What is VideoAnt?
URL: https://ant.umn.edu/
Do you host your lectures on YouTube (unlisted) or share other videos with your students? If so, you and your students can use VideoAnt to take notes or leave comments during video playback, anywhere on the video timeline. VideoAnt is a free online application created by the University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development. Check out the video below to learn more.
What Does an Ant Look Like?
I tested VideoAnt by uploading IT’s recent Tech Minute: Classroom Technology video. Take a look at the interface below. During playback, I quickly added two notes. Notes are flagged on the video timeline and appear on the right with corresponding timestamps.
Click on the image to zoom.
Exporting and Sharing Your Ants
When it comes to sharing, VideoAnt gives you and your students a few different options. First, I tested the Embed Code in OAKS. The VideoAnt interface (i.e., video and notes) displayed properly, but, unfortunately, my notes were not flagged correctly on the video timeline. Thus, I cannot recommend this method of sharing at this time.
You can also Export your notes or comments in a variety of formats. Here’s what the Text export looks like:
Finally, you and your students can share your VideoAnt via a link or make it Private and Add Users—similar to Google Docs.
Additional Resources
Ideas for Instructors: https://ant.umn.edu/documentation##section-ideas-for-instructors
Video Tutorials: https://ant.umn.edu/video_tutorials
