What is VoiceThread?
VoiceThread allows you to place collections of media such as videos, images, documents, and presentations at the center of a conversation. These conversations are not live; they take place whenever and wherever it’s convenient for people to participate. VoiceThread allows people to have conversations and to make comments using any mix of text, a microphone, a webcam, a telephone, or uploading an audio file.
VoiceThread can be used in many ways: recording an introduction to a course or to a project; mini-lectures; extending and documenting classroom conversations; digital student-portfolios; language practice; creating on-line lectures and tutoring modules; and virtual classroom spaces. The combination of increased interaction and time to reflect helps to create an engaged learning environment.
VoiceThread is an application that runs in a web browser (e.g., in Blackboard). There is no software to download, install, or update.
What does it look like?
See these two examples by Michelle Pacansky-Brock: Example #1 | Example #2
Why use VoiceThread?
- Introduce yourself to your students and have them add a comment to introduce themselves.
- Upload your video mini-lectures and ask students to pose questions and respond to each other within the VoiceThread.
- Students can pause your mini-lecture and insert their questions at the point where they have them. No need to wait and go to a discussion forum to post a question!
- Share an image and have students mark it up and comment on it.
- Share a few slides with voice-over instruction and have students leave their questions or comments in regards to a specific slide.
- Students can create multi-media presentations and engage in reflective discussions critiquing each other’s work.
- Students can use audio, images, or videos for sharing their thoughts.
- Use VoiceThread to have students present their projects and practice public speaking even in an online class.
- Use VoiceThread to enhance student listening, speaking, and writing.
KEY FEATURES:
- Upload, share and discuss videos, audio files, presentations, images, and documents. Over 50 different types of media can be used in a VoiceThread!
- Comment on VoiceThread slides using one of five powerful commenting options: microphone, webcam, text, audio-file upload, and phone.
- Accessible from Mac/PC (up-to-date version of Adobe Flash is required) and iOS devices (iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch).
- Seamless integration with Blackboard. Single sign-on (sign in with your Lehman username and password).
- Share a VoiceThread with your class in Blackboard. Course enrollment: students and instructors are enrolled in private course groups automatically.
- Explore more features from your iOS device: capture images from your camera or upload them from your photo library, flip through slides with the flick of a finger and annotate while you narrate.
- Share VoiceThreads as easily as sending an email. Receive notifications for new comments on your VoiceThreads.
- Use the VoiceThread Uploader to upload large files from your computer into VoiceThread without opening your web browser. Sign into your account directly from the application and select the files you wish to upload. You can continue to use your VoiceThread account while the Uploader is importing your media.
Please Note: VoiceThread is configured to be used from within Blackboard (Overview Video) You need to login to Blackboard and go to a specific course and add a VoiceThread to your course (PDF) . A group is automatically created for all students registered for the course and students can access all VoiceThreads shared by their instructor and other students in the course. Faculty and students can also access VoiceThread from the Web and via an iPad VoiceThread App. Note that you will need to reset your Password the first time you are accessing VoiceThread outside of Blackboard.
Getting Started
Faculty
- Getting Started with VoiceThread – webinar recording (02/09/2017)
- Add a VoiceThread to your course PDF – if you don’t plan to share your course with other instructors or don’t plan to reuse your voicethread
- Add a VoiceThread to your course PDF – if you plan to copy your course over and want the links to not break
- Video Introductions with VoiceThread PDF
- Create a Mini-Lecture with VoiceThread PDF
- How to Create, Comment & Share
Students
Please share these instructions with your students. You can copy and paste these instructions into your course in Blackboard (add an item and paste these links).
- How to Comment
- Navigate VoiceThread
- Listen and View Comments
- Zooming
- Create, Comment & Share
- Troubleshooting