PlayPosit
PlayPosit is a web tool that enables instructors to transform videos into interactive lessons. Compatible with YouTube, Vimeo, and BeachBoard Media, PlayPosit allows instructors to add custom interactions without affecting the video itself. Use it to easily clip and combine videos, then add activities such as quiz questions, discussion threads, polls, and annotations. PlayPosit is accessed within BeachBoard and does not require an extra login. Find out more about what PlayPosit can do.
Interested?
If you'd like more information about using this tool in your course, please fill out our Interest Form and an ATS instructional designer will contact you to schedule a consultation:
Accessing and Using PlayPosit
- In BeachBoard: Follow the steps below to get started with PlayPosit.
- In Canvas: Visit the PlayPosit Knowledge Base for instructions.
Download these instructions, if desired: Accessing and Using PlayPosit in BeachBoard [PDF]
- Enter your BeachBoard course.
- Select the Content link in the navigation bar.
- Select a module (if the course is empty, select Add a module…).
- Select the Add Existing Activities button, then scroll down the drop-down menu and select PlayPosit Interactive Video:
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- Select Enter PlayPosit or Set Link to open your PlayPosit account page:
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A PlayPosit interactive video is called a “bulb,” derived from the word "lightbulb." Turning videos into PlayPosit bulbs is a great way to engage students in the kinds of activities and low-stakes assessments used in small discussion sections.
- In your PlayPosit account page, open the bulb editor by selecting Add New Bulb:
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- Locate a video using the buttons for YouTube, Vimeo, and Kaltura (BeachBoard Media). You can also choose an existing bulb video using My Videos, input the URL to the source video, or upload an mp3 file for an audio-only bulb.
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- Select Done. Note: if desired, instead select the Customize button to change the captions, and select it again to trim and crop the video.
- Play the video or drag the dot on the progress bar to locate a point in the video to insert an interaction.
- Select the Add an Interaction button to choose from the list of interaction types, including questions, annotations, or templates:
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- After creating the question, select the Advanced link to view options. By default, interactions will pause the video and are required to advance. Additional options vary by interaction type.
- Select Done. By default, interactions appear in a sidebar. To place the interaction over the video, or have the interaction continue during playback, select the Customize button on the right.
- Adjust the point value using the triple dots on the right. These are the default points, which can be adjusted in Profile settings:
- 3 points: Free response
- 1 point: Multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or check all
- 0 points: Discussion, web embed, poll, or reflective pause
- Repeat steps 4-8 to add interactions until it is complete.
- Select the Review tab at the top.
- Finalize the title, playback options, and privacy settings.
- Playback options: by default, learners are allowed to increase playback speed, but are not allowed to rewind, fast forward, skip interactions, or retake the bulb.
- Privacy: by default, the bulb is not visible to any students, but is visible to other instructors at CSULB through the Premade Bulbs option in the PlayPosit menu bar.
- Select Preview to view your bulb, or Save to return to your PlayPosit account page.
Before delivering activities to students, you may want to familiarize them with this tool by sharing this link: PlayPosit for Students.
For graded bulbs:
- In BeachBoard, open the content module for the bulb link.
- Select Add Existing Activities and scroll down to PlayPosit Interactive Video.
- Find the bulb you want to link to this assignment and click the D2L icon.
- Select the learner experience (by default, it is Self-Paced, meaning learners take the bulb on their own time).
- Select Link. The bulb link and an associated grade item are added to BeachBoard.
- To set the due date, click the drop-down arrow next to the bulb link and select Edit Properties In-place, then choose the date:
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- To set the bulb points, navigate to Grades.
- Under the Manage Grades tab, find the new grade item at the bottom.
- Next to the bulb title, click on the drop-down arrow then Edit.
- Scroll down to the Maximum Points box and change it.
- Bulb points are converted proportionally into grade item points. By default, the grade item is set to 100, so for example, a score of 8 out of 10 bulb points becomes 80/100 in BeachBoard.
For ungraded bulbs:
- Option 1: Share bulb in a BeachBoard file page using the Insert Stuff button.
- Option 2: Assign the bulb to learners without BeachBoard then share the link.
Notes:
- Make sure you are completely finished creating a bulb before assigning it to students. Otherwise, there will be grade discrepancies, as when changing an exam after some students have already taken it.
