Asynchronous Teaching Using Canvas and Panopto

Asynchronous teaching leverages pre-recorded lectures published in a place where students enrolled in the course can easily access them to flip the classroom. Panopto, Wharton's recording tool, allows instructors to seamlessly capture, edit, and upload video to Canvas.

Before You Start

You will need the following before you can complete this task:

Admin access to your device (to install the app) or Panopto Recorder App
A published Canvas site
Classroom Recording tab (in Canvas) visible to students

Before You Record

Recording a lecture is a very different experience from delivering a lecture in the classroom. Even if you've given the same lecture dozens of times before, it behooves you to do some planning before you hit Record.

Suggestions and Recommendations

Keep recordings 6-15 minutes in length to keep students engaged and allow for adequate breaks.
Script ahead of time, or at least create an outline to best organize your thoughts.
Consider different means of collaboration and participation, such as discussion posts.
Initiate a test recording to become comfortable with the application's features. Place the test recording in your personal folder so students don't have access to it.
Plan how you will handle any mistakes you make during the recording. You can:
- Acknowledge the mistake and move on, as you would in class
- Edit out the error prior to making it available to students
- Discard the recording and start all over again

Download the Panopto Recorder

Verify that the Panopto Recorder isn't already installed on your machine by checking your applications folder/Start Menu or using your operating system's search function.

If it isn't installed on your machine, download the app by clicking on this link, and then click on the blue Create button.

Panopto should recognize your Operating System.

If the system is yours, click on your Operating System and then choose Download Panopto.

If it isn't installed on your machine, download the app using this link.
1. Click on the Download Panopto link to the far right
Panopto should recognize your Operating System. If the system is yours, click Download Panopto.
If your operating system is not listed below the Download Panopto button, choose Click here for other download options and select your operating system from the options listed.If your operating system is not listed below the Download Panopto button, choose Click here for other download options and select your operating system from the options listed.
Click the Download Panopto button, and save the install file.
Run the executable install file from your browser download folder.

Starting a Recording

Log into the Canvas site where you'd like this video to live.
Click Class Recordings on the Courses menu:
Click the blue Create button in the upper right corner.
Click Record a new session:

The Panopto application will launch. Follow the instructions below for your operating system to record and upload a video.

Mac Instructions

Windows Instructions

Since you downloaded and installed the Panopto Recorder app already, you can click the Open Panopto Recorder button on the popup at the top of the page. If the popup didn't appear, you will need to change your browser settings to allow popups:
The Panopto app will launch. Click the Open a Presentation button to locate and open your PowerPoint:
At the top of the screen is the folder into which your video will be saved. By default, it is set to the Canvas site from which you launched Panopto. You can change this by clicking on the Folder list and selecting another folder, just be sure your students have access to that folder. Any test recordings should be routed to My Folder.
Before you hit the big, red Record button there are a few options you should know about.
The Panopto app is capable of recording three sources simultaneously:
- Primary Source - Listed at the left of the app window, this source is your webcam, or other attached camera, and microphone.
- Secondary Sources - By default, the first secondary source is PowerPoint (You can check or uncheck the box next to Capture PowerPoint to indicate whether you'd like to capture the slides). You can also record another monitor if you wish, though we recommend you stick with recording your PowerPoint and webcam.
  If you only want to record your PowerPoint and not your webcam (recommended and explained in steps below), click on the Video menu and select None.
Leave the Capture PowerPoint option checked and click the red Record button.
Switch to your PowerPoint presentation and start the slide show.
When you're finished with your lecture, switch back to the Panopto app and click the Stop button.
If you're satisfied with your recording, enter a name for your video in the Session name, a description, and then click the Done button. Alternatively, you can click the Delete and Record Again button to delete this recording and start a new one.
The Manage Recordings tab will open. Here you will see the upload status of the new recording in the Status / Link column. If a recording is still processing, do not click the Delete Local button, as that will completely delete the recording and stop the upload.
Your video is now listed in the Class Recordings tab of the Canvas site you uploaded it to.

Recording Best Practices

Use a reliable headset with a microphone. It will improve the audio capture, which is a critical component of recording capture.
Close any applications you don’t want to share with your class.
Verify your background conditions using your camera:
- Avoid bright background lights
- Check that the image isn't too dark to see you.
- Remove distracting items from the background.
Open all applications you want captured before you begin the recording to avoid having to pause the recording to find them.
Name recordings uniquely and be as consistent with the naming convention as possible. Consider: Course - Section - Class or Week # - Lesson Title - Video #. The video number should reflect which video it is in the lesson series.
- Example: MKTG 101 - Section 001 - Virtual Class 1 - Developing Your Marketing Strategy - Video 1

Managing Your Recordings

Recording Availability

After a recording has been uploaded to Canvas, you'll be able to adjust the beginning and end dates of its visibility to students.

Hover over the newly uploaded recording.
Click the Settings button.
On the Overview tab, scroll to the Availability section at the bottom.
Adjust the availability start date by selecting the radio button of the option with the customizable date field and update the date and time fields accordingly.
Adjust the availability end date by selecting the radio button of the option with the customizable date field and update the date.

Copying a Recording

Click Manage > Copy
While the copy is processing, go to its Overview and edit the Folder name, choosing or typing the name of the desired target Canvas course site.
Click Save, which moves the newly created copy to that other course's Class Recordings.
1. You may need to first click Class Recordings again in that target Canvas course to see the moved video.
2. For semester-long viewing dates, choose With its folder for start and end.

Questions?

For assistance with downloading the app, contact your academic support representative
Request help with using the Panopto Recorder app by emailing class-tech@wharton.upenn.edu