Guide - Kaltura for Blackboard

Overview

This article serves as an in-depth guide to the three Kaltura tools available for students in Blackboard. If you only need assistance with Assignment upload, please visit this guide: Need a simpler guide to submit an Assignment? Click Here.

What is Kaltura?

Kaltura is the university's video hosting service, accessible through Blackboard.

Who has access to Kaltura?

• Students
• Faculty

Kaltura Tools Available to Students and Faculty:

Kaltura offers a suite of tools to both students and faculty. These tools are called:

• Kaltura My Media - My Media is the central pillar of the three Kaltura tools. Videos can be uploaded from your phone, or recorded using Capture/Express Capture.
• Kaltura Capture - downloadable app for Mac and PC, used to record your webcam, audio and screen. 
• Kaltura Express Capture - browser based app for recording webcam and audio.

In this article, we will explore these three tools, go through the basic functions of each.

Kaltura My Media

Kaltura My Media serves as a central hub for students and faculty to manage and access multimedia content related to their academic work. It's essentially your personal video and audio repository, and the central pillar for both Kaltura Capture and Kaltura Express Capture.

You cannot submit assignments from the My Media screens, or any of the My Media sub-screens. Assignments can only be submitted directly to a Blackboard assignment within a course. Refer to the article above for Kaltura Assignment submission.

Key features:

• Storage: Provides a space to store your media content. Upload your presentations, videos, and other course-related content for easy access.
• Home base for accessing Capture, Express Capture, Uploading, and your recordings.
• Recording and uploading assignments: Record and upload assignments like presentations or video essays directly to Kaltura My Media.

Accessing My Media

To access My Media:

1. First, sign into Blackboard (class.usa.edu)

2. In the left hand navigation, click on Tools.

3. Then click the My Media tile:

4. The My Media Page will open:

Add New Button

The add new button is where you can upload or create new videos:

• Media Upload - Upload videos from your own device (MAC, PC, or mobile device)
• Express Capture - Record quick webcam videos
• Kaltura Capture - Record screen, webcam, and audio

Viewing Videos

To watch a previously uploaded video, click on the thumbnail or title, and you will be brough to the player screen.

Editing Videos

Details on how to edit videos in Kaltura can be found on Kaltura's website here.

Kaltura Capture

Kaltura Capture is a desktop application that allows you to record videos and audio directly from your computer. Capture is only available on Mac and PC computers.

Key features:

• Desktop application: Requires installation on your computer.  
• Includes options for screen recording, webcam recording, and audio recording.  
• Allows for easy upload of recordings directly into Blackboard.

Student Use Cases:

• Record your webcam and screen for a Blackboard Assignment
• Record your webcam and screen for a Blackboard Discussion Board
• Save your videos to you Blackboard account for future use

Downloading and Installing Kaltura Capture

Kaltura Capture must be downloaded prior to use, and is downloaded from Blackboard. Please click here for step-by-step instructions on how to install this tool.

Using Kaltura Capture

Once installed, Kaltura Capture is launched from the same screen it was downloaded from. Please see the guide below for step-by-step instructions:

Kaltura Capture Recording Interface

The Capture interface allows you to:

• Start/Stop your recording - Record button
• Enable/Disable Webcam Recording - Camera Switch
• Enable/Disable Screen recording - Screen Switch
• Enable/Disable Audio recording - Mic Switch
• Manage your uploads - Manage button

The image below contained the labels of the buttons named above. To the right of each name is a down arrow that can be used to make further adjustments to your recording, like the camera, video, or audio sources.

Camera Button, Detailed View:

Completing Your Recording

After you ‘stop’ your recording, you will be directed to the entry page where you can enter a title and a description. Click Save & Upload, and your recording will be automatically uploaded into My Media.

Kaltura Express Capture

Kaltura Express Capture is a web-based tool that allows you to record video and audio content directly from your browser. It's a simple and convenient way to create and upload videos without needing to install additional software.  

Key features:

• Browser-based: No need to download and install a separate application.  
• Easy to use: A straightforward interface with a "record" button for quick access.  
• Direct upload: Videos are uploaded directly to your Kaltura account.  
• No advanced editing: Primarily designed for quick, simple recordings.  

Student Use Cases:

• Record audio and webcam for an assignment
• Record audio and webcam for a discussion

Using Kaltura Express Capture

To open:

1. Access Blackboard.

2. Click Tools in the left menu.

3. Click My Media

4. Click Add New->Express Capture

5. The Record Media Page is displayed:

6. Click on the arrow to select the source camera (if you have multiple cameras) or audio device (if you have multiple audio devices) and to turn the camera/audio/screen capture on/off.

7. Click on the arrow next to the camera to display the available cameras and the on/off toggle for the camera.

8. Select the camera type.

9. Click the Record button to begin your recording. A three second countdown window is displayed.
10. Start Recording.

11. Click the Stop button to end your recording. The following window is displayed:

12. Choose Record Again to retake the recording or Use This to use the current recording. Record Again discards the current recording. You will be reverted to the Record button where you can retake the recording. Select Use This when you are satisfied with your recording (after as many retakes as needed), to upload to Kaltura. The Upload window is displayed. Videos can also be downloaded by clicking Download a Copy.