Annoto: MiVideo Add-On In Canvas

Environment

Annoto
MiVideo
Canvas

Issue

Annoto is now available in all Canvas courses!
Quickly turn passive course videos into engaging and interactive experiences for students using Annoto! Annoto is an add-on to MiVideo in Canvas that allows students to collaborate within the video or audio player. 

Resolution

What is Annoto?

• Annoto extends the MiVideo player with a collaboration widget and interactive timeline. The collaboration widget appears on the right by default although the instructor can change the widget location. The timeline is located under the video.
• The Annoto widget contains several tools that provide unique ways for student and instructor interaction with the video including the ability to add timestamped comments, write personal notes, and communicate with others in the course.
• By default the widget is closed and can be accessed by clicking on the thought bubble. The instructor can change whether the widget appears open or closed when the player loads.
• Annoto also has robust analytics (enabled for all videos by default) and an instructor dashboard for managing course engagement.

Video Demos

Annoto: Transforming Course Videos into Exciting Interactive Learning

Visit the Annoto Channel filled with use cases at U-M and getting started videos for Annoto's features.

How can I use Annoto in my course?

Annoto can be used for different purposes in a course. Enabling and disabling specific Annoto features provides you complete control over how students interact with the videos.

• Quiz Students On Video Material In Canvas
• Personal Notes As A Study Aid
• Comments Engage Students In A Flipped Classroom
• Comments Provide Private Feedback on Video Assignments
• Students Comment On Other Student's Videos In Canvas
• Students Comment On Other Group Member's Videos In Canvas
• Easily Embed a Video or Playlist with Annoto in Canvas
• Quickly Enable and Disable Annoto Features
• Utilize Annoto Analytics to Measure Student Engagement

Tip: because Annoto is interactive and collects user behavior, it is not recommended to use Annoto in public courses since public courses do not require authentication to access. 

How can I customize the widget?

The Annoto widget will display alongside the MiVideo player depending on the position (default is top right) and load state (default is closed, viewers need to click the thought bubble to open the widget) selected in the Annoto Dashboard > Preferences > User Experience tab.

FAQs

• Can an instructor remove a video from the Annoto dashboard Hub after unpublishing it from the course?
  No, there is no way to remove videos in the case where the incorrect video was published in the course.
• Can an instructor reuse videos in other courses without bringing prior Annoto data forward?
  Yes, Annoto tracks comments based on the course they were made in.
• Can an instructor duplicate Annoto data in another course?
  Yes, Instructors can import preferences, their comments, and interactions. This feature adds the videos and data to the Annoto dashboard, it does not publish or embed the videos into the other course.
• Is Annoto a pilot?
  Annoto has been approved for a two year pilot until the end of Winter term 2025.
• What happens after the pilot ends?
  Videos will not be lost at the end of the pilot, but comments and Annoto analytics will no longer be accessible unless the service is licensed.
• Is Annoto available for use outside of MiVideo in Canvas?
  There are lots of ways to use Annoto. Please contact the ITS-MiVideo team to discuss your use case.

Annoto Guides

• Annoto User Guide for Instructors 
• Annoto User Guide for Students

Resources and Questions

• Check out the new Academic Technology@Michigan website for course planning resources from across U-M
• Visit the Canvas @ Michigan site for faculty including the U-M Instructor Guide with links to additional support resources from across campus
• Check out the Canvas and MiVideo tutorials

For additional questions, please contact the ITS Service Center