Video Discussions

Last updated on October 19, 2021

Tools: Discussion Boards and Yuja

Holding discussions in an online course can have a very different feeling than having discussions in a face-to-face classroom. However, online discussions can still help students master content, explore new ideas, and build a sense of community even when they may not be meeting with other people in a physical environment.

Video discussions are a wonderful strategy that can help simulate the sense of community students may feel when they see other students in a physical classroom. Students record their responses to the prompt and post their recordings to a discussion board. This strategy boosts student-to-student interaction and targets different learning styles, since students will be able to discuss by speaking, listening, and viewing visuals, instead of relying on writing and reading alone.

Best practices

• Create prompts and instructions that clearly explain what students should discuss. For example, should students refer to resources in the course in their response? How many other students should they respond to?
• Use open-ended discussion prompts that cannot be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.” For example, students could make comparisons and connections to their own lives or current events, or they could argue a position and support it with outside research.
• Explain which tool students should use and how they should use it (this Canvas Spotlight describes how to use YuJa).

Let’s walk through it together

Part 1: Create a Discussion Board in Canvas

View the CTLD’s “Create a Discussion in Canvas” tutorial on the MSU Denver Ready website.

Part 2: Integrate YuJa

Once a discussion board has been set up, instructors and students can integrate Yuja in their posts and replies using the same steps.

Please note: If YuJa is not installed on your device, contact ITS.

1. Click the title of the discussion to open it.
2. Click the Apps icon in the RCE toolbar (looks like a plug in).
   • Note: You may need to click the three dots icon to expand the toolbar.
3. Type YuJa in the search bar.
4. Click YuJa.
5. Click Record. 
6. Click Open YuJa Software Capture, if prompted.
7. Type the title of your recording in the Title box if you would like (you can do this after recording as well).
8. Type a description of the video in the Description box if you would like. 
9. Select the course that you are wanting to post the capture in by clicking the Purple Folder Icon on the right. Select Save folder window will appear.
10. Select where to put your video. 
    • Note: If no location is selected, or this button is not used, the recording will be placed in your default content collection within YuJa.
11. Select your video output(s).
12. Select your audio output(s).
13. Select your screen capture area.
    • Note: Make sure the video presented in the preview is what you wish to record.
14. Click Start in the bottom right corner.
    • Note: There will be a three second countdown before your recording will begin. As you are recording, you will see controls in the bottom right corner of your screen. It will give you the option to open the YuJa Software Station in full preview mode (click the YuJa logo), stop, or pause your recording.
15. Give your presentation (the software is recording).
16. Click the stop button when you are done recording . 
17. A pop-up window will appear.
18. Click Save or Delete your capture.
    • Note: After you save the recording, YuJa will process the recording. This process may take several minutes, depending on the size of the recording..
19. Return to the Canvas Discussion page. The YuJa window should still be open.
20. Click the video just recorded.
    • Note that it may take time for the video to process and be available. 
21. Click Post reply.