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Canvas - Accessing Kaltura Media (UW-Madison)

Kaltura is the video delivery system UW-Madison uses. Instructors can integrate Kaltura media with Canvas in four ways: Embedding Kaltura media with the Canvas rich content editor (recommended), linking to Kaltura media (less recommended), the Kaltura Media Canvas course navigation option / Media Gallery, and Assignments (Interactive Video Quiz).

Embedding Kaltura media in a Canvas course with the rich content editor (Recommended)

Kaltura media can be embedded wherever Canvas allows you to use the rich content editor. Embedding Kaltura media in a Canvas Page or other Canvas tool is generally how we recommend instructors include media in a course at UW-Madison. Embedded media provides more context and keeps the student in Canvas rather than sending them to an external link outside of Canvas. It also allows Kaltura to collect more detailed analytics.

  1. In your Canvas course, go to the Canvas page, discussion post, or quiz discussion you want to embed Kaltura media in. Click Edit.
  2. Move your cursor to the point in your Canvas item where you want to insert Kaltura media.
  3. Click the blue V icon to view the More External Tools menu. Select Kaltura Media from the drop-down list:
    A screenshot showing the Canvas rich content editor. The user has clicked on the blue "V" icon to open the external tools menu. The cursor hovers over "Kaltura Media" which is outlined in red.
  4. A window titled Kaltura Media will open showing the media content associated with your Kaltura account. By default it is on the My Media tab. If you are using a course media gallery, first select the media gallery by clicking on the Media Galleries drop-down menu at the top of the screen and clicking on your media gallery. These directions assume you select a media entry from My Media. More information on using media galleries is available in Kaltura - Using Kaltura course media galleries and analytics in Canvas .
  5. Scroll to or search for the media you want to embed. Click the </> Embed button next the media you want to embed:
    A screenshot showing the "Kaltura Media" window. A video named "Test - Very basic Kaltura video" is displayed. The cursor hovers over the "</> Embed" button.
    Optional: If you would like to customize how your media is embedded in Canvas, instead of clicking the </> Embed button, click the gear button:
    A screenshot showing the gear button in isolation.
    An Embed Settings window will display:
    A screenshot showing the Kaltura "Embed Settings" screen. There are options to (1) choose the player, (2) choose the max embed size, (3) turn thumbnail embed on or off, (4) turn autoplay on or off, (5) set these settings as the default settings for this media type, (6) set the start time, (7) set the end time, and (8) the </> Embed button.
    1. Choose Player: Users can now choose between the "Main Player" and the "Main Player with Download Button" if they want users to be able to download the media file locally to their computer.
    2. Max Embed Size: Users can choose how large the media is displayed within the Canvas rich content editor.
    3. Thumbnail Embed: Turning thumbnail embed on renders an image that will display instead of the video player. The student needs to click on the image to load the player. Generally we recommend keeping this option turned off.
    4. Auto Play: Turning auto play on plays the media immediately when the student loads the page with the embedded media. We recommend you keep auto play off and let the student choose to play the media by clicking the "Play" button.
    5. Set as my default settings for media type: Video (or Audio, or Image): If you like the settings you have selected you can check this box to make future embeds use them without having to set them every time.

      Some users have reported that this feature does not actually allow them to set the embed settings as their default.

    6. Start at: Set the start time for the media item.
    7. End at: Set the end time for the media item.
    8. </> Embed: When you have set the options you want, click the </> Embed button to embed the media.
  6. The video will show up on your Canvas page. You can continue to edit the page and add text if you'd like. Once you're done click the Save button.
  7. Canvas will display your page with your embedded Kaltura video.

"Kaltura Media" Canvas course navigation item / Media Gallery

The Kaltura Media Canvas course navigation item (also known as Media Gallery) is a Kaltura media gallery. It is a place where you can aggregate all of your course-related media. We don't generally recommend that instructors use this as the primary method to deliver media to students because it is simply a large repository of media students may browse or access without context. Instead we generally recommend instructors embed media in Canvas Pages and then organize those pages within Canvas Modules.

You can add media from your My Media library to your Media Gallery. The Kaltura Media Canvas course navigation item (also known as Media Gallery) is disabled by default. For information on how to enable Kaltura Media course navigation item, please see the Canvas Instructor Guide How do I manage Course Navigation links? If you want to view aggregated analytics on how students are accessing Kaltura media in your course, start by enabling a course media gallery in your Canvas course, and then embed media from the media gallery into your course. This is covered in detail in Kaltura - Using Kaltura course media galleries and analytics in Canvas .

