Mediathread

Mediathread makes it possible for instructors and students to collect, share, annotate, and analyze media all in one shared space. The tool supports the annotation of multiple media types, such as video, audio, and images. Instructors can also create Mediathread Assignment Selection assignments, which can be private between the instructor and the student or visible to everyone in the class.

Mediathread is only available through Canvas. Email the Canvas team, including the URL or course code (e.g., W25-ECON-101-01), to install Mediathread in your Canvas course.

Email canvashelp@stanford.edu

Mediathread features

• Collect video, audio, and image files from public websites directly into Mediathread through a Chrome browser extension
• Direct upload of video and audio assets
• Asynchronous video, audio, and image annotations
• Attach annotations, labels, and tags to video selections
• Graded assignments with directed feedback
• Participation statistics
• Embeddable Mediathread selections in Canvas through the rich content editor
• Search filters

Access Mediathread

Mediathread access is only possible through Canvas. Instructors who would like to use Mediathread must contact the Canvas team at canvashelp@stanford.edu to install Mediathread in their Canvas course. Please include the URL or course code (e.g., W25-ECON-101-01) in your request. 

Mediathread is only fully accessible to users with an active SUNet ID and can only be accessed through a Canvas course. Therefore, only students and members of the teaching team can view and interact with Mediathread content.

Those with a Stanford Canvas account but no SUNet ID cannot fully access and use the Mediathread tool. Mediathread assets will not load for these kinds of users. Certain Canvas roles, such as Observer, are also restricted from accessing Mediathread.

Those with the Teacher and Course Admin roles can create a new Mediathread course through Canvas. Once Mediathread is installed in your Canvas course, click Mediathread from the left-hand course navigation menu and select the Connect Now button. Currently, TAs are unable to create a Mediathread course. However, once a Mediathread is connected with a Canvas course, the TA can launch Mediathread through Canvas and will have the same Mediathread permissions as the instructor. 

Manage Mediathread

Instructor Guide to Mediathread

Preferences

Instructors can set general settings for the course, such as indicating whether students can see other students’ Mediathread items and selections. Instructors can also see a list of users who have access to the Mediathread course and set the course vocabulary (a set of concepts and associated terms used to tag Mediathread items).

Materials

Instructors can add shortcuts to recommended sources onto the Collections page. Instructors can also migrate Mediathread material from other Mediathread courses that they have access to. If, for any reason, a Mediathread course needs to be deleted, this can be done in the Manage Course > Materials section.

Participation

Instructors can get insight into how students are engaging with Mediathread content. The Assignment Responses will show the total number of student responses there are for each assignment out of the total number of students.

Canvas integration FAQ

How do I create a Mediathread course? 

Instructors and Course Admins can create a Mediathread course by going to Canvas and clicking on Mediathread from the left-hand course navigation menu. There will be a button to 'Connect Now'. Currently, TAs are not able to create Mediathread courses. Once created, TAs will have the same permissions within Mediathread as instructors.

Which Canvas roles cannot access Mediathread?

Course Content Share, Designer, Grader, Librarian, and Observer.

Can Mediathread passback grades to Canvas?

At this time, grades entered in Mediathread are not communicated to Canvas. Grades must be handled separately between Canvas and Mediathread.

How can I embed Mediathread selections in Canvas? 

You can embed Mediathread selections anywhere with the Rich Content Editor (RCE), such as in Pages, Discussions, Assignments, and Quizzes. To do so, follow the steps below.

1. In the Canvas RCE, select the Apps icon, then Mediathread.
2. If Mediathread does not display, select View All to find Mediathread.
3. Use the fields to search for content from your Collection, and use the arrow to choose what you want to embed.

Can I sync the Canvas roster with the Mediathread roster? 

No, not at this time. Students are added to the Mediathread roster when they first launch Mediathread.

Mediathread resources 

• Instructor Guide to Mediathread
• Student Guide to Mediathread
• Student Annotation Options
• Mediathread FAQs
• Media Accessibility Guide

Questions?

Click the Help button from the left-hand global navigation (within Canvas) to:

• Request help from the Stanford Canvas Support team
• Search the Canvas Guides for answers to common questions
• Search Stanford Canvas Help Articles

Email our team directly at canvashelp@stanford.edu for technical support. We’ll respond to your help request by the next business day. You can also contact us to:

• Get one-on-one help
• Arrange an appointment to discuss ideas for using Canvas
• Request a Canvas orientation session for your department or group
• Provide feedback about your Canvas experience