- Do not create interactions at the last second of a YouTube video, as some students will not see it. Keep interactions at least two seconds before the end.
- After adding the bulb to the Content module, instructors can open the link to see the gray “Manage Link” box. However, students will see the actual PlayPosit bulb.
- In BeachBoard, click on the bulb link for which you want to view data.
- Click Monitor to view and score learner responses and data:
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- Any auto-graded questions (multiple-choice, check-all-that-apply, fill-in-the-blank), post points automatically to BeachBoard. For free-response questions or other manual grading, you must score learner responses by selecting the yellow boxes under the question column:
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- Or, grade all responses at once by selecting the column header button, then Grade All:
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- After any changes, select Sync Grades to post grades to BeachBoard. Optionally, click the drop-down arrow next to Sync Grades to check the status. It may take a few minutes to push all updated scores to the grade book.
Notes:
- View learner notes by selecting the BeachBoard link to view the “Manage Link” box, then select Preview. Play and then pause the bulb, and in the sidebar, select the Notes tab at the top.
- By default, learners must watch the bulb until the end for an attempt score to transfer to BeachBoard (they will see a green checkmark). If desired, push grades for incomplete attempts to BeachBoard by clicking the Sync Grades option. Attempts that are not started do not sync, so a 0 for a bulb that is not attempted must be entered manually in BeachBoard.
- If a bulb has both auto-graded and manually graded questions, students will see an initial grade that includes only auto-graded questions. In these cases, use the setting checkbox “Hide learner score upon bulb completion,” and let students know in advance when to expect the total score.
- Never make manual adjustments to bulb grades in the BeachBoard grade book, since they will be automatically overwritten by the grades from the PlayPosit Dashboard.
- When a BeachBoard course is copied, the bulb links will continue to work in the new course shell, attached to a new PlayPosit grade book.
- Bulbs can be ungraded, or even offered as a link for anyone outside of BeachBoard.
Adapted from “Best Practice for Bulb Construction,” from the University of Arizona INTECH.
- Keep it short. If possible, use video segments that are around six minutes or less.
- Be mindful of question placement. Try not to disrupt the cadence of the video; look for pauses/transitions where you can add interactions. The “preview” feature can greatly help with this as you are building a bulb. After previewing, you can manually adjust the placement of questions back in edit mode.
- Strike a happy medium with the number of interactions. Too many interactions can distract from the video content. Conversely, having one question in a five-minute video can be perplexing. You may find it useful to share a bulb with a colleague to get feedback on the experience before integrating it into your course.
- As with all things in course design, think about your learning objective and build accordingly. Ask questions that get students thinking about what you want them to learn from the video. There’s no need to use all interaction types just because they are available. Choose interaction types carefully and in accordance with your goals.
- Provide feedback. Optimize auto-graded learning objects like Playposit bulbs by building in as much feedback for students as possible. In Playposit, you can add feedback based on answer choice. You can even add “jumps” to different parts of the video based on how a question is answered.
- Be cognizant of the bulb settings. Does it make sense for your students to be able to rewind, fast-forward, skip questions or retake the bulb? Consider the experience you would like students to have and adjust these settings before sharing in your course.
- Give students credit. Even if it’s a small percentage of the grade, you can motivate students to take/retake a bulb by connecting it with the BeachBoard grade book. In doing so, you also get the added benefit of question analytics.
- Save time – Use pre-made bulbs! You can search bulbs made by other Playposit users on your “My Bulbs” page under “Premade Bulbs.” If you find one that works, you can copy and modify it for your purposes!
PlayPosit Quick Overview
Important Links
Getting Started
Sharing and Copying Bulbs
- Sharing and Copying Bulbs
- Export a PDF of Bulb Interactions
- How D2L/BeachBoard and PlayPosit Work Together
Troubleshooting
Advanced Topics
- Learner-Made Bulbs
- Peer Review Bulbs Using PlayPosit Groups
- Broadcast (“clicker”/Personal Response System)
- PlayPosit Account Page Navigation
- PlayPosit Tips and Tricks (University of Arizona)
- 5 Best Practices for Online Lectures & Presentations
- Case Studies of PlayPosit Use in Higher Ed
Questions?
- Visit our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Contact beachboard@csulb.edu or drop into our Virtual Support Zoom Room.
