Multimedia submissions in MyBeckett Ultra

When would I use method 1?

• For work that consists of slides with narration and webcam video.
• The student will create a PowerPoint presentation and then use the recording feature of PowerPoint to add video of their head and shoulders to a corner of the slide and audio narration.
• The student will export the slides with video/audio to an MP4 video file on their own hard disk.
• The student will access the test and will embed their MP4 file into the text region of the submission page using Panopto Video Submission tool.

To avoid common pitfalls:

• Please do not ask students to separately upload their PowerPoint file to the test– it will be huge and markers will find it near impossible to download all the student’s work.
• Please do not ask students to upload the PowerPoint file to Turnitin. It will be huge because of the embedded video and Turnitin cannot provide a useful originality report for slides.

When would I use method 2?

• For slides with narration but no embedded video. Best method for accessibility.
• The student will create a PowerPoint presentation and then use the recording feature of PowerPoint to add audio narration.
• The student will access the test and upload their PowerPoint file as an attachment.

To avoid common pitfalls:

• Make it clear to students that they must not record video onto their slides, only audio.
• Please do not ask students to upload the PowerPoint file to Turnitin. It is inappropriate for textual originality analysis and Turnitin is unable to adequately present slides for the insertion of feedback. 

When would I use method 3?

• For a single video file created by student in various ways – screen capture, video camera recording, animation software etc. This may be technically demanding for students, depending on the type of video.
• The student will create a video file in one of a limited number of file formats and compression algorithms according to your instructions.
• The student will access the test and will embed their video file into the text region of the submission page using Panopto Video Submission tool.
• Whatever software you instruct students to use, you will need to also provide training, not merely instructions on how to use it. It is crucial that students are able to create a video file that is sufficiently compressed to make it practical for them to upload with the Panopto Video Submission tool. 

To avoid common pitfalls:

• Please instruct students to use the Panopto Video Submission tool and not to upload the video as a file attachment.

When would I use method 4?

• For an audio recording.
• Students will create an audio file using instructions you provide.
• Students will upload their audio file to a test as an attachment.

To avoid common pitfalls:

• There are many audio formats and compression algorithms. Please make sure that students are trained to understand how to produce their audio such that markers will be able to play it. 

Once you have selected an assessment method you can follow the steps below to copy ready-made resources into your module.

Self-enrol on the relevant resource module:

a. Identify which multimedia submission method meets your requirements.

b. In MyBeckett, click Communities and open the All Staff Community.

c. Navigate to the Enrolment Tools section to locate the LBU Self Enrol tool.

d. Click on the Search Resource Modules button.

e. From the list of resource modules, select and the appropriate module e.g.

• Ultra Resource - Multimedia Submission Method 1
• Ultra Resource - Multimedia Submission Method 2
• Please note, Multimedia Submission Method 3 or 4 resources are under development for MyBeckett Ultra. If you need either of these options, please contact the Library's Digital Learning team (contact details are at the bottom of this page).

f. This will enrol you on the relevant resource module so that you can copy content into your MyBeckett Ultra module.

Copy content into your MyBeckett Ultra module:

a. Open the MyBeckett module in which you want to set up a multimedia assignment for your students.

b. Click the three dots at the top right of the module.

c. Click Copy Items.

d. Search your module list for the Ultra Resource - Multimedia Submission Method module that you self-enrolled on.

e. Click on the name of the resource module.

f. Click Content.

g. Tick the box to the left of the Method X Multimedia Submission item. Don't worry about the version number that appears at the end of the name.

h. Click Start Copy.

i. The copied content will appear at the bottom of your module content page. It will be hidden from students.

Editing the copied resource content in your module:

Assessment design challenges

When designing your assessment please consider the accessibility needs of both your students and markers. Multimedia presents additional challenges for accessibility, especially video. 

PowerPoint presentations containing embedded video present the greatest difficulties for students and markers with disabilities. This is because the PowerPoint files themselves are huge and are nearly impossible to distribute from students to markers but the process of converting to streaming video on Panopto renders the text content of slides inaccessible to users with visual impairments. 

PowerPoint presentations containing audio only narrations are easily distributed and provide a high level of accessibility. This is because these PowerPoint files are small enough to submit without any conversion process and markers can access them using PowerPoint itself which is a highly accessible software application. It is fairly easy to convert the audio content of the slides to transcripts for hearing impaired markers. 

A note about adaptations

If you need to use a different submission method for some students for accessibility reasons, e.g. a non-video submission for a student with visual impairment, you can import a different one of our resource packages. You will need to take steps to ensure that the right students use the right instructions and MyBeckett test using release conditions.  

Choosing an appropriate multimedia submission method:

• If your assignment corresponds to one of the four standard methods, you can set this up by following the instructions in this guide. 
• If you are able to adjust the requirements of your module to match one of the four standard methods, especially method 2, you may save considerable effort. 
• If your multimedia assignment cannot be adapted to one of the standard methods please seek help from the Library's Digital Learning team before the module starts. We may be able to help you create a custom method if enough time has been allowed.

Avoiding technical challenges: 

The main reason that we recommend selecting one of the methods outlined in this guide is to help you avoid some of the common pitfalls that can occur in multimedia assignments.

• Multimedia files  huge and therefore very difficult to transfer between students and markers.
• There are lots of different video encoding schemes.
• Video does not play well if hosted on ordinary web servers.
• Students may need to use multiple software tools in combination. 
• Multimedia submissions tend to be large and can take quite a long time to upload.

• Please provide students with ethical guidance appropriate for the subject area. Topics will include:
  • Respect for copyright.
  • Respect for privacy and confidentiality.
  • Use of consent forms.
  • Health and safety.
• Our standard methods 1 and 2 provide students with a links to instructions on how to include narration with or without embedded video in PowerPoint. However, for methods 3 and 4 it is up to you to provide students with training with whatever tools you recommend for them to create their video or audio files.
• Please do not overestimate student’s prior skills with multimedia production. In some IT work trial and error is a reasonable strategy – but NOT with multimedia production.  There are too many ways to go wrong.
• Since many staff are familiar with using Panopto to record lectures they sometimes tell students to also use it to create their video material.  Our experience is that many students find Panopto Recorder for Windows frustrating to use without significant training.
• Please consider recommending much simpler software for video creation – for example;
  • The screen capture tool built into Windows as standard.
  • A mobile phone recording.
• Unless your course or module includes advanced video production in the learning outcomes don’t expect your students to use video postproduction tools.