NDSU VoiceThread

VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to navigate slides and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio file, or video (via a webcam).

Overview

VoiceThread is a third-party tool connected to Blackboard and works like an online discussion board where participants can respond with video, audio, and text comments. Smartphones can also be used. Participants can upload, share, and discuss a variety of media such as documents, presentations, images, audio files, and more.

On June 30, 2024, VoiceThread made the biggest upgrade in its history, and we are excited for everyone to use it. It is simpler, more accessible, and more powerful than ever before. 

Please watch the video on New Upgrade Highlights to learn more about the latest upgrade. 

Getting Started

Users will log into VoiceThread through Blackboard Learn and use their Bison Login username (jane.doe) and password. Contact the IT Help Desk for assistance. 

Best Practices

  • Have students complete a 'low-stakes' VoiceThread task to learn and familiarize themselves with the tool.
  • Give clear instructions and utilize rubrics where applicable.
  • Set clear guidelines on discussions and comment posts
  • Provide an exemplary comment and reply
  • Promote student engagement with interactive multimedia discussions 

Learn More/How To's

FAQs

Use Cases

  • Asynchronous discussions: VoiceThread allows students to have asynchronous discussions in different formats, including text, audio, or video comments.
  • Presentations: VoiceThread enables students to create and share multimedia presentations with a variety of media formats, such as images, videos, and audio.
  • Group project: VoiceThread is an excellent tool for group projects, as it allows students to collaborate on multimedia presentations and discuss their work in a variety of formats.
  • Online courses: VoiceThread is a useful tool for creating engaging online courses as instructors can incorporate multimedia elements into their lessons and provide feedback to their students through audio or video comments.

Universal Design/Accessibility

  • VoiceThread believes universal accessibility means more than just a few guidelines in Section 508 of the US Rehabilitation Act. VoiceThread wants to make the software usable by all people.
  • Using VoiceThread Accessibility Features

Help, consultation, training

IT Service Center

Intended Audience

  • Faculty
  • Students

Using this solution

Availability

24/7/365 [*Standard outages]

Cost

University-funded: no charge.

Requirements

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Keywords:
voicethread, comment, audio, video, thread, overview, getting, started, best, practices, faq, use, cases 
Doc ID:
105068
Owned by:
Sharley K. in NDSU IT Knowledge Base
Created:
2020-08-18
Updated:
2025-06-26
Sites:
NDSU IT Knowledge Base