VoiceThread is an interactive multimedia platform designed to enhance communication and collaboration in educational and professional settings. It allows users to create and share media-rich presentations, known as VoiceThreads, which can include images, videos, documents, and audio recordings. Participants can then comment on these presentations using text, audio, or video, creating a dynamic, asynchronous conversation around the content. VoiceThread is widely used in classrooms and online courses to facilitate discussions, group projects, and peer feedback, providing an engaging and accessible way to interact with course materials and each other. For more details, you can visit the tutorials below or visit the VoiceThread official website.
The New VoiceThread Experience (May 2024) Summary of Updates
Here’s a quick preview of some of the new upgrades and redesign coming to VoiceThread on May 20, 2024. The new VoiceThread features the same commenting options and features that you know, with some improvements to the look and functionality. The biggest change is the location of the comment button – instead of the bottom center of the VoiceThread, the comment button appears on the bottom left of the VoiceThread.
Through a redesign VoiceThread was able to simplify and de-clutter the interface without removing any functionality at all. In fact, they’ve added a number of power user features like batch revealing moderated comments, batch deletion, and a whole lot more.
Long time users might experience a moment of “hey this looks so different,” but Voicethread is confident that you will figure it out extremely quickly. They even give you a tour in just 12 seconds
For a more in-depth look at the updated VoiceThread experience, please check out this video and subsequent tutorials:https://bit.ly/3yfCXLy
For questions contact an Instructional Technologist at tlt@cofc.edu
The New Enhanced Voicethread Experience
The New Enhanced Voicethread Experience
VoiceThread has made some significant enhancements. The section below describes the updates as of May 2024. This section is especially good for those who are skilled users of the previous versions of VoiceThread so that you are seeing what has changed. The above tutorials are being updated to reflect the changes.
The College of Charleston opened the new VoiceThread experience on May 20, 2024! This is the biggest update in VoiceThread history, featuring a more intuitive design that is fully accessible and usable, ensuring an enhanced user experience for everyone. Additional highlights include a simpler-to-use conversation structure. Also, the new VoiceThread improves the ability to zoom, pan, and jump navigation. Several exciting upgrades are highlighted below, along with a variety of tutorials.
Commenting in a VoiceThread — Select a slide and use the new comment button, now located on the left side of the page. You can type and record audio or video as part of your comment. To add a comment to a conversation, just click the button on the lower left. You will then choose a comment type. A choice between text, audio, video, and upload will be available unless settings are adjusted to eliminate any of these choices. To see the new commenting features in action, watch this video.
One Conversation/Viewing Comments: Comments are aligned in a single timeline called ‘One conversation’, making it easier to follow discussions. You can also zoom in and pan on images while commenting to point out specific details (One Conversation Video) One Conversation vs. multi-conversation tutorial: https://voicethread.com/howto/one-conversation-vs-multi-conversation/
Enhanced Accessibility Features: Ensure that you explore accessibility options, such as adjusting for dark mode or utilizing closed captions for a better user experience https://voicethread.com/blog/new-voicethread-simpler-more-accessible-and-more-powerful-2023-09-07/
Additional Enhancements
Bulk Actions for Comment Management: The introduction of bulk actions like deleting all comments or revealing moderated comments at once, streamlining the management process. /https://voicethread.com/howto/deleting-a-comment-2/
Zoom & Pan – You can now zoom in and move around in an image during your comment, and everything you do will playback for your audience, just like they were sitting right next to you. –Zoom and Pan
Multi-slide (M/5) Comments: This feature allows users to jump navigation –Open the new slide gallery and keep it open during your comment! This allows you to jump from slide 1 to slide 40 in a single click rather than flipping through them one by one. https://voicethread.cmail20.com/t/y-l-pkrjiul-iholktlc-u/
Assignment and Grading: For educators, the platform allows for the creation of assignments and the grading of student work directly within VoiceThread. Make sure to familiarize yourself with these options to leverage VoiceThread effectively in educational settings. https://voicethread.com/howto/using-new-assignments/
Questions? Reach out to TLT@cofc.edu
Sharing Your VoiceThread
VoiceThreads are setup to be private by default, therefore, in order for students to view them in your class, you will need to share them. This tutorial will show you quick and easy steps showing how to share them.
