VoiceThread - Laulima Student Engagement Tool
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About VoiceThread
VoiceThread is a learning tool for enhancing student engagement and online presence. With VoiceThread, instructors and/or students can create, share, and comment on images, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, videos, audio files, documents, and PDFs, using a microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio-file upload. VoiceThread is a cloud application, so there is no software to install. The only system requirement is an up-to-date version of Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Safari, Edge, and Explorer are not recommended.
VoiceThead is located under the Laulima's external tools options in the lessons menu. If you do not have this option and would like to utilize VoiceThread, contact Cindy Yamaguchi at cynthiae@hawaii.edu.
Desktop and Mobile Applications
Desktop Application - Cloud - Instructions
Mobile Application Instructions
Tutorials and Training
Overview
Please review the software basics provided at the links below:
Using VoiceThread in Laulima (our branding of the Sakai LMS)
Laulima will automatically enroll all your students into your VoiceThread course, eliminating the need to manually enter your students into two separate systems. Additionally, by utilizing VoiceThread’s quiz option, grades are directly entered into Laulima’s gradebook.
To use VoiceThread, you will need to use Laulima’s Lessons tool. Then, depending upon your course’s organization, you’ll need to select one of the following ways to integrate your VoiceThreads:
- Adding a Lesson button in Laulima’s tool menu with links to all of your VoiceThreads.
or
- Adding a link to individual VoiceThreads within weekly lesson pages. .
Note: If using VoiceThread’s Assignment tool, be sure to Set Up Laulima’s Gradebook to correctly accept the grades.
Guides
Training
VoiceThread offers a variety of professional development opportunities to help you learn how to use VoiceThread. Visit VoiceThread’s workshop website for their schedule of offerings and to register.
Real Course Examples
The following link will take you to a webpage where you can view categorized examples created by other VoiceThread users:
Best Practices for Student Success
Start with a fun low-stakes activity early in the semester to introduce VoiceThread to your students. Provide student’s with VoiceThread ready-made tutorials like these:
- How to Comment on a VoiceThread
- Creating a VoiceThread
- Making an Annotation (aka Doodling) on a VoiceThread
Given that VoiceThread is a new tool, provide a description for your students explaining what VoiceThread is and how you will be using it in your course. Below is some generic text you are welcome to adapt:
“VoiceThread is an online tool that allows us to converse with video, text, and/or voice in response to images, documents, and videos. In this course, we will use VoiceThread to [explain purpose]. You do not need to create personal VoiceThread accounts. When you click on the links in our Laulima course, you will be automatically logged in to a class VoiceThread. Please familiarize yourself with the tool prior to [add date]. You can access tutorials and support materials here: VoiceThread Support for Students . As always, please ask if you have questions.”
Accessibility
Accessibility Features (Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act)- Features
- VoiceThread Universal (Screen Reader-Friendly Version of Your Site)
- Automatic Caption Service (Closed Caption)
- Every audio or video recording you create in VoiceThread will be captioned automatically. You don’t need to do anything at all to initiate the process. The moment you save your recording, the captioning process will begin. Captions should appear in 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the length of your recording.
- Universal Design for Learning Tools for vision, hearing, ADD, ADHD, and dyslexia.
Download a copy of VoiceThread's Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) .
Updated 02/02/2023