Add a MediaSpace recording to a Brightspace course
Why should I use MediaSpace when the video is going into a Brightspace course?
The answer is quite simple, really. Brightspace (or many other places we store files like OneDrive) are not optimized for serving up media files. It takes a long time to process the files and playback is generally too slow to be acceptable.
Services like MediaSpace or YouTube are built specifically to offer up media files in the fastest, most efficient way possible. So why not just post to YouTube? Well, you can, but MediaSpace is more privacy oriented and there are no commercials.
There are two ways to add media. Which way is better?
You can embed your media file in Brightspace or you can post the URL to the file. They both work, but which is better?
Embedding MediaSpace files into Brigtspace using the Insert Stuff function of the Brightspace Editor is by far the cooler way to embed MediaSpace files. Instead of posting a link that the viewer has to click, the video or audio files shows up right on the Brightspace page. Embedding the media file has several benefits over posting a link:
- People will be able to play the recording right from within Brightspace. If you share a standard link to the file, selecting that link will open another browser window and take people from Brightspace to MediaSpace to play the recording. That's ok, but it's just a bit more usable to embed the files if you can.
- You can publish your files as Private and still embed them into Brightspace courses using Insert Stuff. That means the only way anyone can access your files is through your Brightspace course.
- Accessing MediaSpace's My Media through Brightspace is extremely convenient and quick.
- If you embed, you do not have to visit MediaSpace to add the video. If you post the link, you need to visit MediaSpace to copy the URL.
Adding MediaSpace videos and audios to a Brightspace course
How to embed the media file
There are a number of places in Brightspace where you have access to the built-in HTML editor. As a student, you use this editor when you submit posts to Discussion topics and papers to Assignment folders. Instructors use the editor for other purposes, such as adding a topic to a module in the course's Content tool. Anywhere you have access to that editor, you have access to the Insert Stuff button. It is the first button in the horizontal row of buttons at the top of the editor (Fig 1). To insert a file from your MediaSpace account:
- Select the Insert Stuff button in the Brightspace HTML Editor
- Select My Media from the Insert Stuff choices (you might have to scroll down to see it), click the Select to the right of the file you want to insert, and select the Next button.
- Select the Insert button
- The next button you select to complete the process will depend on where you are in Brightspace. If you are an instructor adding a content topic to the table of contents of your course, you will select the Publish button. If you are submitting a post to a discussion topic, you will select the Post button. If you are submitting a file to an assignment folder, you will select the Submit button.
Sharing a link to the media file
If you publish your MediaSpace files as Unlisted, you can provide anyone, even someone without a MediaSpace account on our system, with a link to the file. This URL can be used and shared within Brightspace as you would any other link. To copy the link to your file:
- Log into MediaSpace at https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu with your StarID username and password. This will take you to your My Media page.
- Open the recording you want to share. This will take you to that recording's media page.
- Select the Share button and then select Link to Media Page
- Copy the URL listed. Paste that URL anywhere you would normally use a link.
Specific examples
Students
- How to add MediaSpace files to your discussion posts
- How to add MediaSpace files to your assignment folder submissions
- How to add MediaSpace files to quiz responses (coming soon)
Instructors
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