include explicit directions of what to do before, during and after viewing the video.
How to Create This
Click on the tabs below to viewdetails about creating the interaction or including the media shown above.
Video files can support the text based information and expand on content for your course. Embedding the video directly on the Canvas tool (Pages, Assignments, Quizzes or Discussions) makes them more accessible for students while providing visual cues, and spatial relationships to other surrounding information.
Good ways to use videos are:
to replace text-based readings/resources and add variety to the online course
to help improve understanding of difficult concepts
as a reflective listening activity
can be included as part of a student Assignment or Discussion where students create a video responding to questions, in order to analyze or critique
as a way to provide learners with access to a wide range of content from experts and organizations
to add flexibility for learners, to view content when it is convenient for them
in online courses to "help reduce learners’ feelings of isolation and promote a sense of social presence" (Bolliger et al., 2010)
Difficulty Level
Embedding an existing video is relatively easy to do. Most video repositories (You Tube, Vimeo) will include a share button or link that will generate the iframe embed code for you. That code can be pasted into Canvas using the rich content editor mode of the text editor.
some experience navigating to the internet to select video URL links or and generating embed codes or hyperlinks
some HTML/CSS knowledge is an asset, but not necessary
Development Time Steps
Between 5–10 minutes.
If you are using CSS/HTML to tweak the formatting or apply customized formatting, this could take a bit longer.
Steps
Spend some time to find good and relevant video content which are aligned with your course/module or activity goals.
If the video is too long, select the the time frame that students need to listen to.
Generate and copy the iframe embed code from the video site — most video sites have a share button or link in an obvious location.
Paste the embed code into your Canvas page using the the Canvas Rich Content Editor mode of the text editor.
To improve the student experience you should also include a direct link to the video which opens up in new window. (To do this just press the Control+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac) keys on your keyboard, paste the url and set target to open in a new window.)
Tips & Tricks
Be sure to select videos:
that have high quality sound and allow for volume adjustment, playback speed variation, and pausing
which are a shorter duration to maintain student engagement
with longer videos have identified time frame selection(s) for the information students need to listen to
which align to the course/module goals and assessments
that are entertaining, and easy to listen to in order to keep students interested
When adding the video to your course, be sure to:
include background information about the video to help students understand the value and can help to situate the video / video clips in a meaningful context
provide an additional external link that opens a new window so students have the additional option to access the video directly
provide transcripts, or ensure that close captioning is enabled, whenever possible and practical as good UDL practise
More Tips
As with all external online content, links can change or break if the media is relocated or removed. So before the next iteration of the course, you should validate Canvas course links Links to an external site.and fix any broken links.
For optional or supplementary video, use links (set to open in a new window) so the visual cueing on the Canvas content pages is consistent.
Use this summary space to provide a brief introduction to the purpose of the video and how it connects to the course subject matter. Include instructions on what to do or what question they need to answer at the end of the viewing.Links to an external site.
When in the rich text editor in Canvas, lick on the icon of a plug (beside the rainbow Kaltura icon) and select You Tube from the drop down menu.
Insert (paste) the link for the video in the search bar. Click the return key on your keyboard.
Select the video and click the blue 'embed' button. You can change the size of the embedded video by clicking the down arrow beside the embed button - this shows 3 possible video sizes.
Video Summary
Include a short text summary to capture the key points of the video.