Below is a list of the types of content NextThought supports as well as descriptions of each. Please note that supported materials are always being updated. If you do not see the type of material you want to support for your course, please contact NextThought.

• Readings
• PDFs, Slides, and Other Downloadable Materials
• Videos (From Kaltura, Vimeo, YouTube, Storyline, and others)
• Video Transcripts
• Assignments
• Discussion Forums
• External Links
• Surveys
• Timelines
• Video Reels
• Webinars
• LTI Tools

Reading Materials

Reading materials can be hosted on the platform or embedded on the platform through another format such as a PDF. Notes can be created beside all types of readings.

Readings

Create fully interactive text to display on the platform by using our authoring tools.

Features:

• Highlight and add sharable notes to specific sections of the text.
• Select and define words.
• Add links, videos, images, block quotes, code blocks, footnotes, timelines, and more.
• Easily navigate multiple pages with paging tools.

Embedded PDFs

This type of reading displays a static PDF inside of the platform. Learners can scroll through the PDF, read, download, and print it, and can add notes to the side of the displayed PDF.

Videos

Videos enhance learning by introducing course lessons, demonstrating ideas, and engaging learners. Videos can appear in a lesson or they can be included inside of other content such as readings or discussions. NextThought can assist you in creating professional videos to enhance your lessons, or we can incorporate any prerecorded YouTube, Kaltura, or Vimeo video into your course.

Note: Please contact NextThought if you are interested in using our Video Team and Learning Designers to assist you in creating videos. Our Video Team works both in-studio and on location. Visit https://nextthought.com/video-services to learn more.

Transcripts

Video transcripts allow learners to search for keywords, add contextualized notes, and review the video’s transcript at their own pace.

Every video can have an attached transcript, and NextThought can assist instructors in creating transcripts for videos. Transcripts appear beside the video and offer many benefits for learners. Transcripts allow learners to simultaneously watch the video and read the transcript. It also allows users to add contextualized notes, search for keywords in the video’s text, and jump to a specific place in the video by selecting a section of the transcript’s text. Transcripts can also feature slides to allow users to conveniently view the slides that correspond with the ones in the video.

The transcript player has three views and also a gallery displaying all videos in the course. To play the video in full screen, split video, or split transcript view, select the dropdown arrow displayed in the upper panel of the player. To preview all videos within the course within the gallery, click the icon to the left of the transcript view dropdown.

Assignments

Test learners’ comprehension of the material with assignments.

Assignments can be added to any lesson. Each question can also include tips and hints for that question, as well as display the solution once the assignment has been submitted. Displaying tips, hints, and solutions are optional.

Features:

• Choose from several different Question Types.
• Include downloadable documents or links.
• Display optional tips, hints, and solutions for each question.
• Set assignments to grade automatically upon submission (with the exception of essays, uploads, graded discussions, and participation points, all which require manual grading).

Discussion Forums

Engage learners and encourage participation and exploration of the lesson through discussion prompts.

The course forum displays all course discussions and can be accessed from the Community View. Individual discussions in the forum can also be accessed directly through each lesson. This allows access to the discussion from the Lesson View itself to contextualize the discussion within readings, videos, and assessments. Discussions may also be part of a graded assignment.

External Links

Create links for quick access to websites, research, videos, and other content found outside the platform.

External links can be included in a lesson, reading, discussion, as well as in an assignment or assessment. For example, an instructor may require learners to read an article written by a researcher whose work exists on an external webpage.

Surveys

Surveys can be used to gather feedback and opinions from your users. These are non-graded assessments that can be added to any lesson. Additionally, they can be set as optional or required for your users. Results, absent of learner names, may be displayed in graphs or charts.

Downloads

Provide documents for learners to download, interact with, and/or print.

Downloadable documents may be included as a resource within a lesson or can supplement other content types by adding them within assignments or assessments, readings, and surveys.

Video Reels

Organize supplementary videos into a reel.

By collecting videos in one place within a reading or lesson, learners can easily and quickly scroll horizontally through a collection, clicking on them to play or enlarge.