Access a Kaltura video transcript in Canvas

The transcript panel provides a richer experience than a static document. Students can: 

• follow in real time as the current line of spoken text is highlighted as the video plays. 
• jump to any point by selecting any word or line within the transcript. 
• search the transcript to find any word or phrase and locate specific moments or concepts within the video. 
• open the transcript in a floating, resizable window to view the video at full size while following along with the text. 
• download, save or print the transcript as a plain text file for offline study. 

Transcripts are enabled by default in the Kaltura video player in Canvas, when available. They are automatically generated and displayed on the right side of the video in an interactive, synchronised panel. The panel can be toggled off when not needed via the button at the top of the video player. 

Next to the transcript toggle button is a search box, and students can navigate the video by selecting the timestamps. 

Downloading from the video player

Transcripts can be downloaded directly from the video player by selecting the three dots menu in the transcript panel and then ‘Download current transcript’ or ‘Print current transcript’. 

‘Download current transcript’ provides a fragmented, time-aligned transcript in .txt format. It is suitable for following along with video playback. 

’Print current transcript’ provides a paragraph-style transcript in .pdf format. It is suitable for reading or sharing as a continuous document. 

Downloading from Kaltura My Media

For media owners, transcripts can also be downloaded from Kaltura My Media, where additional download and media management options are available alongside the video. To find a transcript from Kaltura My Media: 

1. Navigate to Kaltura via My Media in Canvas, or go to My Media – Kaltura – University of Technology Sydney (log in with your UTS credentials). 
2. Locate your video in the media repository. 
3. Select the title of your video or the edit media ‘pencil’ button. 
4. Look for the Attachments tab beneath the video player. This tab will not be available unless the video already has captions. 
5. Select the arrow icon next to the .txt file to download the auto-generated transcript text. 

You can use the .txt file to  

1. Locate the downloaded .txt file on your computer and open it using MS Word. Don’t forget to save the document as you go. 
2. Determine how much editing is needed to make the transcript meaningful for anyone who relies on it. Use the Word editing functions to format your transcript: 
   • add punctuation and correct spelling 
   • capitalise names and proper nouns 
   • move text into meaningful paragraphs 
   • if there are multiple speakers, add speakers’ names or identifiers such as Narrator or Speaker 1, 2, etc. 
3. Use the Upload Document tool in the Canvas Rich Content Editor to embed the transcript document under the video.  

Embedding your transcript in Canvas

Once your edited transcript is ready, you can share it with students in Canvas. The options below work best when you want to provide a formatted, labelled document alongside the video: supplementing the built-in player transcript rather than replacing it. 

When to provide a separate transcript document in Canvas

For most videos, the built-in Kaltura transcript panel will meet your students’ needs. However, there are situations where providing a separate, edited transcript document alongside the video is still good practice, for instance if:

• your video includes heavy use of technical or discipline-specific terminology that the automatic captions render inaccurately 
• your video features multiple speakers and you want to clearly label who is speaking throughout 
• a student registered with the Accessibility Service requires a professionally formatted text alternative 

Standard method: upload the file to Canvas 

Upload the saved file directly to Canvas. Read our guide on how to Upload and embed documents. 

Advanced method: use the ‘details widget’ to embed the transcript in Canvas 

The advanced method uses HTML to embed the transcript as a collapsible ‘details widget’ on the Canvas page, allowing students to toggle it open and closed without leaving the page. 

Copy the code below:

<details>   <summary style="cursor: pointer;">Video transcript</summary>   <p>Enter or paste transcript text here.</p> </details> 

Then follow these steps: 

1. In Canvas, open the page in Edit mode. 
2. Click the HTML Editor button (the < / > icon). 
3. Paste the code after the Kaltura video embed, which ends with </iframe></p>. 
4. Click the HTML Editor icon again to return to the visual editor. 
5. Locate your edited transcript in Word, copy the text, and paste it where it says Enter or paste transcript text here. 
6. Select Save. 

If you need help with HTML or producing transcripts, please book a consultation with us in the Education Portfolio.