Media tiles are essential for creating engaging, multimodal eLearning experiences. Instead of relying solely on text, you can use these tiles to present concepts through visuals, audio, video, and interactive embeds.
Try it yourself in the interactive lesson below:
Image Tiles
Mindsmith offers three distinct image tile variations to help you display visual content effectively.
Standard Image Tile
The standard image tile lets you display a single static image or animated GIF. To add an image, you can upload a file, search Unsplash or Giphy, or use AI to generate a custom image from a text prompt.
For a faster workflow, you can simply copy an image from your computer and paste it directly onto the tile, or drag and drop a file right into the lesson.
Once your image is added, open the tile editor to adjust how it fits:
Fill: Expands the image to cover the entire tile area, cropping the edges if necessary.
Fit: Ensures the entire image is visible without cropping.
Custom: Allows you to manually zoom and drag the image to crop it exactly how you want.
Image Comparison Tile
The image comparison tile places two images on top of each other with a draggable slider in the middle. This is perfect for showing "before and after" states, such as a dirty vs. clean workspace or a draft vs. final design.
To set this up, open the tile editor and select your Left Image and Right Image. Your learners will be able to drag the center handle left and right to reveal the underlying images.
Image Carousel Tile
The carousel tile lets you group multiple images into a single interactive slideshow. This is ideal for showcasing galleries or breaking down step-by-step visual instructions.
To configure your carousel:
Open the tile editor and click Add Image to insert new slides.
Drag and drop the items in the editor menu to rearrange their order.
Toggle Show Captions if you want to add text alongside each image.
When captions are enabled, the layout changes to display a rich text editor directly below or beside each image. Your learners will use navigation arrows or dots to click through the slides.
Video Tiles
Video tiles allow you to deliver rich multimedia presentations. You can upload an existing video file, embed a video from an external host, or record a new video directly within Mindsmith.
Recording a Video
Instead of using external screen recording software, you can record right from your browser. In an empty video tile, click Record Video to open the recording studio.
You can choose to record:
Screen Only: Great for software walk-throughs.
Camera Only: Perfect for personalized instructor messages.
Screen & Camera: Records your screen while placing your webcam feed in the corner.
Trimming Videos
If your uploaded or recorded video is too long, you can trim it directly in the authoring environment. Open the tile editor and use the timeline handles to adjust the Start and End times. The video will be permanently cut to these new timestamps once you save.
Transcripts and Captions
Adding closed captions improves accessibility and helps learners in noise-sensitive environments. Open the video tile editor and scroll to the bottom to manage captions.
Upload Captions: Click the upload button to attach a
.vttcaption file.AI Generate: If you are on a Business+ plan, you can click Generate Captions and Transcript to have AI automatically transcribe the video and sync the timing.
Manual Transcript: You can manually type or paste a full text transcript that learners can read alongside the video.
Learner Completion Settings
To ensure learners actually watch your content, open the video tile editor and toggle on Video must be completed.
When enabled, a new option called Learners can skip ahead will appear. Turn this off if you want to disable the video progress bar and force learners to watch the video at its normal pace before they can proceed.
Audio Tiles
Audio tiles are perfect for podcasts, language pronunciation examples, or simple voiceovers. You can either upload an existing audio file or use AI Text-to-Speech to generate a voiceover.
To generate audio using AI:
Open the audio tile editor.
Click Generate Audio.
Type or paste your script into the text box.
Select an AI voice profile, then click Generate.
Customizing the Audio Tile
Unlike other media tiles, the audio tile allows for extensive visual customization. In the tile editor, you can:
Change the Background: Click the Background option to select a custom color for the tile.
Add a Thumbnail: Upload an image to serve as an album cover or visual anchor next to the play button.
Add Content: Click directly onto the tile in the lesson view to type a rich-text title or description alongside the playbar.
Add a Transcript: Paste the spoken text into the transcript section of the editor so learners can read along.
Embed Tiles
Embed tiles allow you to bring external web content directly into your lesson. This is commonly used for YouTube videos, external forms, interactive 3D models, or entire web pages.
To use an embed tile, simply paste the URL of the content you want to display into the empty tile. If the website allows embedding, it will load directly within the tile. If the site blocks embedding, Mindsmith will automatically generate a clickable "Link Preview Card" showing the website's title, description, and thumbnail.
Uploading PDFs: You can also use the embed tile to display PDF documents. In the embed tile editor, click Upload PDF. Mindsmith will host the file and seamlessly embed a scrollable PDF viewer directly into your lesson.
File Download Tiles
If you need to provide learners with resources to save on their own devices—such as worksheets, templates, or policy documents—use a file download tile.
To set up a download:
Open the file download tile editor.
Click Upload File and select the document from your computer.
Type a Display Name to replace the raw file name (e.g., use "Employee Handbook" instead of "employee_handbook_v3_final.pdf").
When learners reach this tile, they will see an icon matching the file type, the file size, and a download button to save it locally.