Voice Thread [Help Desk: Blackboard Class Sites] (new tab/window)
sites.google.com/site/helpdeskclasssites/voice-thread
NOTE: I copied this page to the Help Desk: Blackboard Class Sites site (Jan 2015). I will be updating the information about Voice Thread on that site instead of here. - SWQ
There is the regular free, online tool Voice Thread (http://voicethread.com) and Voice Thread that you can use within a class Blackboard site. Everyone using Blackboard at USC automatically has a Voice Thread account, which is linked to the e-mail address used to log into Blackboard. The instructions below assume you are using Voice Thread in the USC Blackboard environment.*
There is also another product called Voice Thread Universal, which was designed specifically for users who use a screen reader to access electronic information. We are exploring how this tool works within the USC Blackboard environment.
Note: Some of the instructions below refer to various ways of accessing Voice Thread. USC uses Blackboard as the "external authentication" method. If you are logged into an class or organization in USC Blackboard, you do not have to have a separate user ID.
Getting Started
Voice Thread Support -> Guides https://voicethread.com/support/guides/
Higher Ed Student Guide (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/misc/HigherEdStudentQuickStartGuide.pdf
Higher Ed Instructor Guide (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/misc/HigherEdProfessorQuickStartGuide.pdf
Creating a VoiceThread (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/custom/site/docs/CreatingaVoiceThread.pdf
Viewing and Commenting (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/custom/site/docs/ViewingandCommenting.pdf
Sharing a VoiceThread (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/misc/sharing_voicethreads.pdf
Group Creation Guide (pdf) https://voicethread.com/media/misc/group_creation_guide.pdf
YouTube Videos by ConvergenceSolutions https://www.youtube.com/user/ConvergenceSolutions
What is a Voice Thread (:52)
Creating a Voice Thread (1:35)
Phone Commenting in Voice Thread (1:34)
How To: Voice Thread Basics (WSU) http://voicethread.com/support/howto/Basics/
Using VoiceThread @ WSU [See the right column, Resources] http://libguides.wsulibs.wsu.edu/content.php?pid=475940&sid=3897494
Guides for Instructors
An Educatorʼs Guide to VoiceThread [M Pacansky-Brock] (pdf) http://larc.sdsu.edu/sm-workshop11/VTEducatorsGuide.pdf
VoiceThread for Blackboard [University of Alaska Anchorage] http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/classes/instructors/tools/voicethread.cfm
VoiceThread User Guide: Higher Ed Professor (pdf) https://lss.at.ufl.edu/services/voice_thread/HigherEdProfessorQuickStartGuide.pdf
VoiceThread - Instructor Guide [Univeristy of Colorado Boulder] http://www.colorado.edu/oit/services/teaching-learning-tools/voicethread/instructor-guide (They use D2L instead of Blackboard)
Guides for Students
VoiceThread - Student Guide [Univeristy of Colorado Boulder] http://www.colorado.edu/oit/services/teaching-learning-tools/voicethread/student-guide
Accessibility of Voice Thread (and VT Universal)
[Voice Thread] Accessibility http://voicethread.com/about/features/accessibility/
Voice Thread: Accessibility http://voicethread.com/about/features/accessibility/
Voice Thread Universal Guide http://voicethread.com/universal/guide/
VoiceThread AccessAbility at Penn State University http://accessibility.psu.edu/voicethread
The three areas include:
Captions for Deaf and Hearing Impaired Students
Add ALT Text to Uploaded Slides
Screen Reader Options
How To: Voice Thread Closed Captioning (WSU) http://voicethread.com/support/howto/Accessibility/Closed_Captioning/
[Voice Thread] Accessibility Whitepaper: VoiceThread Voluntary Product Accessibility Template http://voicethread.com/resources/VoiceThread-Accessibility-Whitepaper.pdf (The "VPAT explaining VoiceThread's 508 compliancy")
Additional Information
How To: Voice Thread My Voice (WSU) http://voicethread.com/support/howto/MyVoice/
How To: Voice Thread Mobile (WSU) http://voicethread.com/support/howto/Mobile/
[Voice Thread] Program piloted to help online students connect https://news.wsu.edu/2012/08/16/program-piloted-to-help-online-students-connect/#.U9EaxvldWSo
Voice Thread [WSD's eToolBox] http://etoolbox.wikispaces.com/Voicethread
Voicethread 4 Education wiki http://voicethread4education.wikispaces.com/home
* If you have used Voice Thread though an individual account that was linked to another e-mail address (where you logged directly into the Voice Thread site), you cannot automatically share those threads within your class site. Contact servicedesk@sc.edu if you have this issue. The trainer at Voice Thread says they can combine two accounts into one behind the scenes.
(Issues to Explore)
1) There is a separate interface, Voice Thread Universal, that is designed specifically for use by people who use screen-reading software. If a student at USC uses a screen reader, how can he or she activate VT Universal? When I try to sign in from the Voice Thread Universal site (http://voicethread.com/universal/), it does not recognize my USC e-mail and password. On the Penn State web site (http://accessibility.psu.edu/voicethread ) their directions say to log into their PSU account - we would log into our USC account - and then log into VT Universal. They give a link to Voice Thread Universal at a site in PSUs system (https://psu.voicethread.com/universal/ ) I get an error message when I try to get in. Do we need to install Voice Thread Universal in our system? How does all this work? Is there any charge for Voice Thread Universal?
2) There is a Voice Thread app for iPad/iPhone. The Washington State University site (http://libguides.wsulibs.wsu.edu/content.php?pid=475940&sid=3897539 ) says that you can use Apple's app after creating your VT account through the "WSU gateway" (I assume the same would be true for a USC student.) What do we need to know, though, for students to access threads from classes, comment on threads, or create their own threads with the app? (PS - A number of the comments that on iTunes for this app are not very positive.) What do we need to know to support this?
3) Is there an Android app? I did not find one on the Google Play site.
My Voice Thread
https://sc.voicethread.com/?#u4496111