Video and other multimedia, such as images and audio, are powerful ways to enhance your courses. However, delivering multimedia content via the Internet, such as in Blackboard, can be tricky. Most of these files are large, which can make them difficult for students who may have a slow or unreliable Internet connection. Fortunately, there are several tools in Blackboard that can make this easier.
YouTube, Vimeo, and Other Media
If you are using a video or other media that is already available on services like YouTube or Vimeo, whether it is a video you found or one you made and posted, you can embed it within your content in Blackboard. This allows students to play the video directly within Blackboard instead of clicking a link to watch the video on the other sites.
In the Ultra Course View, you can embed a YouTube video on a Document using the Insert/Edit Video from the Web button on the text editor toolbar.
Kaltura – Posting Videos You Create
If you have recorded a video and do not want to post it to YouTube, you can post it in Kaltura, instead. Kaltura allows you to post audio and video content in Blackboard but stores the files on a secure server and optimizes them for streaming and mobile use. With Kaltura Capture, you can easily create videos with your webcam and a recording of your computer screen. Kaltura Quizzes allow you to embed questions within the video, as well.
In the Ultra Course View, Kaltura is available within the Content Market.
Other Online Video Sources – Embedding via HTML
For other web-based video and media sources, you may be able to embed the video manually, using embed code, if that is provided by the media source.
On the media site, look for an icon or button to Share the media. If there is an embed option, follow these steps:
- On the media site, select and copy (Ctrl+C) all of the text within the Embed Code field
- In Blackboard, create an Ultra Document
- Click the Add HTML button at the center of the page; this opens the HTML editor
- Paste (Ctrl+V) the embed code within the HTML window and click the Save button
Your media should now be embedded. There are some types of HTML that cannot be added because it is deemed potentially unsafe. If embedding via HTML does not work, use the Web Link option instead to post a link to the media.
Frequently Asked Questions