About VoiceThread

Teachers can set up VoiceThread for interactive video assignments on Canvas. You can create video presentations for students to watch. Then they can comment, ask questions, answer questions, and interact with each other on the timeline of the video. You can also assign them to create their own VoiceThread as part of an assignment.

There are several steps for using VoiceThread on Canvas, described here:

• You can Create an Ungraded VoiceThread link

• Or you can Create a Graded VoiceThread Assignments, which will connect to the Canvas Gradebook

• You can also Use the VoiceThread Website

• Finally, we have a page called Using VoiceThread for students.

More Information and Support

For more information about how to use VoiceThread, see this library of six video tutorials.

The Official VoiceThread documentation is here:

• Documentation for Web Application (using VoiceThread in a browser on a laptop, for example)

• Documentation for the Mobile App (using VoiceThread on your phone)

In addition, VoiceThread offers live online workshops throughout the year. See VoiceThread Workshops for more information. You can also see more information on:

• VoiceThread's Blog

• VoiceThread's Worskshops Blog Posts - where you can see previously-recorded workshops

• VoiceThread's YouTube Channel - where they post some tutorials and promotional material

You can also contact VoiceThread support directly through this Contact Form if you experience errors.

Copying Content on Canvas? Reconfiguration Required

If you copy course content from one course to another, there are a few steps you will need to do to "reconfigure" your VoiceThread assignments after you've finished the copy. (For details about how to copy content from a previous semester or another class see Using the Canvas Course Import Tool.

These instructions assume you've already created the VoiceThread previously at biola.voicethread.com 

After you've imported the course content, VoiceThread assignments will look like this:

Click "Assignment Builder" to proceed.

There are two kinds of assignments, and the process of reconfiguring the assignment will depend on whether it's a "Create" assignment or a "Comment" assignment.

1. "Create" assignments – students submitting their own VoiceThread presentations

2. "Comment" assignments – students commenting/adding slides to a VoiceThread created by the professor

Follow the correct set of instructions below

Reconfiguring "Create" Assignments

Select the "Create" option in this menu:

On the next page, choose your participation requirements. Here's an example of some common settings:

The setting most likely change is the Number of slides required setting which will be up to you to decide how many slides you require from your students. For additional information on the different settings, inquire about our VoiceThread Training course.

Reconfiguring a "Comment" assignment

Select the "Comment" option in this window:

On the next page, you'll see a list of VoiceThreads that have been recorded on biola.voicethread.com, which might looks something like this:

Note: Although this page has a "Create a New VoiceThread" link at the top, don't use that. Instead, create the VoiceThread on biola.voicethread.com first, instead. (Creating it here would prevent it from being reused in later courses.)

Select the VoiceThread you want to use in the assignment. If the VoiceThread selected has multiple slides, the next screen will require the faculty confirm which slides will be included. It is possible to not check slides the faculty may consider superfluous in the particular assignment. Check the desired slides:

The next screen gives you a full-sized preview of how the VoiceThread will be displayed to students. If you approve, click "Continue" in the bottom left corner:

The next screen allows you to chose the Participation Requirements (settings):

• (A) If students will be contributing to the VoiceThread, set a minimum number of comments required by students and a minimum number of slides students will need to add.

• (B) Set the commenting options for students. It is recommended that text be left unchecked as VoiceThreads are intended to add an additional element of asynchronous discussion that does not involve text since that can be fulfilled with a normal discussion board post.

• (C) If students will be adding their own slides to the VoiceThread, you will want to check the option to allow students to do so. Threaded Commenting is also recommended to allow students to comment on comments to spark a discussion. Finally, if want to release submitted comments on their own terms (to prevent cheating or copying comments) the Enable Comment Moderation should be checked.

The final page requires information. Copy the assignment description used in Canvas to the Assignment Instructions field. Set assignment date options copying what was used in Canvas. Finally, select the Assessment option. Most likely Points option will be used in this case copying what was set in the Canvas shell.

At this point, the VoiceThread is configured and ready to be published. Click the yellow Publish button at the bottom left corner.