VoiceThread Tutorials UPDATED (May 2024)
For seasoned VoiceThread users who just want to see the changes, please click here for a summary of the changes.
Creating a Basic VoiceThread for Beginners
Adding a VoiceThread into OAKS
Adding VoiceThreads into OAKS News, Content, Discussions, etc.
While the tutorial shows how to add a VT in Content, the same process can work in almost any tool in OAKS.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Add a VoiceThread to OAKS Content |  |
 |
updated: 5/17/24
Adding Graded VoiceThread Assignments
VoiceThread is a great tool that is integrated with OAKS (D2L/Brightspace) but few of us use it to its greatest potential. With the integration, you can quickly and easily add VoiceThreads to Content as well as ASSIGN students tasks such as to watch a VT, comment 2x on a VT, or create their own VT! The grade can then be tied right to the OAKS Grade book.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Add a WATCH Assignment | |
|
| Add a COMMENT Assignment | |
|
| Add a CREATE Assignment | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Grading VoiceThread Assignments
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade a WATCH Assignment | |
|
| Grade a COMMENT Assignment | |
|
| Grade a CREATE Assignment | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Accessing VoiceThread for Students
Copy a VoiceThread to a New Class
Prior to 12/22, VoiceTheads copied between OAKS courses had to be relinked. After 12/18/22, there is a new way to add VTs to OAKS so this is no longer the case. If you copy the VoiceThreads properly, you will not have to relink the assignments.
NOTE: This only works if you have added the VTs using the new method.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Copy a VoiceThread to a New Class | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Creating a Collaborative Class VoiceThread Assignment
Creating an assignment where students add their own slide to a collective VoiceThread
We normally use VoiceThread (VT) to record lectures and occasionally allow students to comment or ask questions. But what about creating a single VT where all your students actually contribute the content? For example, instead of having every student create their own VoiceThread to introduce themselves, create one VT where each student contributes a slide. It’s easy to set it up so that students can edit the VT!
Suggested Uses:
- Online discussion board
- Class introductions
- Foreign language practice
- Reflection
- Social Learning
- Hear multiple ways of solving a problem
Comment Moderation and Private Replies
One of the settings you’ll find when looking at a VoiceThread’s playback settings is Moderate Comments. Comment Moderation makes other people’s comments invisible to everyone except the VoiceThread’s creator or someone who’s been granted editing rights.
Comment Moderation Tutorial 2024
Types of Media Available in VoiceThread
Media Sources – allows you to use images already on the web.
- No one file can be larger than 25MB for students (basic account).
- You can add the following:
- images – .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp
- audio – .mp3, .wav
- video – .mp4 (h.264, 600x 450 is recommended)
- documents – .doc/.docx, .pdf, .xls/.xlsx
- presentations – .ppt/.pptx, .pdf
- links to web files
- recorded video from your webcam
- My VoiceThreads – allows you to reuse images that are part of one of your other VoiceThreads previously created.
- Flickr – allows you to use images you have already posted to Flickr. Note: it only allows you to view photos that are part of a set in Flickr.
- Google Drive – allows you to use files stored in your CofC Google Drive.
- New York Public Library – allows you to use images already uploaded and used in a VoiceThread created by the New York Public Library.
- Zoom – allows you to import recordings from Zoom into VT (up to six months old; edits do not copy, meaning if you edited your Zoom video, those cuts are not reflected in VT [you get the entire video]). A note: if you delete the recording from Zoom.us after sharing within a VT, the video will remain in VT (it creates a copy).
- Kaltura – Clicking on Media Sources allows you to add a recording you previously created in Kaltura.
- Click Kaltura
- Click Owned by me This is the ONLY option you will see any recordings.
- Click on the Kaltura recording you want to use and click Import
- Click OK
- Click X in upper right to close the Media Sources page . Here you will see the VoiceThread processing that recording.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON YOUTUBE INTEGRATION FROM VOICETHREAD: The YouTube integration is working now (11/12/20), but it’s still intermittent because we’re (VOICETHREAD) relying on a third party that seems to have some issues. We are working on an alternative that will use true YouTube embeds so we are not susceptible to this type of unreliability. The tradeoff is that we won’t be able to strip off YouTube’s ads, but it will be a much more stable solution. I’ll let you know when this is done.
Accessing VoiceThread's Accessibility Features
As of May of 2024, VoiceThread has made their product more usable and Accessible!
Click here to learn more about the updates
Automatic Closed Captions in VoiceThread Tutorial
This tutorial will cover:
- Creating CC for existing VoiceThreads made before 09/09/18
- Viewing CC in a VoiceThread
- Editing CC on VoiceThreads
- Downloading CC from VoiceThread
- Creating a transcript from a downloaded caption file
Tutorials from VoiceThread
- Closed Captioning: https://voicethread.com/howto/closed-captioning/
- Full-screen mode: https://voicethread.com/howto/full-screen-mode/
- VoiceThread Universal (for screen readers): https://voicethread.com/howto/voicethread-universal/
- Zooming: https://voicethread.com/howto/zooming/
Automatic Closed Captions for VoiceThreads
Using VoiceThread on Mobile Devices
Troubleshooting VoiceThread
You can visit the CofC Knowledge Base and search for VoiceThread to access all of the articles to help you diagnose any issues you are having.
You can also visit the troubleshooting videos created by the VoiceThread company
- Clearing your browser cache: https://voicethread.com/howto/clearing-the-browser-cache/
- Comment could not be processed: https://voicethread.com/howto/comment-could-not-be-processed/
- Enabling cookies and local storage: https://voicethread.com/howto/enabling-cookies/
- File upload issues: https://voicethread.com/howto/file-upload-issues/
- Save PowerPoint presentations as PDFs: http://bit.ly/ppts2pdfs
- VoiceThreads are not loading: https://voicethread.com/howto/voicethreads-are-not-loading/
Tutorials from VoiceThread
Creating: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/creating-web-application/
Doodling: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/doodling-web-application/
Editing: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/editing-web-application/
Commenting: https://voicethread.com/howto/how-to-comment/
Groups and contacts: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/groups-and-contacts/
Identities: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/identities-web-application/
Listening to and viewing comments: https://voicethread.com/howto/listening-to-and-viewing-comments-2/
Navigating: https://voicethread.com/howto/getting-around-in-a-voicethread-2/
Notifications: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/notifications-web-application/
Settings: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/settings/
Sharing: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/sharing-web-application/
Spotlight on the new features: Gallery, zooming, panning and jumping
VoiceThread recently introduced an enhanced gallery zooming, panning, and jumping feature aimed at improving the user experience when viewing and interacting with images within the platform. Here are the key aspects of this feature:
-
Zooming: Users can smoothly zoom in and out of images in the gallery. This allows for a closer look at details or a broader view of the entire image.
-
Panning: Once zoomed in, users can pan across the image by clicking and dragging. This makes it easier to navigate different sections of a zoomed-in image without losing focus or needing to zoom out.
-
Jumping: Users can quickly jump to different sections of the image or move to other images within the gallery. This functionality provides a more efficient way to switch between images or focus on specific parts of a single image.
These features collectively enhance the interactivity and usability of the gallery, making it more intuitive and user-friendly for those analyzing or presenting images in VoiceThread.
https://www.iorad.com/player/2360373/One-conversation-mode-vs–multi-conversation-mode–2024-
https://voicethread.com/blog/new-voicethread-simpler-more-accessible-and-more-powerful-2023-09-07/
One Conversation vs. Multiple Conversation in VoiceThread Commenting
VoiceThread provides users with the flexibility to manage discussions in different ways, either by keeping all comments and replies in a single conversation thread or by organizing them into multiple, separate conversation threads. Here’s an overview of each method and its advantages:
One Conversation
Overview: In the “One Conversation” setup, all comments and replies related to a particular slide are part of a single, continuous thread. This means that every comment is visible in the order it was posted, creating a linear discussion flow.
Multiple Conversations
Overview: In the “Multiple Conversations” setup, comments can be organized into separate threads or discussions. Each thread is independent, allowing for multiple distinct conversations to happen simultaneously on the same slide.
For more information please click below:
For a tutorial of how to turn on and off One Conversation click here.
https://www.iorad.com/player/2360373/One-conversation-mode-vs–multi-conversation-mode–2024-
Changing Playback Speed
You are now able to adjust playback speeds for comments in VoiceThread. Please click below for more information
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ODhRyWNQ3ge1mAUUx7sPs4sVu6hBqoN55f2Jz0kSQrI/edit?usp=sharing
Legacy Tutorials. Important Browser Information (Archive later)
Browser requirements
- Chrome and Firefox are fully supported. Make sure you are using the latest version.
- Microsoft Edge and Safari can be used to open and view VoiceThreads but currently cannot be used for recording audio or video. If these browsers implement support for HTML5 in the future, audio and video recording in VoiceThread may be possible.
- Internet Explorer does not support HTML5 and therefore cannot be used with VoiceThread.
Creating a Basic VoiceThread for Beginners
Basic VoiceThread for Faculty Text Tutorial
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM VOICETHREAD REGARDING YOUTUBE INTEGRATION: The YouTube integration is working now, but it’s still intermittent because we’re (VOICETHREAD) relying on a third party that seems to have some issues. We are working on an alternative that will use true YouTube embeds so we are not susceptible to this type of unreliability. The tradeoff is that we won’t be able to strip off YouTube’s ads, but it will be a much more stable solution. I’ll let you know when this is done.
Adding a VoiceThread into OAKS
Adding VoiceThreads into OAKS News, Content, Discussions, etc.
While the tutorial shows how to add a VT in Content, the same process can work in almost any tool in OAKS.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Add a VoiceThread to OAKS Content | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Adding Graded VoiceThread Assignments
VoiceThread is a great tool that is integrated with OAKS (D2L/Brightspace) but few of us use it to its greatest potential. With the integration, you can quickly and easily add VoiceThreads to Content as well as ASSIGN students tasks such as to watch a VT, comment 2x on a VT, or create their own VT! The grade can then be tied right to the OAKS Grade book.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Add a WATCH Assignment | |
|
| Add a COMMENT Assignment | |
|
| Add a CREATE Assignment | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Grading VoiceThread Assignments
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Grade a WATCH Assignment | |
|
| Grade a COMMENT Assignment | |
|
| Grade a CREATE Assignment | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Accessing VoiceThread for Students
Copy a VoiceThread to a New Class
Prior to 12/22, VoiceTheads copied between OAKS courses had to be relinked. After 12/18/22, there is a new way to add VTs to OAKS so this is no longer the case. If you copy the VoiceThreads properly, you will not have to relink the assignments.
NOTE: This only works if you have added the VTs using the new method.
| Text Tutorial | Video Tutorial | |
|---|---|---|
| Copy a VoiceThread to a New Class | |
|
updated: 12/22/22
Creating a Collaborative Class VoiceThread Assignment
Creating an assignment where students add their own slide to a collective VoiceThread
We normally use VoiceThread (VT) to record lectures and occasionally allow students to comment or ask questions. But what about creating a single VT where all your students actually contribute the content? For example, instead of having every student create their own VoiceThread to introduce themselves, create one VT where each student contributes a slide. It’s easy to set it up so that students can edit the VT!
Suggested Uses:
- Online discussion board
- Class introductions
- Foreign language practice
- Reflection
- Social Learning
- Hear multiple ways of solving a problem
Comment Moderation and Private Replies
One of the settings you’ll find when looking at a VoiceThread’s playback settings is Moderate Comments. Comment Moderation makes other people’s comments invisible to everyone except the VoiceThread’s creator or someone who’s been granted editing rights.
Comment Moderation and Private Replies on VTTypes of Media Available in VoiceThread
Media Sources – allows you to use images already on the web.
- No one file can be larger than 25MB for students (basic account).
- You can add the following:
- images – .jpg, .gif, .png, .bmp
- audio – .mp3, .wav
- video – .mp4 (h.264, 600x 450 is recommended)
- documents – .doc/.docx, .pdf, .xls/.xlsx
- presentations – .ppt/.pptx, .pdf
- links to web files
- recorded video from your webcam
- My VoiceThreads – allows you to reuse images that are part of one of your other VoiceThreads previously created.
- Flickr – allows you to use images you have already posted to Flickr. Note: it only allows you to view photos that are part of a set in Flickr.
- Google Drive – allows you to use files stored in your CofC Google Drive.
- New York Public Library – allows you to use images already uploaded and used in a VoiceThread created by the New York Public Library.
- Zoom – allows you to import recordings from Zoom into VT (up to six months old; edits do not copy, meaning if you edited your Zoom video, those cuts are not reflected in VT [you get the entire video]). A note: if you delete the recording from Zoom.us after sharing within a VT, the video will remain in VT (it creates a copy).
- Kaltura – Clicking on Media Sources allows you to add a recording you previously created in Kaltura.
- Click Kaltura
- Click Owned by me This is the ONLY option you will see any recordings.
- Click on the Kaltura recording you want to use and click Import
- Click OK
- Click X in upper right to close the Media Sources page . Here you will see the VoiceThread processing that recording.
IMPORTANT UPDATE ON YOUTUBE INTEGRATION FROM VOICETHREAD: The YouTube integration is working now (11/12/20), but it’s still intermittent because we’re (VOICETHREAD) relying on a third party that seems to have some issues. We are working on an alternative that will use true YouTube embeds so we are not susceptible to this type of unreliability. The tradeoff is that we won’t be able to strip off YouTube’s ads, but it will be a much more stable solution. I’ll let you know when this is done.
Accessing VoiceThread's Accessibility Features
Automatic Closed Captions in VoiceThread Tutorial
This tutorial will cover:
- Creating CC for existing VoiceThreads made before 09/09/18
- Viewing CC in a VoiceThread
- Editing CC on VoiceThreads
- Downloading CC from VoiceThread
- Creating a transcript from a downloaded caption file
Tutorials from VoiceThread
- Closed Captioning: https://voicethread.com/howto/closed-captioning/
- Full-screen mode: https://voicethread.com/howto/full-screen-mode/
- VoiceThread Universal (for screen readers): https://voicethread.com/howto/voicethread-universal/
- Zooming: https://voicethread.com/howto/zooming/
Automatic Closed Captions for VoiceThreads
Using VoiceThread on Mobile Devices
Troubleshooting VoiceThread
You can visit the CofC Knowledge Base and search for VoiceThread to access all of the articles to help you diagnose any issues you are having.
You can also visit the troubleshooting videos created by the VoiceThread company
- Clearing your browser cache: https://voicethread.com/howto/clearing-the-browser-cache/
- Comment could not be processed: https://voicethread.com/howto/comment-could-not-be-processed/
- Enabling cookies and local storage: https://voicethread.com/howto/enabling-cookies/
- File upload issues: https://voicethread.com/howto/file-upload-issues/
- Save PowerPoint presentations as PDFs: http://bit.ly/ppts2pdfs
- VoiceThreads are not loading: https://voicethread.com/howto/voicethreads-are-not-loading/
Tutorials from VoiceThread
Creating: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/creating-web-application/
Doodling: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/doodling-web-application/
Editing: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/editing-web-application/
Commenting: https://voicethread.com/howto/how-to-comment/
Groups and contacts: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/groups-and-contacts/
Identities: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/identities-web-application/
Listening to and viewing comments: https://voicethread.com/howto/listening-to-and-viewing-comments-2/
Navigating: https://voicethread.com/howto/getting-around-in-a-voicethread-2/
Notifications: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/notifications-web-application/
Settings: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/settings/
Sharing: https://voicethread.com/howto-categories/sharing-web-application/
