Technology

Panopto

Panopto is recording software that enables video capture of a classroom session, or screencasting a lecture directly into video format. It operates through Canvas - anyone with "teacher" access to Canvas can turn on Panopto.

Because recordings made via Panopto are kept on a University server, they are subject to archiving after a few years. If you intend to make videos as part of a permanent library, Panopto is not an optimal solution due to the storage and deletion policies. Panopto was originally conceived as a way to record (especially large) lecture classes so that students missing the lecture for valid reasons (such as band member or athlete participating in a University event) could still witness the class session.

Panopto Clickpath - Canvas

One-time setup

  1. Panopto must first be accessed from the left-side menu. Click SETTINGS and then the NAVIGATION tab. Drag "Panopto Recordings" to the top half of the screen and click SAVE.
  2. Click the Panopto link on the left side navigation.
  3. Click the CREATE button near the top.
  4. You'll be prompted to download the Focus Recorder. After download, run the .exe file on your hard drive.
  5. After install, manually click the Recorder program on your desktop, or otherwise again click the CREATE button within Canvas, and the Recorder will open.

Ongoing method

  1. From within Module, click the Panopto link, and click RECORD to launch the Focus-Recorder (or just launch it from your desktop client).
  2. Adjust inputs (PPT, Screen share) if desired. Verify microphone (and webcam?) is working.
  3. Click the big RECORD button. Speak the lecture as though talking to students.
  4. Click the STOP button when done.
  5. You will be taken to the Status tab. It will upload automatically.
  6.  When it is finished, you will see links to View, Edit, or Share.
  7. Under Share, you can elect to make the video Public (top-right button) and then receive a fully-public URL. This URL can then be deployed in Canvas under Modules or via a link in Pages.
  8. Encoding is quick; even a one-hour lecture should take less than ten minutes.