Embedding Panopto videos in Blackboard

Although there are plenty of ways to add a Panopto video into Blackboard, in this post Graham Robinson shares his favourite.

Best of both worlds

Most people choose to either post a link to the Panopto website or insert the video directly into Blackboard using the “Embed” feature. I like to do both.

The finished video in Blackboard

First of all open up the location in Blackboard you wish to insert the video. In another window open the Panopto administration page (that’s either https://coursecast.soton.ac.uk or the “Recorded Sessions” area of your Blackboard course).

The blackboard site and Panopto site open next to each other

In Blackboard choose “Weblink” from the “Build Content” menu. (You can enlarge the pictures in this post by clicking on them)

Weblink, from within Build Content. Click to enlarge

The “Create Web Link” page will appear. Before you continue make sure you can see the HTML button …

HTML button

… in the description area. If you can’t, press the “Show more” button.

Show more

Now move to Panopto. Locate the video you wish to embed and hover your mouse over it

Hovering your mouse over a video shows some extra buttons

Click on “Settings”

Copy the name of the session into the Blackboard “Name” box and the Viewer link into the “URL” box

Copy the name and link from Panopto to Blackboard.

Next click on “Outputs” in Panopto

Outputs from the left hand menu of Settings

Copy all of the text from the Embed box

Make sure you copy all of the text in the box

In Blackboard press the HTML button

HTML button

And paste in the code from the previous step. Click Update to close the window.

Paste all the code from the HTML code view

Finally press submit

Blackboard’s submit button

You’ll now have a video in Blackboard that shows automatically to students, but with a link that clicks through to the full Panopto version. The full version shows high quality video to students with a good internet connection but plays quicker lower quality video if they have a poor connection. They also get the slide notes and bookmarks. The embedded video also makes it quick to see if it is the right video without leaving Blackboard.

The finished video in Blackboard