What is VoiceThread?
VoiceThread is a web-based collaborative application that allows people to create a multimedia slide show and navigate the slides and comment with different types of media including text, audio, and webcam video. Specifically, people can create a VoiceThread slide show and talk through it and other people can also make comments on each slide using the different types of media.
Alignment to UDL Principles
Engagememt
- Use VoiceThread to foster collaboration and community by having students comment and share ideas together.
- Optimize individual choice and autonomy by allowing students to comment in any media format and anytime within a reasonable time frame.
Representation
- Offer ways of customizing the display of information by allowing teachers to use text, image, and video in VoiceThreads
- Offer alternatives for auditory and visual information by allowing teachers to include closed captions for audio and video comments as they talk through the slides.
Action & Expression
- Students can use multiple media for communication including text, audio, and webcam video.
Curriculum Integration
VoiceThread can be integrated as a presentation tool for any curriculum. For example, teachers can use VoiceThread to upload or create content presentations and add text, audio, or video narration along with the slides for students to learn with. VoiceThread can also be integrated as a discussion tool. Teachers can ask students to make text, audio, or video comments for the slides uploaded/created in VoiceThread.
SWOT analysis
Strengths
- It’s a web-based application. People can access it from a web browser without having to install any software. It’s also compatible with mobile devices such as an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch. People can either access it from a web browser or download and install the app in Apple’s App Store or Google Play
- It can be integrated with a learning management system (LMS).
- Teachers can upload slides or create slides in VoiceThread.
- Students can participate and collaborate anytime and anywhere.
- It allows closed captions for audio and video comments.
Weaknesses
- A free account only allows to create up to 5 VoiceThreads, comment by microphone and text, and share the VoiceThreads via a share link. To use the full functions and features of VoiceThread, the school/university would have to purchase a school/university license or educators would have to purchase a single license with $79 per year or $15 per month.
- Every student would have to create an account to participate in comments and discussion.
- Uploading slides and editing slides in VoiceThread can take a long time to be updated.
Opportunities
- It allows students to collaborate in one space.
- Teachers can use slides with text, images, and videos.
- Students can comment with different types of media: text, audio, and webcam video.
Threats
- Teachers have to be very careful with VoiceThread privacy. Teachers would have to manually add users for a VoiceThread. If they just share the VoiceThread link, allowing anyone with the link to access it, students’ privacy can get compromised.
- Students’ opinions may be influenced by others since they can access other students’ comments before they make one.
- The comments can get chaotic to navigate through when there are too many comments on one slide.
