Digital Education Support

Blackboard Ultra: How to Create a Panopto Video Assignment

If you are taking part in the Blackboard Ultra Courses Pilot, you will be using the Panopto Video Assignment Folders feature. This helpsheet will take you through the process of creating a Panopto Video Assignment Folder through which students can submit videos as part of an assessment. When you have successfully set up an assignment folder, students on your module will be provided with access to the recording tools needed to create or upload a video in Panopto and submit to the module for an instructor to grade. 

Setting up your Panopto Assignment in Blackboard Ultra requires two simple steps: Creating an Assignment Folder and Creating a Submission Point.

Note: this helpsheet is for staff users on the Blackboard Ultra Course Pilot only, and does not refer to courses on Blackboard Learn Original.

Step 1: Creating an Assignment Folder

An assignment folder is a subfolder that shares a user list with its parent folder. Those with Viewer access to the parent folder have the ability to record and upload videos to the assignment folder. 

1. Navigate to your Blackboard Module and open the Panopto interface, we have templated this link to be found in the ‘Module Resources’ folder. This will open your parent folder (the module folder).

2. In the parent folder, select the settings cog wheel icon in the upper right corner to open the folders’ Settings menu.

3. Expand the Overview tab, and then under the Assignment Folder section, select Create Assignment Folder.
4. A link to the new assignment folder will automatically appear with the parent folder’s name and the word assignments in brackets next to it.

Any student enrolled on your Blackboard Module will be able to record and upload videos to the assignments folder, as well as be able to edit and delete their own videos, however they will not be able to see any other user’s videos in the folder, unless you amend the folder settings to allow this.

Once the due date has passed, you need to close the Panopto Assignment Folder. Closing your assignment folder is the method for preventing any further submissions to be made by students; up until the folder being closed, students can record to, amend and edit their video within the folder, meaning that you do not need to clear accidental submissions where a student would like to upload a newer version. This is detailed at the end of the helpsheet, as is only required once students have submitted.

“Can I rename the folder to make it clear which assignment students are submitting for?”

Yes. Whilst Panopto will automatically create your Panopto Assignment Folder, you can rename this if you want to make it clear to students that this is for a specific assessment piece, to do this please complete the following steps.

1. Navigate to your Blackboard Module and open the Panopto interface, we have templated this link to be found in the ‘Module Resources’ folder. This will open your parent folder (the module folder).

2. In the parent folder, open your assignment folder that has been created, and then click the settings cog icon in the top right of the interface.

3. In the Overview Tab, under the Folder Information heading, select Edit next to the folder title and enter your assignment name.

Note: We recommend that you keep the [assignments] text so that it is clear to students that they should record or upload to this folder.

Step 2: Creating a Submission Point

As with any kind of Assignment, we need to create a submission point for students to upload their work, which will also create a column in the grade centre.

1. In your Blackboard Ultra course that you want to create a video assignment for, select the plus + icon in the Course Content section.

2. Under the Assessment section in the Create Item pop-out menu, select Assignment.

3. Create the assignment as you would normally in Blackboard, you should give students clear instructions on what the assignment is and how they submit a video assignment. The assignment information will be bespoke to your module, however we recommend you copy and paste the below text:

This is a Panopto Video Assignment. In order to complete your video assignment, you can use Panopto to record and edit your video, or you can create this in a tool of your choice and then upload the video to the Panopto Assignment Folder before completing your submission. It is important you follow the submission process carefully, please use the following Helpsheet Available on the Learning at Lincoln Blog (Web Link) which will show you how to complete the submission step by step. Note: You must upload your video to the correct folder, this will have ‘[assignments]’ appended to the title. If you require any support with this submission, please contact the Digital Education Team by emailing digitaleducation@lincoln.ac.uk.

4. Assignment Settings can be customised as usual to indicate the:
   • Due Date.
   • Maximum Points Available (usually 100).
   • Number of Attempts Allowed.
5. When you are happy with your assignment, click Save. Students can now begin to submitting.

Step 3A: Once Students have Submitted: Closing an Assignment Folder 

Closing your assignment folder is the method for preventing any further submissions to be made by students; up until the folder being closed, students can record to, amend and edit their video within the folder, meaning that you do not need to clear accidental submissions where a student would like to upload a newer version.

Once the deadline for the assignment has been reached, you should close the assignments folder, to do this please complete the following steps:

1. Navigate to your Blackboard Module and open the Panopto interface, we have templated this link to be found in the ‘Module Resources’ folder. This will open your parent folder (the module folder).

2. In the parent folder (not the assignment folder), select the settings cog wheel icon in the upper right corner to open the folders’ Settings menu.
3. Underneath Assignment Folder on the Overview tab, select Close.

Note: Closing an assignment folder prevents viewers of this folder from accessing and adding content to the assignment folder. The assignment folder and its content will remain accessible to you as a creator. You can open a new assignment folder when needed by repeating section 1, Creating an Assignment Folder.

Step 3B: Once Students have Submitted: Marking an Assignment

There are a range of different ways to access the Gradebook in Ultra, this helpsheet will detail the default approach. Once your due date has passed, all students have submitted to the folder, and you are ready to begin marking, please follow these steps:

1. In your Blackboard Ultra course, click the ‘Gradebook’ tab at the top of your module page.

2. Within the Gradebook, you can choose to either view a gradable items list or a student grid.
3. In the gradable items list, which is your default view, locate the assessment you wish to begin marking and click on the title.

4. Select the submission that you want to grade first.

5. This will present you with the students submission. The Panopto Video will appear in the Submission Content tab, as an embedded video, which you can simply click play to review. You can then enter a grade in the box in the top right of the screen, and any feedback for the student.

6. When you are ready to make grades available to students, so that they can review feedback and see how they performed on the assessment, you will need to choose to Post individually or Post to all. Post appears next to each grade that you haven’t released yet. You can choose which grades to post and when. Posted grades appear with a Posted message in the column. You can also grade all submissions for an item in succession and then select Post all grades to release all grades in one action.