Creating and using video assignments
By adding video assignments in LaunchPad, you can create assignments that allow students to comment on, upload, and/or score (using a rubric) videos that you or they upload. You can also add videos from our expansive Video Central library. The information below covers some basic assignment suggestions and tips for working with video. For more information about the Video Assignments feature, see Create a Video Assignment.
Assignment Suggestions
Critique a Video
Embed a video from YouTube or from another source. In your instructions, provide discussion questions. Require students to add 2-3 comments on the video that respond to the prompt. You may grade this assignment with a rubric.
Explain an Assignment
Some projects are complicated because they involve a lot of choice and many stages. Record yourself explaining the project, and upload the video to the Video Assignment tool. Require students to comment by asking a question or by proposing a topic.
Use a Video as a Reflection Starter
Assign one or more videos from the Resources panel; ask students to view the video and then respond to a writing prompt that you’ve composed. Use the video to prompt students to reflect on their own writing processes, practices, or experiences. For example, assign the video “Highlighting and Annotating” and then ask students to write one or two brief paragraphs about their reading process and their view of the benefits of marking up a text.
Audio Book Assignment
Hearing a text read aloud as well as practicing reading aloud can often help struggling readers. Use the video tool assignment to require students to record themselves reading a passage aloud. Tutorial: Audio Editing with Audacity provides guidelines for using one type of audio-capturing software, but other tools are available, including some for smartphones. You might choose to grade this assignment with a simple pass/fail rubric.
Recorded Presentation Assignment
If your course includes a required public speech, encourage students to work through Tutorial: Presentations. Record their practice and/or final presentations. If you have recorded on behalf of students, distribute the files so that students can upload their own speech. They can add self-reflective comments about their performance. You may grade this assignment with a rubric.
Video Composition Assignment
If you require students to compose videos, they may upload their projects for grading using this tool. Rubric tools are available.
File Size Considerations
Please check the user guide for the most complete instructions.
To effectively use this tool, the following specifications are required:
- Supported file types: avi, flv, mov, mpeg, mpg, mp4, m4v, qt, wmv, 3gp
- Note: For now, we support only YouTube embeds. Other embeds will be available in the future.
- Supported file size: up to 600 MB
Compression Guidelines
Before uploading, instructors and students should compress video files for these settings:
- File format: .mov or .mp4
- Codec: H.264
- Resolution: 640 x 360
- Bitrate: (smaller is better – the drop-down should have choices)
FREE software for compressing video
| Platform | Software | Discussion |
|---|---|---|
| Mac only | iMovie | If you are in iMovie, export your video using the lowest quality option. You can also change the video type to .avi or .qt for streaming. |
| Mac and Windows | Handbrake | Open source, trusted, for Windows or Mac (rated “excellent” by CNET editors) |
| Windows | Freemake Video Convertor |