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VoiceThread Instructor: Add an Assignment

Adding a VoiceThread assignment to encourage student interaction with not just your content but also with each other within your course is very powerful. VoiceThread is integrated right into Clarkson's Moodle which makes it  more efficient for you and for your students. You can add media such as PowerPoint, video, or document files and set them up as graded or ungraded assignments. In addition, your students will also be able to add or create their own VoiceThreads by uploading media, narrating and even allow threaded commenting from their classmates. Follow the steps below and you are ready!

Step 1. Add Student Instructions Page

  • Go to your course in Moodle, 
  • Turn Editing On 
  • Go to the Topic area where you want to place the assignment
  • Click on Add an activity or resource and scroll down in the drop down menu
    • Select Label and click add
    • Copy and paste these basics instructions: Using VoiceThread in Our Class into a Text/Media (Label) description area to get students started in VT. (Ctrl key + C key to copy & Ctrl + V to paste)
    • Save the label

Watch this video to Set up a Create an Assignment or follow the steps below.

Step 2. Add the VoiceThread Access Link

  • Click on Add an activity or resource
  • Select External Tool. Click Add.  
    • Enter the title VoiceThread: and add a name relevant to this assignment”
    • Click Show more and scroll down to the Launch Container drop down; instead of Default choose New Window.
    • Scroll back up a bit an click to Show less.
    • Choose VoiceThread from the drop down menu. 
    • Scroll down to choose other options such as Grade and points for the assignment.
    • Next click on the “Select Content” button beneath the Preconfigured tool menu where you selected VoiceThread.
    • Choose the Activity Type* (for this tutorial, we are demonstrating Assignment Builder) and click Continue at the bottom of the window.

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    • Choose the type of assignment (for this tutorial students will create a VT) and click Continue.

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    • Select options for the assignment such as how many slides, comments and commenting types:

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Activity Type Descriptions
  • Assignment Builder - here you can create assignments that are connected directly to your gradebook in Moodle. Students can be assigned to Create a VT, Comment on a VT, or Watch a VT.
  • Individual VT - The Individual VT link will open up a specific VoiceThread that you choose. This is a good option for mini-lecture content, discussion boards or any non-graded content you want to share directly with students. Once you click on the Individual VT option on the set-up page, you will see a list of your VoiceThread or If you have not yet created anything, you can click "Create new VoiceThread" and make one. Then clicking on the VT you want for the activity and then click "share with class".
  • Course View - this view takes students directly to your course "group" which was automatically created with the same title as your course when you activated your course in PeopleSoft. This link is similar to the VT Home link, but the students will only see the VoiceThread content shared within your class, not their full homepage.
  • VT Home - if you add a VT Home link students will be taken to their VoiceThread homepage. You may want to add this link to the beginning of the course so that students can have a simple way to see all of their VoiceThread information including content, groups, notifications, etc. and begin to learn how to use the tool.
*Assignment Builder Options for Graded Activities
  1. Create a VoiceThread - This is a great option for student presentations! Students will create a VoiceThread and submit it.
    1. You will be prompted to enter your instructions to students and then click create.
    2. Students can set up their VoiceThreads to share them with the class and even allow comments, however, when using Assignment Builder students must share and comment at the Home or Course level. You can also set up separate assignment groups to which students are added and they will share only with this assignment group.

  2. Submit a comment -students will only be able to submit their assignment once they have recorded a specific number of comments on the thread you share. This is typically how instructors create quizzes or tests using VoiceThread. 
    1. You will first need to click on the thread you want to use. You can also create a thread from this interface if you haven't already done so.
    2. Then, choose how many comments you are going to require from your students and decide if you want their comments to be moderated and if you will allow students to resubmit their assignment.
    3. Moderated comments are only seen by the instructor but you must set this up.

  3. Watch a VoiceThread -students can only submit the assignment after they have played the entire VoiceThread. Students can always comment on the thread, but they are not required to comment in this assignment type. Note students cannot use fast forward when they watch because they will not be credited for watching.

Sample Assignment Set-up Steps

 To post in Moodle and edit/revise to your assignment: copy and paste into your Moodle course):

Using VoiceThread
View general instructions for Using VoiceThread, especially to see how to add your picture to VT!

Step 1: Watch Submitting a VoiceThread Create Assignment below to create and/or upload your (ASSIGNMENT NAME) in VoiceThread. You can create (ASSIGNMENT NAME) in VoiceThread OR you have the option of creating the (ASSIGNMENT NAME) using something other than VoiceThread, and then upload to the media to VoiceThread. Once you have completed creating your (ASSIGNMENT NAME) in VoiceThread, you are done with this step and can X out.

Step 2: Click the link to submit your (ASSIGNMENT NAME) assignment to me.  You will locate the VoiceThread you created in Step 1, select, check box to Share with Class and click Submit.  (Required!)

Watch this video VoiceThread Tutorial Create and Share with Class below to understand how to Share your assignment.

Grading VoiceThread Assignments

Once your assignment has been set up, you can grade the students' assignments just by clicking on the same link. You will see the submitted assignments on the right side of the page. If you click on the student's identity image, you can play all of their comments (if any) and enter a grade as a percentage of the point total for the assignment. If you have connected the assignment to the gradebook, the grades will show up there automatically.

Also you will see a list of students who have not submitted their assignment and you can send them an email reminder.

IMPORTANT: Students must watch a video at regular speed! If they try to watch in double-time, the assignment will show as Not Submitted.



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