OMSW: Using Preset Voicethread Templates

Introduction

OMSW courses may feature Voicethread templates that have been prepared by an instructional designer and set up within the course ready for you to record.  By editing the existing voicethread links, you ensure that students see a consistent method of set-up across courses.

Identifying Voice Thread Templates 

In OMSW courses you will find two different types of templated voice threads.  

• First, there are placeholders intended to be fully customized by instructors. These include the course welcome, weekly welcomes, and other announcements. These placeholders are designed for instructors to create personalized video content.

• Second, many courses utilize a flipped classroom approach, featuring pre-recorded lectures created by the course development team. These lectures are intended for use by all instructors teaching the course. While you have the option to edit or remove these lectures, it is often more efficient to add comments or additional context to the existing slides rather than recreating the entire lecture.

 When using these templates is it best to access them directly throught Blackboard Ultra rather than logging into the voice thread application in your browser.  As the course instructor you should have access to edit each of these templates when you access them from within your Blackboard Ultra classroom.  Please contact the idea team if you do not have access.

The Voicethread templates will look like the item below: 

LTI and Its Use for Adding VoiceThreads to Blackboard

We have added templates using a Blackboard ultra feature called the Voicethread LTI.  LTI, or Learning Tools Interoperability, is an integration method that enables these tools to function smoothly within the learning management system (LMS) without requiring separate logins or complicated setup processes.

We use LTI to add VoiceThreads to our courses because it provides a seamless experience for both instructors and students. When a VoiceThread is added via LTI, it allows for easy access within the course, ensures that student interactions are tracked, and enables features like grading directly within the LMS. This integration helps maintain consistency across the course and makes it easier to manage and assess student participation in VoiceThread activities.  We recommend that the LTI is used whenever we add voicethreads within our classes.  To learn more about how to add your own voicethreads through the LTI please go to this link: Voicethreads in Blackboard.

Recording Over a Voicethread LTI Template 

Use the following directions or the video below to record over or edit our Templated voicethreads.

1. From Blackboard Ultra open the Voicethread you would like to re-record.  

2. Go into Edit mode by selecting the three dots in the upper right-hand corner and selecting Edit.

3. A new window will open with your voice thread account. 

4. Click on "+Add Media" Select "WebCam Video" to record one on the fly and you will see a countdown before you begin recording.or select "My Computer" to locate a video you have already recorded and wish to upload as its own "slide" 

5. Play it back when finished to make sure it works well. 

6. Delete any templated material you do not wish to include in your version of the video. 

Types of Voicethreads Used in OMSW Courses.

We use two types of VoiceThread links depending on whether the VoiceThread item should have associated accountability. 

The videos below explain each of the three possible assignments. Each of these assignments requires you to verify student submissions to ensure they are correctly recorded in the gradebook. More information on using this feature can be found on the VoiceThread Voicethread Assignment Builder page.