Introduction

Voicethread can be used directly in Blackboard for the purpose of adding individual voice threads, a course (group) or to be used as part of an assignment. Through the Voicethread LTI integration in Blackboard, instructors can quickly access and share their voice threads all within the Blackboard environment. 

Adding Voicethread to your Course

Voicethread is a Blackboard Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) integration. This is a technical standard that allows learning management systems (LMS) such as Blackboard to securely connect with external learning tools, content, and activities such as Voicethread. As such, the connection is already built into Blackboard and will just need to be added to the Course Content area. Instructions below show how to achieve this in both Blackboard Original and Blackboard Ultra.

When complete, you will be taken to the main Voicethread in Blackboard page, found on a new browser tab. Here you will be asked to Choose an activity type. Descriptions and steps appear below for each item

Assignment Builder

There are four steps to using VoiceThread assignments in your LMS:

1. Add a VoiceThread link to your course

2. Configure your activity

3. Wait for students to submit

4. Grade student submissions

Add a VoiceThread link to the course

Understanding Blackboard Voicethread Links

You connect to Voicethread in Blackboard by adding a link in the Course Content area. When creating a link, you will have a choice as to what link you wish to create. We will go over each of the different types of links below.

Assignment Builder

Create a graded assignment for students to complete. You can require them to create a VoiceThread of their own to submit, to comment on a VoiceThread you’ve created, or simply to watch a VoiceThread start to finish. More information on how to use this feature is found on the Voicethread Assignment Builder page. 

Individual VT

Display any VoiceThread that you have created. When students click on the link, they’ll see just this one VoiceThread. This is the more traditional way to show a voicethread and likely the practice you are currently doing in Voicethread. 

Course View

Display the collection of VoiceThreads that have been shared with your course. Anything that has not yet been explicitly shared with your course will not appear here. This is a good option when you want students to find and comment on each other’s work or if you want to allow students to review all course materials prior to an exam. To learn more about this feature, view the Voicethread Support page.

VT Home

This is the least likely link you will create because it will display all voicethreads you have created in a single view. Having said that, this option is useful if you want to create a simple portal into VoiceThread without directing students to any specific content. To learn more about this feature, view the Voicethread Support page.

Grading Assignments

Watch this brief video to learn how to grade assignments in Voicethread.

To grade your students’ submissions, just return to the assignment you have set up already. You will see the grading interface automatically.

On the right side of the page, you will see your course roster. If a student is missing from the roster, it means that student has not clicked into your assignment at all yet, but they will appear as soon as they do. Students can fall into these categories:

Submitted: Students who have submitted their final assignment

Submitted late: Students who have submitted their final assignment, but after the due date

In progress: Students who have started working on the assignment but have not yet submitted

Unattempted: Students who have not yet begun working on the assignment at all

Click on a student’s name to see their submission, then enter the grade into the text box or pass/fail selector on the right and press Enter on your keyboard.

Additional features:

Reminders: To remind a student to submit, click on the student’s name, and then click on the “Remind” button. You can also click “Remind Students” at the bottom of the list to remind all students who have not yet submitted.

Un-submitting: If a student has submitted an assignment but needs to try again, click on the student’s name, click on “Additional options” beneath the grading area, then click “Unsubmit.”

Changing grades: To see students who have already been graded, click on the “Graded” tab in the top-right corner, and then click on any student in that list to enter a new grade for them.

Student gallery: If you have created a “Create a VoiceThread” assignment and enabled the student gallery, you will see the student gallery button on the main landing page (Assignment Details area).

Edit the assignment: If you need to make changes to how this assignment is configured, click on the menu icon top-right and select “Edit assignment”.

IMPORTANT: Editing an assignment that is in progress may make existing student work inaccessible. It is best not to edit an assignment that is already being used, but if you must, keep in mind that selecting a different VoiceThread or even re-selecting the same one can cause student work not to be counted.