Adding Video in Blackboard

There are multiple ways to add video in Blackboard along with multiple sources of video content, whether you want to make your own videos, use videos from the Internet, or digitize a VHS or DVD . The four main sources of video typically used at UToledo and covered in this article are:

  1. YouTube and other Internet-hosted videos
  2. Echo360 lecture capture videos
  3. MediaSite lecture videos (UToledo College of Business and Innovation only)

This article also covers the use of OneDrive to cloud host large files, such as narrated PowerPoints and videos.

Blackboard maximum course size is 2.45 GB. While it is possible to upload .mp4, .mov, and narrated .ppt files into Blackboard (Bb), these file types tend to be very large, which quickly uses up the finite amount of available Bb course data and can cause time lags and download issues for students. For this reason, we recommend using the cloud or secure server hosting services outlined here to host videos and link to Blackboard. 

If you have students submit video assignments, this also should be done using one of the cloud-hosting services below. Please review this student guide about video assignments, which you can also share with your students when you give the assignment.

YouTube Videos

The Internet is host to a large repository of educational video tutorials and explanations, which can enhance your course in the same way journal articles and links to other sources can. As with any materials published by others, it's important to include a reference area of citations for video content you use for educational purposes. 

The following video will demonstrate the three ways to add YouTube videos to a Blackboard content area. 

  1. Hyperlinks with meaningful text
  2. Mash-ups
  3. Embedded HTML code

If you prefer written instructions for adding YouTube videos, please see the next chapters in this guide about YouTube videos

Instructions for hyperlinking or embedding YouTube videos in Blackboard are universal and applicable to other sources of video available on the Internet, such as Vimeo or any video with a public web link or embed code available.

If you have videos you've created yourself and have your own channel in YouTube or Vimeo, you can use these instructions to link your own videos, as well.  If you prefer non-public access to your video content, continue on in this guide for additional options for private video hosting, such as Echo360 and OneDrive.

Echo360 Videos Part 1

Echo360 is the primary personal and classroom lecture capture software at The University of Toledo. This  video will only review how to add an Echo link to your Blackboard course or embed Echo videos in your course. If you'd like to learn more about Echo360, including how to download personal capture software and record or upload your videos in the Echo360 platform, please see the Echo360 Faculty Guide.

If you have copyrighted content you need hosted electronically, putting it on YouTube would be a copyright infringement. UToledo Online can help! Whether you need a VHS or DVD digitized or something high-quality produced in-house, you can submit a request for multimedia services and host your content in Echo360, enabling you to use links and embed codes to add these videos to your secure Blackboard environment while protecting copyright, as unlike YouTube videos, Echo videos cannot be downloaded.

Echo360 Videos Part 2

Image of course link

Select the course content link for the area to add the video.

Image of build content and item

1. Select Build Content.

2. Select Item.

Image of text box for name and plus sign in a circle

1. Provide a Name of the video.

2. Select the circle with the plus sign to embed a video.

Image of echo360 video library link

Select the Echo360  Video Library to bring up the Library.

Image of video to select

Select the Video.

Image of next

Select Next.

Image of insert

Select Insert.

Image of submit

Select Submit.

OneDrive Cloud Hosting

If you have narrated PowerPoints or other large files, including .mp4 and .mov video files, these often pose problems in the Blackboard course environment due to course size limitations and lag time for student downloads. One solution for this is to cloud host this content in your OneDrive and then provide links to it in Blackboard. Active faculty, staff, and students are provided 1 TB of storage in OneDrive through their Office365 accounts administered by Information Technology. Please see the UToledo IT page about OneDrive, which includes a video overview and OneDrive user guides, for more information. 

To access OneDrive, you will need to log in to office365.utoledo.edu with your UTAD credentials. OneDrive is administratively supported by IT. For technical issues with OneDrive, help tickets should go to [email protected]. If your support needs are related to Blackboard integration, contact UToledo Online at [email protected]

Tip: Once you've uploaded your video to OneDrive and generated the link to it, use the instructions for hyperlinking videos found in the YouTube video above or in the YouTube guide.

Wowza Media Server Videos

The Wowza Media Server is in the process of being sunset. If you currently have copyrighted content on the Wowza Media Server, you will need to migrate this content to Echo360 prior to the server's end of life. Please contact UToledo Online's multimedia designer if you need assistance. 

MediaSite Videos

MediaSite is the lecture capture used by the College of Business and Innovation (CoBI) at UToledo. While it works very similarly to Echo360, use of this service requires login credentials for both faculty and students and is administratively supported by CoBI. If you are CoBI faculty and wish to integrate MediaSite videos in your Blackboard course, please see the training videos in MediaSite (login required), the training materials on the CoBI website,  or your department chair.

UToledo Online does not have access to MediaSite or any of their support documentation. If you need technical support for this service, please login to MediaSite to access that information or contact your department chair in CoBI.