Voicethread

Greetings fellow bloggers!

Well, this was my first time using voicethread and when I first heard about it, I thought we had to provide our comments through audio only! However, I was relieved to learn that we can type our comments as well :)

VoiceThread is a great tool to use in classroom settings to get students involved in discussing an argument and staying on topic. I found the use of the slides effective in keeping the participants focused on the subject of discussion. Using a single image and adding a question, provides the visual stimuli for participants to think about the issue and offer their thoughts through audio or written commentary. I also liked the visual display of the presentation and comments; the comments are on the side, and once the user presses the 'play' button, he or she can read or listens to the comments entered by the other participants.

One drawback I found with the tool, is that audio comments were inaudible for me; I was not able to get that feature working. Perhaps it was my browser settings; however, this can be an issue for some users if they are not able to 'hear' the comments made by other students and missing out on their input. Moreover, if everyone decided to use audio commentary, then all participants need to ensure they have the hardware requirements to participate in the discussion. Therefore, it is necessary to consider if the audio commentary feature will work for everyone taking part in the discussion.

Although I think this is an excellent tool that can be used in distance learning, or for a group activity outside the classroom, I do not see myself adding this tool to my PLE. I see it more as a tool educators can use to evaluate student's participation when working in groups. I enjoyed partaking in this activity, and now I know how to use it whenever I am required to engage in collaborative group work.