As we all gear up for the new academic year at Western, Panopto is your go-to platform for creating, sharing, and managing course videos. Whether you’re recording lectures, facilitating student video projects, or organizing your video library, Panopto brings a suite of features tailored for teaching and learning.
Why Panopto?
Panopto is already integrated directly with WWU’s Canvas, making it easy to record or screencast from your computer. You can even set Panopto to automatically import your Zoom recordings with a single setting change, streamlining your workflow for lecture capture and meetings. Plus, Panopto gives you flexibility in how you record: use the stand-alone Panopto app for Windows or Mac, or take advantage of Panopto’s web-based Capture tool, which works in most browsers (and is my personal go-to for quick recordings). You can edit videos in-browser, add interactive quizzes, and set permissions to control who sees your content. For assignments, Panopto lets students submit videos securely to designated folders with your Panopto course folders.
Editing
Primer on using Panopto for student assignments
Setting up Panopto Assignment submission folder
- Also take a look at ATUS’s article on “Submitting a Panopto Video Via A Canvas Assignment.“
Zoom-to-Panopto Bridge (Starting at 13:35)
Key Features for Faculty
- Zoom to Panopto Bridge: Zoom at Western can be setup to auto-magically have recordings imported directly into Panopto. These can also be placed directly in a folder associated with a Canvas class for students to see.
- Interactive Videos: Add quizzes and discussion prompts to boost engagement or checks for understanding.
- Assignment Folders: Streamline student video submissions within Canvas, and provide students (or groups) the ability to create video recordings within a Canvas course.
- Request a Video Library: For faculty looking to reuse videos created in Panopto quarter-after-quarter, you can request a dedicated Canvas Course with an open Video Library, which will allow faculty to better organize and reuse content when they copy course in Canvas.
Sharing is Caring
Want to share your Panopto videos with students or colleagues? You have two main options: sharing a direct link or embedding the video in Canvas (or another site). These links can be set up to be accessed by anyone on the web, or just to those logged in here at Western. But in either case, you have to set up the correct permissions to meet your needs…
To share a direct link:
Open your video in Panopto, click the “Share” button, and copy the provided link. You can adjust permissions here to make sure your intended audience can view the video.
To embed a video:
Click the “Share” button, then select “Embed.” Panopto will generate an embed code you can copy and paste into Canvas pages, assignments, or any website that supports HTML embeds. This is a great way to keep your course content organized and accessible right where students need it.
Just remember: Always double-check your sharing settings to ensure your audience has access!
Accessibility at Panopto’s Core
One of Panopto’s standout features is the accessibility of its editor and its player. By default at WWU, every video uploaded or recorded to Panopto automatically receives machine-created transcription for its captions that are editable for corrections. This make lectures more inclusive and searchable for students. Panopto also supports audio descriptions (for parts of the video without spoken words), where faculty can add in a description that can be machine readable, ensuring that all students, including those with visual impairments, can access and understand any piece of content in any video.
Key Features for Faculty
- Transcripts & Captions: Automatic, editable captions and transcripts for every video.
- Audio Descriptions: These are not enabled until a faculty adds the description to a point within a video. But once done, the AD button will be enabled within the Panopto player, which will further enhance accessibility for visually-impaired students.
I’m in! How do I enable Panopto?
To enable Panopto in your Canvas course navigation, head to your course’s Settings, then select the “Navigation” tab. From there, you’ll see a list of available navigation items. Simply drag “Panopto Video” from the hidden items section up into your active course navigation list. Don’t forget to click “Save” at the bottom of the page. Panopto will now appear in your course menu, making it easy for you and your students to access and use all its video features.
Hey! My students are saying they can’t see a video I have in my course.
If your students report that they can’t see a Panopto video or are being prompted to log in, don’t worry!
First, check your Panopto sharing settings for the video in question; sometimes, the permissions may restrict access to only certain users or groups. Another frequent cause is linking to a video stored in a Canvas course folder from a previous term. Canvas course folders in Panopto are specific to the enrollment of each term. Meaning, only students enrolled in that particular term can access those videos from that term. If you try to link content from a past course folder, your current students won’t have access. To avoid this, CII offers the open Panopto Video Library course option. This dedicated library lets you organize and share videos across multiple terms and courses, ensuring future students can always access your content.
Ok, but I did that! AND they still say they can’t see my linked/embedded videos?
Panopto requires students to have an authentication “token” from Canvas in the same browser session where they’re accessing Panopto. While Canvas and Panopto share login credentials, they are two separate systems on the web; so students need to be properly authenticated in both. This issue comes up commonly with new WWU students who have never logged into Panopto before. Even if they’re logged into Canvas—Panopto will prompt them to authenticate the first time they access a video. Once they follow the prompt and log in with their WWU credentials, they’ll be set for your course and any other WWU courses using Panopto. Just on another geeky-note, this can also affect non-matriculating or summer students, or anyone who hasn’t previously accessed Panopto.
If students are having trouble viewing linked or embedded videos, share the “Student Panopto Re-authenticate Walkthrough” video guide as it quickly walks them through the steps to log in and resolve access issues quickly.
On the flip-side: Student Primer for using Panopto in Canvas
Panopto isn’t just a faculty tool—students at Western use it for submitting assignments, collaborating on projects, and building digital skills for the classroom and beyond. Here’s how students can get started and make the most of Panopto…
Submitting Video Assignments:
When an instructor sets up a Panopto Assignment Folder, students can record or upload their videos directly to that folder. This keeps submissions organized and secure. Students can use Panopto’s web-based Capture tool (works in most browsers) or the standalone app to record presentations, demonstrations, or group projects.
Editing & Enhancing Videos:
Students now have editing access in Panopto, giving them an easy way to trim clips, adjust slides from their slide deck (if recorded using the Panopto desktop app), and even insert additional media, like referencing and directly streaming a YouTube video in their recording, to polish their work before submitting. This lightweight editing approach helps students deliver more professional, engaging video assignments without needing advanced editing software.
WWU, ATUS, & CII Resources
- ATUS | Panopto Video Management System
- ATUS | Submitting a Panopto Video via a Canvas Assignment
- TLCo-Op | Panopto posts
- WWU Teaching Handbook | Panopto Video Management System @ WWU