Canvas Studio

Canvas Studio Instructor Guide

About Canvas Studio
How to Upload and Manage Media
Sharing Media in Canvas Courses
How to Share in Course Modules
How to Share via the Rich Content Editor (Pages, Announcements, etc)

About Canvas Studio

Canvas Studio is a collaborative media integration licensed for all Caltech Canvas users to create, upload, manage, and deliver video, audio, and YouTube content directly into Canvas courses without impact on course storage limits, eliminating the need for external media tools. Studio allows you to build a content library linked to your personal Canvas account, and your uploaded media can be shared and reused in any Canvas course you teach.

Note that the Studio link in the Course Navigation Menu, if enabled, is not directly accessible to students. It is intended only for instructors and TAs to access and manage course collections, and content must embedded in Modules or another Canvas feature that uses the Rich Content Editor (RCE) in order for students to have access.

How to Upload and Manage Media

Log into Canvas and click Studio in the left-hand Global Navigation menu to access your Studio Library (below). Anything you upload here can be reused across all of your courses.
In the upper right corner, select Create > Add Media to upload a file from your computer or add a YouTube video using YouTube Player for Education. Use Studio Capture to create webcam and/or screen recordings with Chrome/Edge or Firefox/Safari.

Screenshot of a sample Studio Library with the Create dropdown menu

Auto-generated captions are published to all new media uploaded after Oct. 30, 2024. We recommend reviewing captions after your video has processed as they may require editing on critical topics or key words.
After processing (you do not need to remain on the page during processing, but new content will not be accessible until completed), click the title of your media to change it, add a description, adjust settings, or manage captions.
Any media shared in a course is automatically saved in the Course Collections drop-down (below). To create a new collection, click the + to the right of the My Library title bar.

Screenshot of a Canvas Studio Library Course Collections

Sharing Media in Canvas Courses

Canvas Studio media can be shared in courses via Modules, or by embedding in any feature area with the Rich Content Editor (RCE). NOTE: Once you have shared a video within the course using either of these methods, it will be available for Instructors, TAs, and Admin Assistants in that course to manage using the Studio link (left) in the Course Navigation Menu, if enabled.

Students are unable to view the Studio link and may only access media that has been shared in the course using one of the methods below.

How to Share in Course Modules

Click Modules in the left-side Course Navigation Menu. Select a Module or, to create a new Module, click the blue +Module on the upper right (below).
In the title bar at the top of your selected module, click the + on the far right to add an item.

Modules page with Add Item icon outlined

From the pop-out dialogue box, select External Tool from the Add drop-down menu. Locate Canvas Studio and click Add Item from the lower right corner.

Screenshot of the Add Module Item pop-out window

Select a resource from your Canvas Studio library and choose Embed options.

- Media Tabs may include Details, Comments (for class questions and discussions), Insights, and Captions tabs. Learn more in the Canvas Studio Guide.- Allow Media Download permits users to download and view media offline (this option displays only to the media's owner).- Settings (gear icon) adjusts Playback Speed and Quality.- When finished, click Embed Media in the lower right corner to return to the original Add Item dialogue box, and click the Add Item button on the lower right to complete.

FINAL STEP: Back on the Modules page, make sure that the module and the newly added Canvas Studio item are both published—they should have green checkmark icons.

Screenshot of the finished module with the Module publishing menu

- Change the status of the module using the dropdown Module publishing menu, and change the status of individual items by clicking on the gray unpublished icon.- Use the drag handles to the left of the item or module name to reorder.- View the complete Studio guide to adding media to Canvas modules.

How to Share via the Rich Content Editor

You can also share Studio media in areas of Canvas with the Rich Content Editor (RCE), including Pages (e.g., the Home/Welcome page, Syllabus page, Announcements, or any page added to a Module), as well as Assignments, Discussions, and both New and Classic Quizzes.

Below, find steps for using the RCE in Pages to add Studio media. Visit the links above and review the complete Canvas Studio Guide for more information about Instructor tools, Studio video quizzes, and adding media to other Canvas features with the RCE.

Navigate to the Page or feature from which you want to display video from your Canvas Studio library, open or create a new item, and click the Edit button (pencil icon) on the upper right of the screen.
In the RCE toolbar above the editing window (below), click the blue icon of a video monitor with cables, if visible, or click the plug icon (Studio is a plug-in) and select Canvas Studio. You may need to click View All, as the drop-down menu may only display the most recently used tools. If your browser is narrow, some RCE tools may be hidden. Click the 3-dot menu on the far right to find them.

Screenshot of the Rich Content Editor (RCE) toolbar with blue Studio icons

A pop-out window will open from which to choose a resource from your Studio Library. Once selected, follow the steps in the Embed options section (below), and click the blue Embed Media button on the lower right.

Once the pop-out window has closed and you are returned to the editing window, check that the video is embedded and complete the rest of your editing.
Click Save or Save & Publish to finish editing and check your work.
Confirm that the video appears as intended with the View as Student tool.
Find complete browser-specific directions in the Canvas Studio Guide for Chrome/Edge and Firefox/Safari.