STANDARD USE OF VOICETHREAD
Most people use VoiceThread to deliver online lectures or to have students deliver project presentations. Very few use the commenting tool for more than just recording an audio or video voiceover. The Commenting tool however, can be used for so much more. I just attended an online session, delivered by George Haines of VoiceThread, on how to use VoiceThread for games and learned several new ways to use it.
VoiceThread (VT) for Games
Prisoner’s Dilemma
The Prisoner’s Dilemma is a game where a pair of students must decide whether to cooperate or defect and points are assigned based on what they choose. It’s based on two prisoners are taken in together to be questioned by the police. They decide before hand that they will not turn on one another so that if neither one tells they will both get off scott free. They are told by the police that if they cooperate they will get a lighter sentence AND that the other partner is going to rat them out. Points are assigned as follows:
- Both cooperate: each student gets 3 points
- One defects (rats) and one cooperates: rat gets 5 points, cooperate gets 0
- Both defect: each student gets 1 point
- The team member with the most points wins the team BUT your team is also playing against the other pairs in the class
- A pair of students are assigned one VT. They must decide, in secret, whether to cooperate or defect. Comment Moderation is turned on so the students don’t see what the other is doing.
- There are several rounds as long as you have an odd number of games.
- On the last slide they should analyze their game and how it relates to the topic.
Ideas for Use:
Exercise Science – Do you use doping to increase an athlete’s performance?
Anything that has to do with ethics.
Current Events normally can be adapted to this type of game.
Climate Change – One is China, one is the USA – Do you spend the money to curb emissions to clean up the environment? If you do and the other doesn’t then they get clean air without spending the money.
The Ultimatum Game
A Modification of prisoner’s dilemma. Based on how people perceive themselves in the hierarchy or pecking order. There are two students who have to decide how to split $10. Student A decides how to split the money. Student B decides if they will accept or reject the split.
- If B accepts, each get that dollar amount
- If B rejects they don’t get any money
- Score for the individual in the team and for the class
- A pair of students are assigned one VT. Comment Moderation is turned on so the students don’t see what the other is doing.
- Student A must decide how to split $10 using the Text commenting tool.
- Student B must then accept or reject the split using the Text commenting tool.
- There are several rounds (maybe 10).
- Halfway through the total number of rounds. There should be a slide where the students discuss how they are doing and ways to get a higher score. Also reflect on how they are doing as a group
- Play the second half of the rounds but switch Student A and B, where B now decides how to split and A accepts/rejects..
- On the last slide they should analyze their individual game play, what they learned about themselves and how it relates to the topic.
Ideas for Use:
Anything where there are Haves and Have nots
Political Science: how different countries relate to each other.
Global Health: How do we spend money to stop a pandemic, on our people or on the people where the pandemic has started.
Doodle Games
These are games that use the Doodle Tool that is available in video and audio comments.
Trace a path: Tracing a path through a grid while they explain why they are choosing those things.
Example – Trace a line through all the even numbers and pronounce them as you go though them.
Draw on a Map: Add a blank map and have students identify specific areas of the map or trace a journey on the map.
Draw a diagram: Free draw a diagram that demonstrates concept organization. Students will draw a diagram or will add items to a diagram while talking through why they are using that diagram or why they are putting items in specific areas. Faculty will just upload a blank PowerPoint slide.
In your games you can also create a leaderboard for first responders if you want because VT will show you show responded in the date/time order.
VoiceThread for Questions
Reading Quiz
Place quotes or questions from the reading that will be used to prompt discussion in the face to face class. The night before, students must respond to those questions on their own. The professor then looks at those before class and incorporates them into the discussion.
- Create a PowerPoint with the images and/or questions (make the questions thought provoking) and upload that into VoiceThread. Turn on Comment Moderation so the students cannot see what others have said.
- Students go in and answer using the commenting feature however they want.
- Faculty then looks at/listens to the comments.
- In an online class: once everyone has responded professor may want to accept all those comments so others can then see what their classmates said. Face-to-Face you don’t need to do this because you will be discussing it in class.
Diagram or Grammar Questions
The professor uploads a diagram, model, image, or text question to VT. The students then use the audio/video commenting feature AND the doodle tool to mark up the image.
Create a PowerPoint with the images and/or text and upload that into VoiceThread. Turn on Comment Moderation so the students cannot see what others have said.- Students go in and answer using the audio or video commenting feature only and the doodle tool (colored pencils at the bottom of the VT recording screen) to mark up the image.
- Faculty then looks at/listens to the comments.
- You don’t need to accept the moderated comments because other students will not need to see what their classmates answered.
Great for geography, exercise science, health,
Helpful Links
- VoiceThread Tutorials – http://goo.gl/d5kvyy
- VoiceThread for the iPad – http://goo.gl/HiNVge
