Hosting Videos

How can I host videos in Canvas?

There are several ways to use videos with your Canvas site, and we recognize that faculty may wonder which to choose. We recommend the following video tools:

1. Warpwire - Duke-supported video hosting platform, integrated with Canvas
2. Panopto - Duke-supported lecture capture and video hosting platform, integrated with Canvas
3. PlayPosit - Duke-supported online learning environment used to create and share interactive video lessons, integrated with Canvas 

Using Warpwire Videos in Canvas

You can use Warpwire videos almost anywhere in Canvas including pages, discussions, assignments, and quizzes.

1. In the Rich Content Editor (RCE) toolbar, click on the Warpwire icon, a blue circle with a W. If you do not see the Warpwire logo, click the electrical plug icon to select from the list.
2. A pop-up window will show a list of videos in the course’s folder in Warpwire. Select the video you want and click the insert button. The video will then show up in your content page with a thumbnail. 

You can also insert a Warpwire video as an entry in a Canvas module.

1. Go to Modules in your Canvas course, and click the plus button on the right side of a gray module header. 
2. Choose “external URL” from the drop-down list. 
3. Copy your Warpwire videos’ sharing link and paste into the “URL” input box. Give the page a meaningful name by filling in the “page name” box. You can also choose to let the video load in a new tab and choose an indentation level. 

Using Panopto in Canvas

Panopto is Duke’s enterprise platform for recording and sharing videos, and there are multiple ways you can use it with Canvas:

• Share Videos in Canvas: To share a video, navigate to any tool that uses the  Rich Content Editor. (e.g., Assignments, Discussions). Use the green Panopto button in the Rich Content Editor to embed your video.
• Access Panopto in Course Navigation: In Settings > Navigation, select the "Panopto Video" tool and Enable it. Course participants can now use the Panopto Video option in course navigation to view the course folder.
• Upload or Record a Video: Inside the Panopto interface, choose to upload existing videos or record new content using Panopto's recording features. You can also make screen recordings and edit your classroom recordings directly from the Panopto tool within Canvas.
• Import Zoom Recordings: If you use the Zoom meetings tool within your course, your cloud recordings will automatically be imported into your course. Learn more about this integration at Panopto’s support site.
• Organize in Modules: Add Panopto videos to Canvas modules by selecting "Add Content" in a module, then choose "External Tool" and select "Panopto Video.”
• Adjust Settings and Permissions: In Panopto, ensure your video's sharing settings are configured for your course needs. By default, your course videos are shared with your course participants, but you can choose to restrict access more or to open up the content for broader access.
• View and Interact: Students can watch and interact with Panopto videos directly in Canvas, utilizing features like comments and quizzes embedded in the video. Videos can be added as a “Submission type” in Canvas Assignments and students can be graded on the percentage of video viewed or on their in-video quiz scores. To do so, create a new Assignment and choose “Submission Type > External Tool.” Choose Find and select Panopto Assignment, then configure your Embed settings. Finally, choose Insert Video and then Select.

For detailed instructions and troubleshooting, refer to Panopto's support resources. However, please note that Duke Canvas has a slightly different implementation which includes a limited set of the features mentioned in this document.

Using PlayPosit in Canvas

PlayPosit is an online learning environment that allows users to create and share interactive video lessons, including embedded questions, images, audio, and other media elements. Duke PlayPosit is integrated with Canvas at Duke, as well as video streaming and capture platforms like Warpwire and DukeCapture (Panopto). Below are some reasons you might want to use PlayPosit with Canvas:

1. Single Sign-on: Instructors and learners are never prompted to enter a separate email, username or password to create or view content.
2. Auto-sync course data: We manage learner-course relationships, eliminating the need to manually create courses or upload rosters.
3. Auto-sync grades: Learner grades are synced immediately with the Canvas Gradebook at the end of a Bulb. As well, instructors can access the rich analytics from any PlayPosit link within Canvas. 
4. Co-instructor collaboration: Multiple instructors, instructional designers and TAs can access their own PlayPosit content and manage any shared course content, like Bulbs and analytics. 
5. Course copy: Instructors can save time by seamlessly copying PlayPosit links to recurring courses. The new course and learner roster is automatically synced and previous data is cleared. 
6. Content Item Message (CIM): Instructors can instantly access and embed their PlayPosit content from the rich text editor of any Assignment, Module or Page.

Instructure provides detailed documentation for how to use PlayPosit in Canvas.

Quick Tips

1. If you previously used Warpwire videos or other multimedia in your Sakai site, you can continue using Warpwire in your new Canvas site. However, if you chose the Warpwire “share the Warpwire assets/videos with additional users and groups” share setting, students in your new Canvas course might not have permission to view it. We recommend copying the video to the new Warpwire Media Library associated with your Canvas and double check that students can access the content.
2. If you have large videos uploaded directly to your previous Sakai site, when transitioning to Canvas, we strongly recommend moving the video to Warpwire instead of uploading videos in Canvas Files, because Canvas Files has limited storage quota. 
3. If you’re interested in using videos for collaborative activities or instructional interaction, PlayPosit may be a good choice. You can add annotations, comments, and interactive quiz questions in videos with these tools. Students will be able to see your annotations, answer video quiz questions, and view and reply to other students’ comments in the timeline.

Features Comparison

Can I use Canvas Studio?

No - Canvas Studio will be view-only after Fall 2023. This means that Duke users will not be able to add new video content to Canvas Studio starting on January 1, 2024.

Duke Warpwire is the recommended option for publishing video and audio in Canvas. Users can download their content from their Studio Library and upload to their course Warpwire Library.