Summary
Canvas Studio is a communication tool that allows instructors and students to actively collaborate through video and audio media. This article covers the basics of Studio and how to get started.
Studio Basics
Studio allows Canvas users to manage their audio-visual media in one location. Media assets are automatically organized based upon the courses to which they are added, making it easier for instructors to find, share, and reuse their media content.
Studio media can be added in a variety of ways. Studio users can create original recordings with a webcam or screen capture using the integrated recording software. Alternately, users can upload existing media files or add links to YouTube or Vimeo videos to their Studio library.
Studio users have a few different options for the way Studio media can be shared, which vary depending on the user’s role as well as the intended audience.
- Instructors can embed Studio media in courses wherever the Rich Content Editor is available, such as on Pages, within a Discussion prompt or reply, in Quiz questions, or in an Announcement. Studio media can also be added to a Module, and instructors can create assignments where students submit a Studio video as the assignment deliverable.
- Students can use the Studio option within the Rich Content Editor to submit a Studio file for an assignment or to reply to a Discussion post with a Studio video.
- Outside of a Canvas course, both instructors and students can share Studio media directly with other Canvas users, or generate a public link or embed code that may be used for public viewing outside of Canvas.
Canvas Studio’s analytics allow instructors and administrators to quickly and easily analyze the media students are viewing. This information allows instructors to optimize media to communicate critical information more effectively and monitor student behavior. Refer to Instructure’s article How do I view media insights for my Canvas Studio media? to learn more.
Grading & Assessment in Studio
Canvas Studio provides opportunities for instructors to infuse engaging multimedia into online course content. Along with the many ways mentioned above to embed Studio media in a course, features such as commenting, annotations, and video quizzing add interactive elements to further engage students in the otherwise passive process of viewing recorded media.
Instructors are able to view user insights to determine when students viewed a particular video and whether or not it was viewed in its entirety. If an instructor has set up a course assignment that requires students to submit a Studio video, submissions are accessible through SpeedGrader to expedite the grading process. Video Quizzes can also be configured to post directly to the Gradebook once students submit their answers. These features allow instructors to optimize media to communicate critical information more effectively, monitor student behavior, and motivate students to thoroughly engage with the posted content.
Media Management
Keeping digital content organized can seem daunting. The Canvas Studio library provides the opportunity to organize Studio media into Collections, which can be used to group related content together. Collections also simplify the process of sharing multiple videos directly with other Canvas users. The best part? Using Canvas Studio to house your recorded media does not count against individual course storage limits.
When viewing media directly from the Studio library, content owners are able to edit details such as the title and description, and add tags to make videos more easily searchable. This view also enables content owners to access Comments and Insights, as well as either automatically generate video captions or upload a preformatted caption file.
Two important things to keep in mind regarding Studio access:
- Students do not see the Studio link in the course navigation menu. In order for students to be granted access to Studio media, that media must be deliberately placed within course content (i.e. embedded using the Rich Content Editor or added as a Module item.)
- Instructors will see two places within Canvas to access Studio. A link to Studio exists within the outer global navigation menu, as well as within each course navigation menu. The recommended best practice when creating or adding media to a Studio library is to first access Studio through the global navigation link. This is because media added using the Studio link within a course navigation menu will be associated with just that specific course. Alternately, media added to the global Studio library can be embedded into any course (or multiple courses). Options such as annotations and video quizzing are only available to media that is added from the global navigation Studio link. Once a Studio video is embedded in a course from the global Studio library, that video will also be visible within the course-specific Studio library.
