Video Responses in Assignments
Purpose
In order to:
1) make the online environment more personal (to actually see and hear each other), and
2) develop experience and skills in oral presentation,
we are planning to incorporate various online assignments in which students may submit a video response rather than a written submission.
As of Spring 2012 we do not yet require students to have a webcam in order to participate in an online course. However, for those who have both the equipment and the interest in exploring this option, we want to enable it.
In some courses, some discussions and assignments will include the sentence, "Video responses are enabled for this assignment." This means you may submit your video response to fulfill the assignment. Here's how.
Basics
When video response has been enabled as an option, after clicking Submit Assignment you will see a tab that says Media. Click on it and you'll see an option to either record or upload a video file. We recommend you use Upload, since direct recording in this box (via the Kaltura Links to an external site. plugin) seems to sacrifice video and audio quality and make it harder to hear you. So record your response outside of Canvas *, save it to your Desktop or a folder on your computer, and then when you click Upload here in Canvas you'll find the file where you saved it.
When submitting a video response in a Discussion or other message, click the media icon in the editing window and then follow the same process.
( * The process of making a recording with a webcam varies depending on your webcam, but here Links to an external site. and here Links to an external site. are some general guides, and see the user manual of your laptop or webcam for more specific instructions. All faculty and staff at CTS use the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema Links to an external site.; here Links to an external site.'s how to make a recording with it.)
Written Summaries
Important: along with your video response, please include a brief written summary (20-50 words, depending on the assignment), or a brief list of bullet points, conveying the main point(s) you make in your video response. These written summaries/overviews will NOT be graded, but will function as references and reminders for the professor and fellow students when reviewing your video response. For a submitted assignment, put this summary in the Comments box. For a Discussion post or message, type it under the icon for embedded video after you've uploaded it, like this Links to an external site..
Presentation Style
Address the webcam the way you would address the professor and fellow students in a classroom. Do not worry excessively about verbal stumbles, pauses, or grammatical errors (any more than you would in a classroom). Presentations should be polished but not perfect.
Your Feedback
We want to hear from you about how you used video responses; how it worked, how it helped you engage the assignment, and any other feedback you have. Let us know. Thanks!