Integrating the Library into Canvas Courses

Videos from Alexander Street (ASV) can be integrated into Canvas courses in two ways:

1. Embedded using the Alexander Street app from Canvas
2. Linked on a Page, just like articles and ebooks

Option 1: Embed a video from Alexander Street using the Canvas app

1. Check to see if the Alexander Street Video app is installed in the Settings area of your Canvas course. Find out how to install apps in Canvas in this video tutorial.
   • If Canvas asks for a Consumer Key and Secret please contact Liz Svoboda (esvoboda@umich.edu).
2. Navigate to the page in your course where you want to embed the video.
3. Click the App tool (looks like an electrical plug) on the rich text box's tool bar and select Alexander Street Video from the drop down. 
   
4. Search for the video you want to embed. It is best to have the exact title and possibly the production company or director because the box to view results is smaller in Canvas.
   
5. Choose how you want to embed the video. Each result will have three embed options: "Return Link" creates a rich text link while "Embed medium size" or "Embed large size" puts the media player entirely within the page.
6. The video should now be embedded within your page!

Option 2: Create a stable, proxied rich text link

To create a rich text link to a video, you will need to create a stable, proxied link to it. On an ASV video page you need to click "Share" in the top toolbar and then click the "Copy Permalink" button that will appear.

A window will pop up with the permalink for you to copy. The permalink typically does not have the library proxy string attached, so you will need to add it to the beginning of the permalink: https://libproxy.umflint.edu/login?url=https://video.alexanderstreet.com/watch/dog?account_id=14584&usage_group_id=95891.

You are now ready to create a rich text link on a Canvas page.

Here is what both the rich text link and the embedded media look like in a Canvas page.

Streaming films from Kanopy can be integrated into Canvas courses in two ways:

1. Linked to a course through a stable, proxied rich text link on a Page, exactly as a article and ebooks can be
2. Embedded with Kanopy's embed code - ONLY PLAYS ON FIREFOX BROWSER off campus or if student has created a personal Kanopy account.

Option 1: Create a stable, proxied rich text link

Creating a stable proxied link is the BEST way to share Kanopy's films with students as it should work with all internet browsers.

1. On a Kanopy video page, click the "Share" button below the media player and video information.
2. Copy the link and add the proxy string to the beginning of the provided link, so that your link looks like this: https://libproxy.umflint.edu/login?url=https://umflint.kanopy.com/video/puppies-and-senior-dogs.
3. You can now create a rich text link on your Canvas page.

Option 2: Embed a film using the Kanopy embed code and Canvas's rich text editor

Embedded Kanopy films will only play if you are using the Firefox internet browser or if the students have created a personal account with the Kanopy database. We STRONGLY suggest that you use a rich text link to share Kanopy's content.

1. On a Kanopy video page you need to click the "Embed" button below the media player and video information. 
2. After copying the Kanopy code, open up the Canvas page in which you want to embed the film.
3. Under the Canvas rich text box, click the "</>" icon to switch to the HTML editor.
4. Paste in the embed code and then click the "</>" icon to switch back to the rich text editor.
5. Your film is now embedded and will either prompt students to login, possibly in a pop up window, or will remember their IP address and play the film without them logging in.

Here is what both a the rich text link and the embedded media look like in a Canvas page.

Besides Alexander Street Video and Kanopy, other library databases have video content that you might want to use in your class. The most consistent way to include this content is by creating stable proxied hyperlinks in rich text. 

Just as with linking to textual articles or ebooks, you should look for persistent links and make sure they are proxied to ensure that students will have access no matter what their browser configurations are. See the Link to Library Texts section of this guide for information on finding and creating persistent, proxied links.

The following are just a few examples of databases with video content. More can be found through our A-Z Database list as well.