Teaching and Learning Update for Faculty
Video Equipment Sign Out, Video Creation Information and Kaltura Upgrade Details
August 10, 2020
Here is an update on all things video technology-related that will aid you in creating instructional videos resources for your classes.
Video Equipment Ready for Loan! (Camera, Camera Tripod and Lighting Kit)
Info and Sign Out Process: Video Equipment for Loan Web page https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/video-equipment/
For faculty who want to create instructional videos in labs, shops and studios, the camera and lighting kits have been catalogued and have arrived at all of the four campuses. These resources are for faculty to sign out by emailing a contact person. See contact person for your campus for August sign out in the link above. September to June the kits will be in the library at all campuses and signed out from there.
There are no CTLI or IT supports associated with these kits other than the video links and information provided on the above page. The rest is all searchable via the web. Tons of YouTubers and video enthusiasts have created videos and support documentation to help you capture a good video. NIC tips on how to make instructional videos have been provided on this page: https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/video-recording-tips/
The camera kit (GoPro Hero 8 plus batteries, SD card and tripod adapter), the lighting kit (Mount Dog 3 Soft boxes) and the tripod (Neewer camera tripod) are all each available for 48 hours max signed out separately or together and returned in person through the contact people listed on the website above. You will be responsible for downloading your video from the enclosed SD camera card to your computer via the cable and deleting the video from the card before returning. You will also be asked to a wipe down of all the equipment upon returning and picking up the equipment.
Recording Studios Ready for Bookings (ITV Rooms)
Info and Sign Out Process: Creating Instructional Videos in Repurposed ITV Rooms https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/recording-studios/
For faculty who want to create instructional videos in the ITV room at their campus. This could include instructors wanting to capture a video of them giving a talk with a slide deck, the use of the document camera or the use of the whiteboard. All bookings go through Harry Tewinkel via the steps on the page above. The lighting kit (per above) is a good idea to also sign out (or ensure you can get first) to provide more light on you – if you are focusing the video recording on you rather than the slide deck and whiteboard.
Screencasting from your Laptop or Computer
Info and Tips: Some tips on how to capture your desktop with Kaltura Capture (called screencasting) are provided here: https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/screencasting-tips/
Screencasting involves using Kaltura Capture (little free software tool you can download from Kaltura via Blackboard Learn or MediaSpace) that captures whatever is displayed on your computer desktop(word documents, web pages, etc.) and uses your microphone so you can narrate over these documents. You can also have a second input (aligned to your web cam) to show you as the presenter. When the video is processed users can toggle between both inputs to see you or the screen documents.
Uploading Video to NIC MediaSpace
Kaltura is the company and their Kaltura MediaSpace product is the front-end YouTube like product we have installed. Found here: https://video.nic.bc.ca/
Blackboard Learn Doorway: There is a ‘back door’ to this product via Blackboard Learn. If you log in to Blackboard Learn then you are already able to access the “My Media” section of MediaSpace via the My Media link on the Institution page (top tab).
NIC MediaSpace Doorway: If you go to https://video.nic.bc.ca/ you need to log in via clicking on the “Guest” icon and filling out your NIC credentials on the NIC login page. Then you go up to your name on the top bar and the first drop down menu item is “My Media” – the same collection as you can see in Blackboard Learn.
Upload Video: To upload video from your desktop (video already downloaded from GoPro camera or given to you by Harry via the Recording Studio work), go to “+ ADD NEW” beside your name in the top bar of MediaSpace or “Add New” blue button in Blackboard in My Media. This is where you can search and find your video and upload it. See instructions: Upload media from your desktop.
Remember: Processing video to a server takes a long time. It is being ‘flavoured’ into 8 variations for all types of devices using the video (e.g., small size for cell phones, size for tablets, size for laptops etc.). The length of video, the busy state of the traffic to UBC’s server, the time of day and your outgoing upload rate will all affect how long your video takes to upload. Be patient.
Editing: While there is a simple editor in Kaltura for you to edit video (rename, add a title thumbnail slide, add chapters, add hot spots, crop and delete sections) there is no fancy editing for removing audio or doing transitions. Kaltura just keeps it simple for most users. So capture and save videos in smaller segments (under 9 minutes or shorter) from the get-go.
More information about Kaltura and how to use the tools etc. is found here: https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/kaltura/
Video Recording Advice
Following the theme of: keep it simple, short and accessible. Making videos of your lectures and classes is a great idea – but not if no one watches them – or only watches the first few minutes! In a few weeks we will be getting an upgrade to Kaltura and you’ll be able to see how long students view your videos with more analytics to help guide your video production activities. Here are some basic tips:
-
- Students (and adults) often won’t watch long videos or videos with just a talking head. I know your words and content are valuable and important – but the human brain will only engage for so long watching someone talk.
- Students are more likely to watch an instructional video if there are a) key questions to answer and bring to class after viewing the video (make them accountable for watching), or b) quiz questions embedded throughout that are part of assessment (engage them throughout to test their understanding) or give them a separate quiz after viewing or c) there is a high degree of engagement of the learner as they are watching the video (e.g., having to provide questions and comments to elements within the video, stop the video at certain spots and provide responses in a discussion forum or video of their own)
- Consider smaller video segments with discrete topics and keep between 1-9 minutes (3-4 minutes as a length is optimal).
- Instead of the talking head for a whole video, try inserting slides, images, visuals with your narration being voiced over.
- Instead of doing one full capture of your video in PowerPoint – try just “inserting audio” PER EACH slide rather than recording a whole slide deck at once. In this way you can edit just that slide if something changes in the future – and re export as an updated video.
**NOTE** Kaltura Will Be Upgraded Saturday, August 22 and Sunday, August 23
Inaccessible for students viewing and faculty uploading and use
Almost all BC post-secondary institutions have an installation of Kaltura on the UBC servers set up for their institution. This is a unique installation for Kaltura to have a group of BC institutions all access a single site for video storage and streaming. It is the largest of its kind for the company. Given that we are all on this one site, every year Kaltura needs to upgrade the installation with the latest tools and features. The dates were chosen by all the BC institutions.
NOTICE of INACCESSIBILITY: All BC institutions will have inaccessibility of Kaltura and all of its features all of Saturday August 22nd and Sunday August 23. There will be no access to Kaltura videos hosted on this platform as well as no access to uploading or editing videos. Notifications have been appearing in Blackboard Learn announcements, MyNIC portal for students and faculty and on this page in Teach Anywhere. https://teachanywhere.opened.ca/learning-technologies/kaltura/
New Functionality Includes
- New “My Media Table View” will allow instructors to view additional media entry information at a glance (e.g., number of plays, views, duration, created date, uploaded date etc.)
- New “View Analytics” view for instructors to see thinks like number of minutes viewed, average completion rate, number of player impressions vs. plays and views etc. See this page more details
- Entry Page for media with new user interface improvements such as ‘basic info’ section and Launch Editor visible.
- Updates to Channels and workflows with members.
- Playlists have been revamped to make them more usable such as creating a playlist from the channel buttons etc. There are also changes to various embed types (iframe, dynamic and auto) when embedding playlists.
- Kaltura Capture updates will address current bugs and performance issues
