Overview

VoiceThread (VT) is a tool for enhancing student communication and engagement. You or your students can create, share, and comment on images, PowerPoint presentations, videos, audio files, documents, and PDFs, using microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio file uploads. Available from your Learning@Griffith Tools, VT is integrated with the Marks Centre. Assignments are easily and quickly graded online via the VT Platform.

Critical listening & viewing skills go far beyond just hearing or viewing a message or performance. They involve analyzing the information and messages contained within, and making important decisions about truth, authenticity and relevance for example.

Strategies for using VT for Critical Response include:

• Critical Listening - upload audio files and have students submit commentary at exact points of interest.
• Critical watching - upload a video/image or create a VT presentation, and have students submit commentary at exact points within the presentation.

Your feedback on student responses will also be seen in context when returned.

VoiceThread allows you to search for comments, and to identify the Duration of a VoiceThread (if you have outlined a limit in your Assignment criteria).

Considerations

The use of VoiceThread may contribute to alignment with the following:

Academic Plan 2017-2021- Personalised, Collaborative & Active Learning

GLTC Framework - 'Optimising technologies to support learning'

Enabling Technology

Equipment & Browser compatibility

Video Cam (Your device/computer, USB Cam/Mic)

VoiceThread is supported fully by the latest versions of Firefox and Chrome. Learn more about VoiceThread browser requirements.

Implement

Always have your students access your VoiceThread links via Learning@Griffith to avoid account conflict.

Setting up for a Critical Response Use-case

Basic set-up and guides can be found on ExLNT (Explore Learning and Teaching)

In this use-case, you are asking students to submit a 'submit a comment' Assignment.
Student guide to submission of comment assignment here.

Critical Responses to, or assessment of Video

If you have used video as your main VT content, students can still pause, doodle and comment just as they would individual slides. If this is the type of assignment you have set, include this links as video support for your students.

Video Doodling (Commenting/Marking up)

Griffith Graduate Attributes

The use of VoiceThread may assist the attainment of the following Griffith Graduate Attributes:

• Effecitve communicators and collaborators
• Innovative, created and entrepreneurial

Support Resources

• Demonstration: Critical Response Assessment

  This video gives a broad and quick overview regarding how VoiceThread can be used to capture student responses. It also shares how students can build deeper understanding using the Critical Response Protocol...

• VoiceThread (Fact sheet). Getting Started with the VLE Tools and the Course Design Standards.

  Fact sheet

• VoiceThread (Module). Getting Started with the VLE Tools and the Course Design Standards.

  Module

Contributed by

• Learning Futures
  

Preferred Citation

Learning Futures (2020). VoiceThread for Critical Response Activities. Retrieved from https://app.secure.griffith.edu.au/exlnt/entry/7268/view