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Using VoiceThread (VT) to Provide Interactive Learning and Build
Community
Jesús H. Trespalacios
Educational Technology Department
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VoiceThread
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Online environment
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Online environment● Students from an online graduate program in Ed. Tech.● Instructional Design course ● 15-20 students● Instructional activities:
– Individual small projects– Weekly discussions– A semester-long Individual ID project (a peer-review activity)
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Online environment● Student’s comment:• “There was a lack of social presence with the professor. In
an online course, when this social presence is lacking it feels isolating and that the professor is unavailable.”
● Start focusing on communities (CoI & SoC)
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Sense of Community (Soc)
VT Activities
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VT Activities● VoiceThread:● Introductions● Leading group’s presentations● Peer-review activity (Spring 2014)
● SoC survey ● (Rovai, 2002a, 2000b, 2000c)
● Students’ perceptions about VT
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Example - VT Introductions
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VT Introductions (Testimony)• Student’s email:– “I will say that the simple fact that we are using
VoiceThread in EDTECH 503, means that social interaction and engagement between students will be 10x…”
– “...Just note that adding the audio and video components, as opposed to just text, is a very good thing. And it's fun and engaging. This sort of need can not be met by text alone.”
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VT Leading discussions
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VT Leading discussions (Testimony)• Which aspects of this course were most valuable to
your overall learning experience?
– “The leading group VoiceThread group discussion. This allowed students to work together, help each other, and feel a sense of accomplishment.”
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VT Peer-review activity
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SoC Survey• Sense of Community– Connectedness subscale:• I feel that students in this course care about each other• I feel connected to others in this course• I feel that I can rely on others in this course
– Learning subscale:• I feel that I am encouraged to ask questions• I feel that I receive timely feedback• I feel that I am given ample opportunities to learn
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SoC survey (n=15)● Likert scale survey (Rovai, 2002a, 2002b)
Items Mean Standard Deviation
Classroom community 71.27 8.15
Connectedness subscale 37.00 5.50
Learning subscale 34.27 4.40
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VoiceThread questions (n=19)● VoiceThread introductions at the beginning of the course
helped me to connect with my classmates. Mean: 3.8 SD: 0.8
● Creating a VoiceThread presentation with my group improved my understanding of the case(s) assigned.
Mean: 3.6 SD: 1.5
● VoiceThread presentations supported my understanding of the cases assigned each week.
Mean: 3.2 SD: 1.2
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Summary- Pros:
- Promote relevant interactions anytime anywhere- Cloud application (mobile app)- Easy to use & easy access from your LMS- Allow video, audio, or text for social presence
- Cons:- Limited free presentations- It’s not recommended for multiple interactions- Produce audio and video could be time-consuming
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ReferencesBorup, J., West, R. E., & Graham, C. R. (2012). Improving online social presence through asynchronous video. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(3), 195-203
Ching, Y.-H. & Hsu, Y.-C. (2013). Collaborative learning using VoiceThread in an online graduate course. Knowledge Management & E- Learning, 5(3), 298–314.
Garrison, D. R., Anderson, T., & Archer, W. (1999). Critical inquiry in a text-based environment: Computer conferencing in higher education. The internet and higher education, 2(2), 87-105.
McCormack, V. (2010). Increasing teacher candidate responses through the application of VoiceThread. International Journal of Arts and Sciences, 3(11), 160-165.
Rovai, A. P. (2002a). Development of an instrument to measure classroom community. Internet and Higher Education, 5, 197-211.
Rovai, A. P. (2002b). Sense of community, perceived cognitive learning, and persistence in asynchronous learning networks. Internet and Higher Education, 5, 319-332.
Rovai, A. P. (2002c). Building sense of community at a distance. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 3(1), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/79/153
Wighting, M., Nisbet, D., & Spaulding, L. S. (2009). Relationships between sense of community and academic achievement: A comparison among high school students. The International Journal of the Humanities, 7(3), 63-72. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/educ_fac_pubs/147