Overview

As a modern web application, Canvas has many ways of of integrating video content into your course. Not only can you record, post, and share videos with your students, but you can also accept video submissions from students and allow them to share videos with each other. This article will discuss the various ways you can use video content in Canvas, and help you to decide which is right for you.

Tip: While the term "video" is used here, in each case your media could be only images (video), only sound (audio), or both (audio-visual).

Including Videos in a Canvas Page

The Rich Content Editor (RCE) is used regularly throughout Canvas, in most places where either a teacher or student would be entering text. You will find the RCE when you...

Create or edit a Page
Write instructions for an Assignment or Quiz
Create a Quiz question stem
Start a Discussion
Write an Announcement
Use the Syllabus page

Students also get the same RCE in any place in a course they would enter text, such as an essay question type in a Quiz, a text entry Assignment or a Discussion reply.

Using the Rich Content Editor, you and your students can insert, embed and even record videos and audio into Canvas. There are three options for doing this:

screenshot of the new RCE with the media buttons highlighted 1-3

The Upload/Record Media button: This button pops open a very simple web-based media recorder that allows you to record basic video and/or audio straight from your webcam or microphone. The recording will automatically be embedded. See below for more information on its use. Clicking on the down arrow to the right of the button will give you more options to upload media from a specific place.
The Panopto Video button: This button allows you to browse your Panopto folders for a video to embed. Any video you share using this button will have its settings automatically updated so that the students enrolled in the course you're sharing it in get Viewer access.
Course/User Media: These options allow you to upload video/audio that are saved either in your Course Files (Course Media) or your User Files (User Media).

When Should Each Method Be Used?

When the video you want to include is hosted at a website other than Canvas or Panopto.	Upload/Record Media
When the video you want to include is already in Panopto	Panopto Video
When you want to record a lecture video or demonstration, especially if it will include PowerPoint slides or screenshare as part of the presentation.	Panopto Video (choose the Record tab)
When you want to quickly record a short, basic (<5 minutes), informal video. NB: A major downside to this tool is that it can not generate automatic captions; you will have to manually create captions for your video.	Upload/Record Media
When you've already created a video using some other method and want to include it in your course.	Panopto Video (choose the Upload tab)

Including Videos in Modules

You can also include links to videos in your Modules in a couple of different ways. (If you need a reminder of how to add content to Modules, please see our Help Guide for Modules).

Use the External URL content type if you want to link students to a video that is already hosted on some other platform, such as YouTube. You will simply paste in the link to the video and give the link you are creating a name (could be the title of the video or other relevant information).
Use the External Tool content type if you want to link students to a Panopto video. Select Panopto Video from the menu of a pop-up window will appear where you can browse all of your Panopto videos and select the one you want to include.

See Also: