Voicethread

Voicethread is an online tool that works through the web browser, for uploading images, slides, videos or PDFs and annotating, recording, or having asynchronous audio, video or text-based discussions about them.

Here are some examples: a sit-in of interactive Voicethread, a class lecture, a video-based announcement, and a student group activeness.

You can even provide an introduction, insert text comments with a link to a YouTube video. Here'due south an instance. (Note: importing YouTube videos is no longer supported, but you can link out to them via text comments)

It is possible using Voicethread to accept asynchronous role-playing, debate, dialog, group presentations, analysis of images or other media, and Q&A.

As you can see from the examples, Voicethreads play in a browser window by link (much like a YouTube video), and they do not require downloading, exporting, or re-uploading after you make further changes. The links you create to Voicethread presentations can persist from semester to semester, year to yr.

UMB has an enterprise site-license so getting started is easy.

SSW Faculty Quote

"Information technology was surprisingly So piece of cake! I couldn't believe I was able to do information technology all in the very first laissez passer, and better all the same, I did it all from my phone! Cheers, the tutorial was fantastic."

To get started: go to https://umaryland.voicethread.com and log in with your UMID and Duo. (It's possible if you are already logged in to other campus systems, you volition be logged right in.) If y'all accept a previous account associated with your @ssw electronic mail address then y'all will need to consummate the post-obit:

    1. If yous have an existing personal Voicethread account with a UMB email address, you volition be asked to verify your business relationship via email. Click the VERIFY BY Electronic mail button.

2. You lot volition then need to verify the account via email. Launch Outlook and respond to the Voicethread email.

There is also a Blackboard integration, which allows you lot to do create course groups, add voice threads directly into your form, and do grade Voicethread assignments. More data on that is here. Note: this website is still existence implemented and in development. Delight note: if yous use the Blackboard integration, it may limit admission to your threads to But the people enrolled in the Blackboard course, and they may access them only from within the course. You may want to bypass that and utilize the info below to create your threads and share them with students instead. The Blackboard integration is wonky and we are non recommending information technology at this time.

The 4 basic steps of Voicethread presentations are: Create > Add together Media > Annotate > and Share .

Click Create to create a new VoiceThread presentation. Before you add media, nosotros have some recommendations for slides you may add beneath:

Preparing Your Slides for Voicethread

If you are going to add slides into a blank thread that we created for you, here's how:

    1. First, consider removing things that volition appointment your presentation. Remove the semester and yr (Spring 2018), as that may crave you to update the slide each year, which is a pain. The thought hither is to create something that you tin can use over and over, and peradventure even share with others to employ as well. You do Not need the grade number, name, semester or year on your championship slide. Just your proper noun and the title of the presentation or topic is great.

    2. Likewise, we encourage you to keep specifics nearly assignments, exams, and other activities that may also change over time separate from the presentation. It is easier in the long run to keep your presentation content carve up from your assignment/activity content, whether that is on a slide by slide or thread past thread basis. In addition, if you Practise blend this content together in i presentation, we encourage you to tape separate comments (audio/video) for these items, so that you tin also easily delete or re-record only those portions later on every bit things modify. Remember: downwardly the road, you lot can replace a slide, or you can replace (delete/re-record) individual comments. So if y'all record a 5-infinitesimal long comment that is a lecture, merely also discuss an consignment, if yous change the consignment portion, you would need to re-record that entire comment. Just go on this in mind as yous develop and plan your Voicethread recordings.

    3. LINKS: when imported to Voicethread, links on your slides are NOT clickable. However, it is possible to create ane link per slide in Voicethread edit mode, using these directions. Links on a slide look like this - the icon on the correct is a clickable link

You can as well add hyperlinks (every bit many as you want) in Voicethread text comments (also as many as you want) on each slide.

    1. Ok, so now you are ready to assemble the materials that you lot will be presenting (presentation, pictures, videos)

    2. Please save or export the presentation equally a .PDF file before uploading to VoiceThread. If you see issues with fonts and text non positioned properly in Voicethread, you must really export as PDF first to avoid this. (Also - if you plan to tape audio narration/comments for your VoiceThread, we recommend keeping each slide'south narration to no longer than several minutes - so keep this in mind when designing your slides.

How to Add together Media to a New or Blank Thread in Edit Style

    1. Click Add Media (plus sign) and elevate your media onto the Add Media icon. Mouse over a blank thread and click the Edit icon to go into Edit mode.

    2. Elevate PDFs, slides, photos, videos, etc. onto the Add Media icon, or click on the Add together Media icon (or very large + sign) to see other options, such as adding by URL, webcam photo or webcam video, or other sources. Notation: Webcam photo takes a still photograph using your webcam, and the video choice allows you to record a video for students using your webcam. If you lot just desire to record a video of yourself speaking, use the webcam video option. Otherwise, to narrate on tiptop of slides, click My Computer and browse to find the files/slides.

    3. If you lot want to include other video resources, you lot would cull the URL option and paste in the URL to the video. If you get an mistake, that site or media is non supported. (Delight notation that VT no longer supports importing YouTube videos this way - but you can add together links to them using a text comment on any slide).

    4. One time your slides are uploaded, information technology volition take some time to process them. The length of time to process slides varies but can accept 15 minutes or more than. Once complete, click Annotate to enter annotate mode and then add a comment to each page with the audio and/or video narration that should be included on that slide. (Run into more info on recording comments below.)

    5. Go along in listen yous tin can always come back to Edit fashion to re-lodge, delete, add together more or replace slides. This is covered below.

    6. If your group members need to add slides or comments, share and give them edit abilities. (For more information, see the section on sharing.)

    7. If yous want to moderate the comments that are contributed to your slides, make sure to Enable Comment Moderation in the thread settings. Learn more than about annotate moderation.

    8. When your presentation is set, share it with the class. (For more data, see the section on sharing.)

    9. Video instructions for creating a VoiceThread are available on their website. Hither's a folio defended entirely to Tips for creating a quality VoiceThread.

Tape or Upload a WebCam Video

You lot tin record or upload a webcam video (rather than comments on a slide) in Voicethread. (Keep in mind, this is different than adding a video comment onto a slide, which is usually smaller and off to the side of a slide.)

    1. Go into Edit mode

    2. Click on "+Add together Media"

    3. Select "WebCam Video" to record 1 on the fly and y'all will see a countdown earlier yous brainstorm recording. Play it back when finished to brand sure information technology works well.

    4. or select "My Computer" to locate a video y'all have already recorded and wish to upload as its ain "slide"

When there are blank voice threads in your account, information technology is a skillful thought to rename them to something that matches the content.

    1. Mouse over a blank thread and Click the Edit icon to go into Edit mode.

    2. Click edit next to the voice thread proper name.

iii. The Thread Settings window appears. Click the Title field and type in a new name.

4. When complete, click Relieve .

Importing Slides from Google Slides

One time your slides are consummate, you will want to download them as a PDF for uploading into Voicethread. (Note: animations, videos, and transitions will not work in Voicethread.)

To download:

Click on File menu> Download as… and choose PDF Certificate (.pdf)

Take notation of where you save it and what it is named!

Commenting on a VoiceThread

In VoiceThread, you can comment in several ways: using voice (with a microphone, telephone or, on pro accounts, uploaded audio file), text, or video (via a webcam).

To comment, you simply click on the (+) comment button at the bottom centre of the VoiceThread page,

and and so decide which type of comment you want to leave:

    • text (ABC)

    • telephone (just put in your phone number and it will call you!)

    • audio (microphone)

    • video (camera)

    • or the upwardly arrow to upload an audio file equally an audio comment

Click on the appropriate icon, and then follow the prompts to go out your comment. *You will need to Allow Flash to access your microphone and/or your camera. One time your comment is recorded, you volition have an option to either save, cancel or record more which adds to the annotate.

Nosotros highly recommend against continuing from slide to slide while you keep to record. Simply record 1 or more than comments per slide and save them without moving on to the adjacent slide while recording. Also, we recommend more short comments, rather than fewer longer comments. The reason is because if you need to update something, information technology is far easier to delete and re-record shorter comments. Likewise, we encourage yous to proceed information nearly specifics similar assignments, activities, word questions, etc. in separate comments from "lecture content" whenever possible. These tend to demand to be updated more frequently, and having them as carve up slides and/or comments will brand this far easier in the long run.

Some very of import audio tips:

  • Test, examination, and test: tape a couple comments and play them back to run across if the audio is an appropriate book. Information technology would be a good idea to besides listen to something else on your computer, such equally another lecture, VoiceThread or video to see if the audio in the VoiceThread comment is at about the aforementioned volume level.

    • To select or alter the microphone input and set the volume level for your microphone, control-click or right-click in the VoiceThread box and select "Settings" to pull up the Adobe Wink Settings - then click on the Microphone icon and set the input volume level then that it is an appropriate volume (about eighty% on the meter).

    • Likewise - get a good feeling for starting and stopping: are at that place words cut off at the kickoff or end? Too long of a pause earlier or after speaking? Get a rhythm going for starting and stopping so that you don't accept these bug.

  • You can delete and re-tape sound or video comments whenever needed - so feel costless to do a couple tests before you settle on the terminal comments.

  • When using a headset, brand sure your microphone is a bit off to the side of your mouth, not direct in front of it. This will prevent too many popping P'south and hissing S's. Over again, do a test and heed to the recorded comment to see if yous are getting popping P's or if the microphone sounds likewise close to your oral cavity (and y'all hear also much breathing, etc.)

  • Since yous can upload an audio file as a comment, you could also record using Audacity and edit/perfect your recording for each slide before uploading. (Note: Just Pro accounts tin upload audio files. Speak with your ID if you need Pro account access.)

  • Plan to not speak more than than about a minute or three at a time when narrating. If yous seek perfection and mess up ii minutes into the comment, you volition need to delete and commencement over. Note that you tin can always save a annotate, and add another 1. You lot can add as many comments to a slide equally you lot need.

For detailed instructions on each of these commenting methods, see the help article: https://voicethread.com/howto/category/commenting-web-application/ (Nosotros also take a video available to demonstrate commenting on a VoiceThread. )

If your students volition be commenting on your VoiceThread, you accept the option to moderate their contributions, only understand this requires someone with editing rights to review each comment earlier it is visible to everyone.

Deleting or Moving Comments

Comments can be deleted by clicking the trash can icon while viewing a comment.

Comments can exist moved (reordered) by dragging and dropping the comment icon.

Time to get the link to share your voicethread! Whenever you demand students or colleagues to view and/or add comments to your thread, yous can get a link to share with them. Here's how:

  1. Click the Share icon

  2. Click Bones

  3. Click Copy Link

  1. VERY IMPORTANT STEP: Click Who has access and select Anyone can view (or Anyone tin annotate if you want someone to add comments) using the pulldown menu, and click Save changes .

If you lot fail to change this permission setting, people volition be unable to view and/or comment on your presentation. They will receive an mistake box and will have to request access to your presentation.

  1. Anyone you give the URL link to tin view the VoiceThread. You can provide information technology to others in a discussion forum, email, or text when submitting an assignment, or paste the link into a Word certificate and upload that.

  2. If you are collaborating with someone from exterior UMB, they, besides can view and/or comment on the thread, but they will need to ready a free account at https://voicethread.com/register, verify the account, and be logged in to add together comments.

  3. If someone has problem viewing your thread, check #4 above!

If yous want to test that the link is available to students, open a new/different browser, in which you are NOT logged into Voicethread, and paste the URL into that browser to see if information technology plays when not logged in. Y'all will encounter "sign in" in the upper correct corner, rather than your email address. If y'all run into your email accost, you are already logged into Voicethread:

Sharing Securely with Edit Rights

It is possible to share with other instructors or the Idea Squad with Edit rights by doing the following:

    1. Click the Share icon (in the far upper left 3 line hamburger) and Click the Secure tab

    2. Click the Contacts tab

    3. a. If an Idea Team contact exists already, click information technology.

    4. 4b. If it does not be: Click the + sign to add together an Idea Team contact : Add together our name and electronic mail (ideateam@ssw....) and click Relieve

    5. Tick the Edit icon to brand information technology green

    6. Click the Share (blue) icon to share (and the notify by email box being checked is good too!)

Sharing a Thread with a Grouping

Another way to share a thread with a particular group is simply to drag a thread from the correct side of your screen over the name of a group in the left column.

You volition then be presented with the option to share and/or make a copy of the thread, too as what blazon of admission you want to give the group: view, comment and/or edit.

If you create a thread on your own, the easiest fashion to share it with IDEA Team is to share or copy information technology to a group that we are in, and click Edit, to brand certain we have Edit access to help you and your students.

Copying a thread will also reset all the dates for attached comments to the current date.

First, see "Sharing a Voicethread" above, to get the link that you need to share with your students. You lot can add together the link to your thread as a content item in a Blackboard binder known as a " web link " and paste the URL (from Sharing a Voicethread above) into that link for students to access. They practice not demand whatever special software or accounts if you have done all of the above - it should merely open in their spider web browser similar any video. Use the Build Content carte du jour to cull " Web Link " and paste in the share URL to your thread:

OR you can embed information technology as a hyperlink in any text field in Blackboard:

Another (different) mode to provide the link is to but insert a hypertext link in a Blackboard item. To practice this, get to the discussion forum, announcement, email tool, or item in Blackboard where you desire to link to the thread.

To insert a simple hypertext link, type the text to click on or paste the link in and highlight it, and use the link icon in the toolbar:

You tin add the link to your thread as a content item in a Blackboard folder known as a "spider web link" and paste the URL into that link for students to access. They practise not demand any special software or accounts if you lot have done all of the above - information technology should just open up in their spider web browser like any video. Use the Build Content menu to choose "Spider web Link" and paste in the share URL to your thread:

Embedding Voicethread into Blackboard pages:

  1. To embed the video into a Blackboard page or detail, starting time by clicking Share in Voicethread, so Basic and Embed.

  2. Nosotros suggest you lot change the size boxes to 640 x 360 so the embed will be a scrap larger on your folio.

  3. Decide if you lot want students to be able to add together comments or not - and uncheck the Comment box if not

  4. Click the blueish Copy Embed Code button which volition copy everything in the code box to your clipboard

Now, back in Blackboard, Edit or create the detail where you want to embed the thread.

Type in the intro text to introduce students to the presentation/concepts. This will assist you locate where to paste the embed code.

Click the < > icon in the toolbar to open the HTML editor.

Now, in the HTML editor, locate the intro text y'all typed, and in the line below it, paste the Voicethread embed lawmaking you copied and click Relieve to end.

Y'all will then see the thread embedded in your page, and click Submit to finalize this process.

Using Voicethread for Student Projects

Many instructors employ Voicethread for student presentation individual or group-based projects. If you practice so, delight include something like this bulletin with your instructions to students, and then that students have the information they volition demand to successfully navigate to and use UMB Voicethread:

Be certain to read and use the tutorials for students on using Voicethread : (https://sites.google.com/site/sswideateam/students/voicethread-for-students)

Updating a VoiceThread Slide

Note

The below role requires EDIT access to the Voicethread. If you created information technology yourself, you have this. If IDEA Team created the thread for you, nosotros may need to provide Edit admission instead of just Annotate access for yous to exist able to do this. Please email u.s. for Edit access! Exist be careful! Annihilation you delete is gone - there'due south no versioning!

With EDIT access, you can update either the slides or the comments on VoiceThreads at any time. Let's say you have a narrated slide with a typo and desire to but replace the slide, but keep the audio comment. Here's how:

Part 1: Preparing the updated slides:

    1. Correct the slide in PowerPoint

    2. Click File menu and pull down to: Save equally pictures and then click Options - At the lesser, select Salve current slide only ; Select a Format (the default, JPEG will work fine.) and click OK.

    3. OR if y'all don't come across Save as > Pictures - do File > Export and change the Format pulldown menu from PDF to JPEG, then select Electric current Slide Just .

    4. The Salvage as field may still have the original proper noun of your slide set - we recommend you append the number of the slide to the stop of that name. For instance: courseintroduction-slide15

    5. Notation Where it is saving. (We recommend the desktop.)

    6. Click Relieve .

Repeat for any slides yous wish to update

    1. At present, to VoiceThread:

    2. Log in to Voicethread

    3. Click VT Home and locate the thread you lot wish to update. (It may show up under Shared with Me if your ID set up the VoiceThread, or you may demand to search for information technology using the box in the upper left.)

    4. Mouse over the VT and select Edit

    5. Mouse over the slide you wish to update and click the Pencil icon.

    1. Click Replace at the top of the image in the center of your screen

  1. If there are already comments on the slide, click Yes to upload a new slide but keep the comments. (Y'all can always replace comments later)

    1. Select the individual updated slide file yous saved above and click Save .

Atrributions

Portions of this content reproduced from JHSPH

https://sites.google.com/site/ctltteachingtoolkit/resources/voicethread/voicethread-how-to-faculty-ta

Voicethread and Screen Readers: Universal Voicethread

Voicethread can also be optimed for screen readers. Run into how on this page.

Note, when creating a share link that y'all desire to exist Universal, do this:

Building a VT Universal share link

A VoiceThread share link takes a viewer directly to a particular VoiceThread. This is ofttimes the quickest way to direct someone to an private VoiceThread. Click here to acquire how to obtain a share link.

The share link for a VoiceThread is structured every bit: http://voicethread.com/share/ ##### . The numbers at the end of the share link are the identification number for that VoiceThread. This share link will e'er open up in the standard application at voicethread.com.

If a person would like to visit this VoiceThread in VT Universal instead, he can restructure the share link using that same identification number. The link would exist structured as: http://voicethread.com/universal/thread/ ##### .

Pupil Introductions and Comments: Copying for Each Semester

Many instructors apply Voicethread as an ice breaker and great way to have students innovate themselves to each other asynchronously, because they can do so on their ain time, BUT can apply sound and video then you can hear their vocalization and see their face up/body language. This as well makes VT a great tool for asynchronous role playing, scenario responses or faux cases.

However, it is not possible to re-use the same pupil introduction threads from year to year, they need to be Copied and reset with a new link for each semester or twelvemonth. You cannot simply delete onetime comments from students and re-use the aforementioned link each semester, considering students from previous semesters will both receive email notifications of the new messages AND be able to run into new pupil responses in classes in which the old students are not enrolled. Therefore, we enquire all instructors who use VT for student introductions or student annotate interaction, to copy/duplicate and replace all such VT links with new ones, each semester. The IDEA Team will aid you with this process. Delight reach out at least 2-iii weeks prior to the semester to have this set upwardly.

Please note that threads which are "view merely" and which do not include student comments (such as lecture recordings, video recordings, or other media that students but view) practice Not need to be copied and reset each semester, and can go on to exist re-used with the same links in your Blackboard course.