Adding a VoiceThread Presentation to Blackboard

VoiceThread is web-based presentation software that allows users to create and share interactive multimedia slideshows. VoiceThread presentations are used to showcase audio, video, images, and documents while allowing users to comment on them in a variety of different ways.

It is now possible to use a tool to easily display VoiceThread presentations within Blackboard and share them with the class.

Making the VoiceThread tool Available:

1. From the Control Panel in your course, choose Customization > Tool Availability.

2. Scroll down the list of tools to find the ‘VoiceThread’ entry and check the box to the far right.

3. Click Submit.

The VoiceThread tool should now be available in your course. To check this, go to any Content Area (i.e. Course Content) in your course and select the ‘Tools’ dropdown at the top. You should now see ‘VoiceThread’ as one of the options.

Adding a VoiceThread to Blackboard

1. Once inside your course, make sure Edit Mode (upper right corner) has been turned ‘On.’

2. Navigate to the content area within your course where you want to add the VoiceThread link. In this case, we’ll select ‘Course Content.’

3. Click ‘Tools’ and select ‘VoiceThread.’

4. Fill in a name and description, if desired.

5. Attach a file if desired. (Note: This is NOT how you link to the VoiceThread. This option is for other files (.doc, .pdf, etc.) that may accompany the VoiceThread.)

6. Leave the Grading option set to ‘No.’ (Note:  The ‘Enable Grading’ option is not set up on this version of Blackboard and will not function if ‘Yes’ is selected. If you want to grade this item, you can manually create a column in the grade center.)

7. Choose whether or not to allow users to view the link at this time, open it in a new window, and also track the number of views or not. Select date and time restrictions if desired. Click Submit.

 

8. The link will appear in your content area.

9. Click the link to connect it to VoiceThread.

You now have a choice of what the link will do:

• ‘Course View’ will display all VoiceThreads that are shared with this course.
• ‘Individual VT’ will link to a single VoiceThread that has already been created.
• ‘VT Home’ will display the VoiceThread home page.

We’ll select the ‘Individual VT’ option to link to a particular VoiceThread that has already been created.

10. Next, select a VoiceThread from the list to share with the class.

11. Click the ‘Share with Class’ button.

12. The VoiceThread is now shared with the class.