You can insert video clips into CAN8 for your students to view and then work with. Most of the lesson item types can accept video, but Instruction, Conversation or Reading items cannot.

Before inserting video into your CAN8 lesson, it has to be prepared in the proper format and placed in the video directory of the CAN8 server. (Video Format Requirements and What is the Video Directory?)

Since it is likely that you will need assistance with preparing the video, Carly or Teri will be happy to work with you on this and then place the video in the proper location. Please allow for plenty of time to prepare the video, as it is usually a time-consuming process.

Once the video is prepared and placed in the video directory, you can open your CAN8 planner and prepare your lesson as usual. To add video to a lesson item:

1. From the File Menu, choose Import > Video
2. In the navigation screen that appears, make sure to look in Drive O:

1. In the right side of the window, navigate to the folder that contains your video file
2. Your video files will appear on the left side of the window, double-click the file you want to insert

If the file is in the AVI format, the audio will load into the green audio bar at the bottom of the screen. If your activity requires the students to create their own dialog to match the video, you can delete the audio from the green audio bar by going to Edit > Clear > Audio.

Video Format Requirements

• AVI or MPG format (only AVI loads audio into green audio bar)
• 320 x 240 max resolution
• Audio sample rate must be 11025, 22050 or 44100 samples per second

In order for video to display properly on all computers, it's necessary to use a widely available codec that will be present everywhere. Currently the DivX codec is problematic in CAN8 (causes crashing), so it is not recommended that it be used. The Cinepak codec is widely available on most Windows and Macintosh computers, and can compress into a decently viewable format. It has been tested on lab and instructor computers, and works without problem. Therefore, we recommend using this codec whenever possible.

The largest resolution that CAN8 can accept is 320 x 240. Smaller resolutions will work, but nothing bigger is allowable.

What is the video directory?

Unlike images, this version of CAN8 does not import video, but it will link to video files. What this means is that the video files must be put in a location that is accessible to everyone, students and faculty, who will be expected to view the video.

We've created a special video directory that has a large amount of space on our CAN8 server. However, in order to help keep this space for it's intended purpose and not abused by those who would store unnecessary files there, we've made it a read-only directory by default.

Accessing this directory so that you can place your own video files is possible by using a SSH client software and requires a unique password (not the same as your Carleton password). While we are more than happy to teach you how to do this, we know that the last thing you need is another password. So we'll be happy to place your files in the video directory on your behalf.

If you'd like to be able to place video files on the video directory yourself, please contact Carly for the appropriate information.

• 15 December 2004