Understanding the concept of embedding is a valuable and transferable bit of knowledge about media and video management. It is especially important if you are new to working in an online environment as you are building your new skillset.
Embedding seems intimidating to those not used to dealing with HTML code in your LMS, but it is actually very easy and once you have done it once you basically know how to do it from any platform.
Why Embed?
Embedding is like a frame or window to a media item that is hosted somewhere else on the web. The most common item you may see are YouTube videos embedded in a course page or website (like on this one!). Embedding helps your courses feel more visually rich and interactive and keep students within your course pages instead of linking out to another window.
Instead of a basic hyperlink to link to a video like this,
You end up with a frame inside your page the video can play like this:
Many Learning Management Systems (LMS’s) have tools for adding certain types of media, but I think you will find that embedding with the Html code is a consistent experience that will not “break” if the LMS tools update or change.
Anywhere you have the ability to use a web text editor you have the ability to use embedding.
As an “Instructor” or “Author” user in your LMS, you most likely have the ability to edit the HTML in almost every area of your course, including:
- pages
- quiz questions
- discussion prompts
- assignment instructions
- announcements
Students may also use embedding in areas they can write in the course, most commonly in the Discussion Board areas.
The Source Media
Many media services provide embedding abilities, not just video hosting services. You can grab media to embed from:
- Prezi
- Google Docs
- Google Slides
- Padlet
- Soundcloud
- Vimeo
- TedTalks
- PowToon
- Published Infographics
- and many other web-based media hosting services.
You can upload your own content to these services, and embed from there, or you can find useful resources for your course that were made by others as long as the creator has enabled “sharing” options on their content.
Step 1: Copy the Embed Code from the Publishing Platform:
The steps are usually: Share > Embed> Copy
This is an Example From YouTube:
Step 2: Transfer to your Course or Site
The Steps are usually: Edit>HTML toggle>Paste
In the Text Editor, you can switch to HTML view.
In this Example workshop course, as a “student” user, I have access to edit the HTML in the text editor in a discussion board reply.
Voila!
You have rich media in context on your page.
So the next time you are thinking of adding a hyperlink to a video or media resource, ask yourself if it would be a more rich and encased experience for your students to see it embedded on the page instead of linking out to it.
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