Please Note:
Our VoiceThread license will be discontinued as of June 2023. We encourage you to check out our other multimedia options such as Video Note, Panopto, and Zoom. Please contact Distance Education if you have questions about which tool to use or options for existing VoiceThreads. Also, check out our Repurposing VoiceThread Videos guide to learn how to download, save, or reuse videos.
What is VoiceThread?
VoiceThread is a web-based tool that allows asynchronous and ongoing digital communication among participants using text, audio, or video. VoiceThread has been integrated into D2L as an External Learning Tool. The tool can be used in face-to-face or online learning environments to support various learning activities, including content presentation, critiques and discussions, and assessment. The multi-modality features of VoiceThread accommodate diverse learning styles and increase social presence. It is an easy-to-use tool and has been used to support the learning process in an engaging and fun way.
VoiceThread is a media sharing and discussion platform and has been used in many ways to enhance student-student interaction, student-instructor interaction and student-content interaction in online courses. The following are some examples of VoiceThread applications in online courses; however, this is not an exhaustive list. More lesson ideas and examples of its applications can be found in the Browse page within a VoiceThread account.
Student Use:
Generally speaking, there are three types of activities for students to use VoiceThread: Viewing, Commenting/Discussion/Debates, and Creating. Some examples might be:
- Icebreakers: Self-Introduction at the beginning of a semester
- Research presentations: research topics in groups or individually
- Debates: debate and discuss controversial issues
- Examples: share real-life examples for some topic/theory/principles
- Evaluation: document and share the process of an activity for instructor or peer evaluation
- Digital storytelling
- Brainstorming
- Practice foreign languages
Teacher Use:
Using VoiceThread, an instructor can create and share interactive lectures, facilitate student discussion, and assess student learning. Some activities might be:
- Create a course tour
- Create lectures and presentations
- Provide audio/video feedback for student work
- Facilitate discussion and conversation around topics
- Assess student learning by asking them to answer questions, interpret graphics (data), etc.
For additional questions or hands-on training opportunities, please contact the Office of Distance Education at [email protected].
also provides a ton of how-to resources.