The Media Gallery for a Canvas course is a special Kaltura Channel dedicated to that course. Because it is a Channel, you have the ability to create Channel Playlists. You can use Channel Playlists to organize you media into more meaningful groups.

Kaltura Interactive Video Quizzes as assignments

Kaltura Interactive Video Quizzes (IVQs) can be created by instructors from any video you upload to Kaltura. IVQs work by pausing the video to display a question for the student to answer. Those IVQs can also be setup as a Canvas Assignment and connected to the Canvas gradebook. For more information on Kaltura Interactive video quizzes please see:
  1. Kaltura - Adding questions to your videos with Kaltura video quizzes
  2. Canvas - Adding a Kaltura video quiz as a Canvas course assignment 

Linking to Kaltura media from a Canvas course (not recommended)

Generally the preference is to embed Kaltura media in a Page or other Canvas item when possible as described above. Linking out to Kaltura media from a Canvas course is less recommended as it requires students to leave Canvas and can introduce access issues if publishing settings aren't set correctly. It is also not possible for instructors to use the Canvas Student View function to tell if they'll be able to see the media because it sends the students outside Canvas. If you would still like to link to a Kaltura video from your Canvas course the easiest way to do that is via an External link from the Canvas Modules tool:
  1. Launch Chrome or Firefox and go to Kaltura MediaSpace: mediaspace.wisc.edu. If you need more information on how to log in to MediaSpace please see Kaltura - How to Log in to Kaltura MediaSpace (UW-Madison) .
  2. Click your name in the upper right corner and select My Media from the drop-down menu:
    A screenshot showing the user having clicked their username in Kaltura MediaSpace. The cursor hovers over "My Media".
  3. Search for or scroll to the media item you want to link to. Click on it.
  4. Click Actions and select Publish:
    A screenshot showing the "Actions" drop-down menu. The cursor hovers over the "Publish" option which is outlined in red.
  5. Select Unlisted from the publishing options. This will make the media item visible to anyone who has the link. Click Save:
    A screenshot showing Kaltura MediaSpace publishing options. The image shows the radio button for "Unlisted" has been selected and shows that "Media page will be visible to anyone with a link to the page."

    Note that videos whose publishing status is set to "unlisted" can be viewed by anyone! We have had instances where students will copy links to unlisted videos to share publicly so do not do this with copyrighted works. Also if your media is currently Published to a private channel you may want to reconsider setting the media item to "Unlisted" as doing so will un-publish the media item from all categories/channels. Kaltura will warn you and you will have to click "OK" if it is published to a category/channel. Lastly, you will not have student analytics in Kaltura MediaSpace on any media students are viewing with an "unlisted" link.

  6. Click the Share tab. If your browser window is narrow, you may need to click the Details button to get to the Share option. Click into the text under Link to Media Page and click Control-C on Windows or Command-C on OSX to copy the link:
    A screenshot showing the Kaltura MediaSpace "Share" page. The user is on the "Link to Media Page" and has clicked into the link URL to copy it.
  7. Open a new browser tab and navigate to your Canvas course: canvas.wisc.edu
  8. From the Modules tool click the + button next to the module you want to add the link to:
    Screenshot showing a Canvas module with the cursor hovering over the + (plus) button which is outlined in red.
  9. A new window will open - "Add Item to Module". Click the Add drop-down menu and select External URL:
    A screenshot showing the user has clicked on the "Add" drop-down menu and selected "External URL".
  10. Paste the URL you copied from Kaltura MediaSpace in step 6 into the URL box.
  11. Add a Page Name.
  12. Check the Load in a new tab box.
  13. Click the Add Item button:
    A screenshot showing the Canvas "Add Item" window. Number callouts have been added to show #10 - "Paste the URL from Kaltura MediaSpace", #11 - "Add a Page Name", #12 - "Check the Load in a new tab box", and #13 - "Click the Add Item button".

See Also:



Keywords:kaltura, mediaspace, media, video, audio, image, embed, video quiz, quiz, assignment, add, course, videos, Canvas,insert, embed   Doc ID:63003
Owner:Learn@UW Madison .Group:Learn@UW-Madison
Created:2016-04-27 10:34 CSTUpdated:2019-12-04 10:03 CST
Sites:DoIT Help Desk, DoIT Tech Store, Learn@UW-Madison, UW-Madison Canvas , UW-Madison Kaltura
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