Embedding Echo360 Media into Brightspace

Prerequisites for using the Echo360 Insert Stuff embedding feature: A Brightspace Administrator must have created and configured a Remote plugin for Echo360 embedding on your Brightspace instance. For Students to embed media, the Student Library MAY need to be turned on for your institution. OR Students can embed media from any Group where they have the Post permission.

If a Brightspace/D2L Admin has enabled it for your institution, you will see an Echo360 option in the Insert Stuff selections available from the toolbar of a content window. The Insert Stuff button is identified in the below figure. The Echo360 insert stuff option opens the Echo360 Embed media dialog box. 

The Echo360 Embed media dialog box provides the ability to:

• Embed media from Echo360 directly into your Brightspace course, as described on this page
• Upload a media file then embed it as a single process
• Create new media with Universal Capture then embed it a single process
• Post a link to the media (instead of embedding it) into Brightspace

The same Embed media dialog box provides access to all of these options. You can access the Embed media dialog box wherever Brightspace provides an Insert Stuff button for its content windows (e.g., Discussions, Assignments, Create content item, etc.).

LMS-Embedded media provide view data such as view counts and heatmap data, along with individual user viewing information, all of which is displayed in the Analytics tab of the media details page. 

The steps below are for selecting media already resident in Echo360. The Embed Media dialog box lists all Echo360 media you own as well as any audio, video, or interactive media in any Group where you have the Post permission. If you need to upload or create the media first and need instructions, use the links above for more information. 

The procedure below adds a new File into a module of a Brightspace course for the content panel shown. But as stated above, the instructions apply to any place you find an Insert Stuff button. These instructions are provided as a guide. Refer to your Brightspace documentation if you need further directions for their interface. 

To embed existing Echo360 media into a content window

1. Log in to Brightspace.
2. Open the Course in Brightspace where you want to post the media.
3. Open the item you want to use to hold the media you are embedding. It can be a Module added to the course content, a Discussion post, or Assignment, or any other content item.
4. In the Content window, click the Insert Stuff button, identified by the arrow in the below figure.
   
5. If necessary, scroll through the Insert Stuff list to find and select the Echo360 plugin. It should be clearly named.
   

   A dialog box appears with the Choose From My Home tab active, listing the Echo360 audio, video, or interactive media you own, as well as media in any Group where you have the Post permission. If you need to upload media to embed, click the Upload Existing Media tab, and refer to the instructions in the link if necessary.

   
6. If necessary, use the Search text box and/or Filters options to find the media you want to embed into the window.
7. Click Reset to clear any search/filters as needed.
8. Select the media you want to embed to enable the options at the bottom of the dialog box.
   

   If you want to post a link to the media instead of embedding it directly into the page, enable the Link toggle and if necessary see Posting a Link to Echo360 Media in your LMS/VLE Course.

   
9. From the Player Style drop-down list, select the style you want to be applied to the player.
   

   The Player Style drop-down only appears if your institution has created custom player styles to choose from. If you have selection options, pick the one for your department or organization (or the default) that you want applied to the playback of this media.
   Selecting a style may automatically select Size, Autoplay, and Automute options for you; these can still be changed.

10. From the Select size drop-down list, select the size for the media playback. It is 640x420 by default. 
    
11. If appropriate, enable the option to Autoplay the media (it will play as soon as a user opens the page you are embedding it into).
12. If you enable Autoplay, Automute is automatically enabled, to accommodate browsers that no longer allow autoplay with sound. You CAN enable Automute separately without Autoplay.
13. If appropriate, set a Start At time. If set, the media will begin playing at that timestamp, although viewers will be able to rewind/fast-forward the player to view any segment of the embedded media. This option is NOT available for interactive media.
14. When finished, click INSERT. A preview of the inserted media appears inside the content area.
15. If the Administrator has NOT added the Echo360 URL to the Trusted Sites list, you may see a notification to Allow links to this URL, as shown below.
    
16. Click Allow and be sure the Always trust this URL box is checked.
17. The embedded media appears in the Preview window as shown below. If it is the media you want, click Insert.
    

    If you created a new recording or uploaded media to embed, this preview shows a message that the media is currently processing and will be viewable when finished.

    
18. The page you embedded the media into appears with the media showing in the main portion of the window. Complete the remaining fields or other configuration items for the thing you are creating, and click Publish.

Once the item is added, other users in the course can open the page or module and view the embedded media. If you selected Autoplay or Start At configurations for the media, those are enacted for the user upon viewing.