Panopto

Panopto logoPanopto Video Management

Panopto is the primary media management tool for video at WWU. Panopto is an easy-to-use, centralized media/video management application that is integrated directly in Canvas to provide video recording, editing, uploads, streaming playback, automated video captioning, and interactive quizzing in one searchable location. Panopto works in tandem with other video tools at Western such as Zoom to improve the user experience.

Panopto Essentials

Accessing Panopto

Panopto manages user permissions via Canvas. When accessing through Canvas, instructors will be "Creators" and students will be "Viewers." If an instructor logs into the Panopto for Western portal prior to activating Panopto Video in any Canvas course, they, too, will be "Viewers." 

For faculty to become Creators: Enable the Panopto Video navigation item in any Canvas course via Settings. Thereafter, they will be able to access Panopto via the course or via the Panopto for Western portal.

See also:

How to Access Panopto in a Canvas Course - see also Video by Kevin Dixey

Media Management

Canvas Integration

Panopto’s integration with Canvas manages the permissions for your videos via: 

  • Automatically creating folders on your Panopto account for each Canvas course where Panopto is enabled.  
    • Students get “viewer” access while teachers get “creator” access. 
    • As creators, teachers can create videos by recording or uploading to the folder. 
    • As viewers, students can see all videos inside the course folder—unless the teacher changes the access settings on each video. 
  • Allowing you to embed videos anywhere in Canvas content. 
    • As creators, teachers can select any video as long as the user has creator access to it; it can be outside the course folder (noted above). This option is easier to manage long term as courses get imported into future quarters.  
    • See: How to Embed Panopto Videos in a Canvas Course 

The Panopto integration with Canvas offers additional features that benefit both faculty and students:

Support for Former Screencast-O-Matic Users

Screencast-O-Matic at WWU will no longer be a supported product as of June 2021; however it will remain accessible for one year to allow users to transition to Panopto.  

Learning Panopto 

To get started, check out our Panopto 101 Self-enroll Canvas course.

Panopto Online Documentation: