VoiceThread: Interactive Presentations and Student Discussions

VoiceThread is an asynchronous multimedia slideshow tool that offers diverse applications, including lectures, discussions, student presentations, reviews, and more. It operates through the use of slides and comments, enabling collaboration via text, audio, or webcam. This versatile commenting feature facilitates seamless connections between students and instructors, making teaching and collaboration straightforward and fostering a asynchronous learning experience that feels personal and engaging.

Decide if VoiceThread is Right for You

Before incorporating VoiceThread into your teaching strategy, it’s important to consider whether it aligns with your course objectives and addresses potential learning gaps. VoiceThread is a versatile tool that can be used in online, face-to-face, and hybrid courses to bridge several common gaps that students may encounter:

  1. Engagement and Participation: In both online and face-to-face settings, students can struggle with staying engaged in traditional discussions. VoiceThread’s multimedia approach fosters active participation by allowing students to interact with course content, peers, and instructors in a dynamic way. Whether used in the classroom or online, the combination of audio, video, and text comments caters to different learning styles and keeps students engaged.
  2. Communication Skills: Developing strong communication skills is essential across all course formats. Traditional methods might limit students’ ability to express themselves fully, especially in online or large face-to-face classes. VoiceThread allows students to practice and enhance their verbal communication skills through peer reviews, presentations, or interactive lectures, making it a valuable tool in any course format.
  3. Connection with Content: In online and hybrid environments, students may feel disconnected from the course material. VoiceThread helps bridge this gap by enabling students to interact directly with the content, making it more accessible and engaging. Even in face-to-face courses, VoiceThread can supplement in-class discussions, allowing for deeper reflection and understanding outside of the classroom.
  4. Peer Interaction: Building a sense of community is crucial in all types of courses, but it can be particularly challenging in online and hybrid formats. VoiceThread supports peer-to-peer interaction by allowing students to share their thoughts and feedback on each other’s work, fostering a collaborative learning environment. This interaction is equally valuable in face-to-face settings, where it can enhance in-class discussions and group activities.

By considering these common learning gaps, you can better determine whether VoiceThread is the right tool for your course, If your goal is to enhance student engagement, communication, and interaction, VoiceThread could be an invaluable addition to your teaching toolkit.

Get Acquainted with VoiceThread

Using VoiceThread In Moodle

Step 1: Getting Started
Add a VoiceThread Home Page or a VoiceThread Course View to Your Moodle Course.

Instructors may want to add a ‘VT Course View’ activity to Moodle for an easy way to access the VoiceThreads in the course. You can use this link to access the site easily or create new VoiceThreads. 

  • You can choose to hide this from students or use this link as a library of ungraded course content 
  1. Choose “Add and Activity or Resource” 
  2. Click “VoiceThread” 
  3. When the Moodle settings click “select content” 
  4. You can choose “course view” to only see VoiceThreads shared with that course, or VoiceThread Homepage which will display all VoiceThreads within each users profile. 
  5. Once connected change the title to something generic like “VoiceThread Homepage” or “VoiceThread Library”
    1. If you want to hide this link from students, open the “Common Moodle Settings” drop down within the settings. 
    2. Next to availability choose “hide on course page” to hide this link for students. You will still be able to see and use the link while in instructor-view.  
  6. Then click “save and return to course” to save your changes. 
Step 2: Deciding How You Will Use VoiceThread

VoiceThread, like most instructional tools, can be used for both graded and non-graded activities within Moodle. The first step is to decide how you will use VoiceThread. For ideas, be sure to check out VoiceThread best practices and examples.

GradedNon-Graded
Assignment Builder: Create AssignmentIndividual VoiceThread
Assignment Builder: Comment Assignment VoiceThread Homepage
Assignment Builder: Watch Assignment VoiceThread Course View

There are three options for creating non-graded VoiceThread activities within Moodle. This is beneficial for instructors who want to share VoiceThreads with students without using them as graded assignments. 

Individual VoiceThread: Displays a single VoiceThread of your choice, students will only access the VoiceThread chosen. 

VoiceThread Homepage: Allows students to see all VoiceThreads they own or have access to. Through this link, students can access VoiceThreads they have created or any VoiceThreads associated with their enrolled courses.

VoiceThread Course View: Shows VoiceThreads that have been specifically shared with the course, including any graded VoiceThread assignments.

Be sure to read the Non-Graded VoiceThread Activity support article for more information about how to create non-graded activities within Moodle. 

Step 3: Create and Assignment Using VoiceThread

There are three options for creating graded assignments through the VoiceThread activity in Moodle. Assignments can be adapted to suit your needs and settings can be adjusted after the assignments are created.

  • Create Assignment: This assignment will require students to create a full VoiceThread. This will require students to upload all slides and comments to their own VoiceThread and then submit that to the instructor for grading.
  • Comment Assignment: This assignment will require students to post comments on a VoiceThread that has already been created. Depending on your purpose you can change what students see and how they comment.

If you want students to add slides to a single VoiceThread and comment on other students’ slides, you can achieve this through the “Comment” assignment. Once selected, you can require students to add a specific number of slides and comments.

In Figure 1, you can see that this instructor wants students to add a slide, comment on their own slide, and then comment on a peer’s slide. This means students will add one slide but comment twice.

Screen shot of the requirements of a VoiceThread assignment where the comment requirement is 2 comments, and the slide requirement is a minimum of 1 slides.
  • Watch Assignment: This assignment will require students to watch a VoiceThread all the way through. This is great if you want students to watch content and you want to ensure they have viewed all of the media.

Best Practices and Examples

Peer Review

In Moodle, instructors can create VoiceThreads that allow students to view each other’s submissions or slides and provide feedback. This fosters a collaborative environment for student-to-student interaction. Keep in mind that VoiceThread does not grade or assess the quality of feedback responses. However, you can require students to comment on VoiceThread submissions using the Comment Assignment feature.

Course Introductions

VoiceThread is an excellent tool for encouraging course introductions. Students can add slides to introduce themselves to the class and use the commenting features to engage with their peers.

Interactive Lectures

By using slides within VoiceThread, along with its various commenting and recording options, instructors can create interactive presentations to share with their students. They can determine how students participate and adapt the content to fit different assignment types.

Student Presentations

VoiceThread makes it easy for students to present their work to their peers. The “Create” assignment allows students to build their own interactive presentations, which can then be shared within the course.

Stacked Assignments

VoiceThread has introduced Stacked Assignments, which allow instructors to post a “watch,” “comment,” or “create” assignment, and then add a follow-up “comment” assignment. This enables students to respond and engage with previously submitted work more interactively. You can read more about this feature in the VoiceThread Support Article: Stacked Assignments.

Use Cases for Stacked Assignments

Peer Feedback (peer review) 

The instructor uses a Create Assignment for students in a sculpture course to upload images or video walkthroughs of their pieces and explain their artistic choices. The instructor then stacks a Comment Assignment requiring peers to critique design elements, composition, and technique. This process allows students to refine their projects based on peer input before submitting the final version to the instructor.

Interactive Discussion Boards 

The instructor begins with a Comment Assignment in a history course where students respond to a prompt analyzing a primary source such as a diary entry, map, or political cartoon. A second Comment Assignment is stacked to require students to reply directly to their peers, comparing interpretations and offering additional context. This layering transforms the activity into a dynamic multimedia discussion board.

Student Presentation & Discussions

The instructor assigns a Create Assignment for business students to pitch a business plan with slides and narration. A Comment Assignment is then stacked so peers evaluate the clarity of the pitch, identify strengths and weaknesses, and ask follow-up questions. This approach simulates real-world presentation feedback, helping students strengthen their communication and analytical skills while engaging in professional-style discussions.

Content Engagement & Reflection

The instructor sets up a Watch Assignment in a biology course where students view a recorded lab demonstration. A stacked Comment Assignment then requires students to reflect on the methods shown, pose questions, or suggest improvements before conducting their own experiments. This sequence ensures students actively engage with instructional material and connect it to their own practice.

Important Updates to The Comment Assignment

Even if you don’t plan to use Stacked Assignments, you may notice some changes to the process of adding a comment assignment to Moodle as a result of this update. Keep in mind that the process for making a create assignment and watch assignment have not changed. Comment assignments are the only assignment type that have been adjusted with this update. 

To help, we’ve provided resources:

Creating a Regular Comment Assignment
Create a stacked assignment

The following VoiceThread Support articles will help you create VoiceThread assignments in Moodle:

Adding a VoiceThread Activity to Your Course

Setting up a “Create” VoiceThread Assignment 

Setting up a “Commenting” VoiceThread Assignment

Setting up a “Watch” VoiceThread Assignment

Teaching Ideas and Additional Research

Workshop Information

If there are no workshops available, you may request an instructional consultation about this topic.

Resources

VoiceThread Support Docs

VoiceThread Digital Library

VoiceThread Vendor Workshops

VoiceThread Blog

Register for VoiceThread Workshops
Sources
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