READ ME FIRST!! Login to Blackboard Please follow these instructions every time you want to use Voicethread in a new course for the FIRST TIME. When you follow these instructions to set up a Course View your students' accounts will be created automatically once they click on the Course View Link you create. This is necessary to create the closed group for sharing all subsequent assignments owned by the class. The faculty member ghas to create the CourseView and the student must instructed to click that Launch link to be authenticated and be added to the closed group. 1) Login to Blackboard first by going to https://my.nyit.edu/web/mycampus/home 2) Enter your NYIT username and password Page 1
Enter the Course and Create a Content Area 1) Enter the correct Bb course. To create a content area, click the "+" sign on the menu on the left 2) Select Content Area from the drop-down menu and name it VoiceThread 3) Check the "Available to users" box and click Submit This will be the area where you set up your VoiceThread Course View Page 2
Create a VoiceThread Link 1) In the VoiceThread Content Area, Go to Build Content 2) Choose VoiceThread from the drop-down menu Page 3
Create a VoiceThread Link (Cont'd) 1) Name your VoiceThread: VoiceThread Course View 2) Put instructions in the description field (e.g. Click this link to activate your VoiceThread account and to be added to the private VoiceThread group for this course). 3) Click Submit in the bottom right corner Page 4
Confirm and Activate the Link You will see a confirmation message in green at the top of the screen. Click on the link to activate. Page 5
Course View Set Up Click on Course View. Now you have successfully set up your course with Voicethread. See the other VT Documentation on CTL on how to create a VoiceThread. Page 6
Now you can begin adding and/or creating a VoiceThread Page 7
Important Note:Student Accounts Activation Please instruct your students to click on the VoiceThread Course View link. When your students click on this link their accounts are created automatically and they will be added to the course VoiceThread page that will give them access to all the VoiceThreads shared with this course. Page 8
Section 1: Initial Setup for Faculty Faculty Use Case for Creating a VoiceThread Assignment: Follow the Steps below to creating a VT Assignment, graded or non-graded. As you will see, VT provides a variety of options for creating Assigments; however, it is important to follow these initial steps so that students will have the opportunity to intreract with VT, depending upon the learning objectives and course goals. Having students create a VT is another option; instructions for that approach are provided in a separate Use Case. Page 9
BlackBoard and VoiceThread VoiceThread is integrated in your Blacboard environment by an administrator, so you can simply follow the steps below to pull it into your course. Step 1: Adding VoiceThread to your course: Select the Assignment link from the menu on the left. Navigate to the "Build Content" area for your course and Click on the "Build Content" menu. Step 2: Select "VoiceThread" from the drop down menu. See instructions on the next page. Page 10
1. Select Build Content Click on the Build Content drop down menu, as shown below, and then select VoiceThread. See screen shot below. Page 11
2. Select VoiceThread from the drop down menu. From the drop down menu, select VoiceThread. Page 12
3. VT Setup Screen - Sections 1 and 2 1. Give the link a title and description if you d like. NOTE: The description cannot contain any line breaks or multiple paragraphs. If you will be creating a graded assignment, enable grading for this link in section 3 of the setup page, and enter the number of points your assignment is worth. See screen shot below 2. Click Submit. Section 1: Give the link a (1) Name (which is required and a (2) Description if you would like. NOTE: The description cannot contain any line breaks or multiple paragraphs. Page 13
Use Case: Non-Graded vs. Graded VT Assignment When adding VT to your course, consider your course objective of including VT as an assignment. The steps above and below show you how to integrate VoiceThread into Blackboard, our LMS environment. With this integration, educators can create and share VoiceThreads and grade student work. The options listed here show the different options for Non-Graded vs.graded VoiceThreads. Non-Graded: Students should simply click on the VT link provided by the instructor. This will open VT and take the student to the course set up by the instructor. VT Home: VT.com takes you to the VT Home Page where studen VT students can browse and view existing VoiceThreads. Course View: Displays the collection of VoiceThreads that have been shared with your course. Anything that has not been explicitly shared with your will not appear here. This is a good option when you to review all course materials prior to an exam. Individual VT: Display any VT that you have created. When students click on the link, they'll just see this one VoiceThread. This option is the best way to create a VT discussion board or lecture. Students will not need to look through a collections of VoiceThreads to find the correct one; they will be taken straight to it. Graded: See below for additional instructions on the VT Setup screen to ensure that you use Assignment Builder options to create a graded assignment. Create: When accessing VT through BB, you can create a VT by clicking the "Create" button in a graded assignment or clicking the "Create" button in the bottom-right corner of the Course View. Comment: Click on the Comment button to open up the VT and begin recording your comments. Select a method to comment by clicking on the "+" icon and you will see all the commenting options. Watch: Students click on the VT assignment link provided by the instructor and watch the VT. Students must watch all watch all the comments from start to finish. Then click "Submit Assignment" in the in the top-left corner of the page. Page 14
4. VT Setup Screen - Grading, Sections 3 and 4 Note: If you want VoiceThread integrated with your gradebook, you must use the Assignment Builder option described below. 1. If you will be creating a graded assignment, enable grading for this link in section 3. See figure below. 2. Enter the number of points you want this VT to be worth. 3. Track number of Views. 4. Click Submit. Note: If Enable Evaluation (#1) is not selected in Section 3. Grading as Yes, then you will be unable to grade VoiceThread assignments. Accordingly, if creating an ungraded assignment, then do not select any options in Section 3. Grading. Just skip to Section 4 and click Submit. This will launch the VT link and will place it in BB. Note that this is not yet an assignment in an assignment folder. Those instructions will follow. Page 15
5.Setting up your VoiceThread Link After you have added VoiceThread to your course, you ll need to decide what you want students to see when they click on that link. 1. Start by clicking on the link you ve just created. This will show you the VoiceThread Setup page, where you can select the option that best fits your needs. Page 16
6. Activate the VoiceThread Assignment by clicking on the link in the corresponding window. See next page for Section 2. Page 17
Section 2: VoiceThread Setup Page - Options Select Course View if you want to display a VT and give students access to all VT's. However, if shared, then students can add/edit the VT. This is a good option when you want students to comment on each other s work or if you want to allow students to review all course materials prior to an exam. Select Individual VT if you want to create a graded or non-graded visual lecture or introduction or instructions about a project. This adds a visual perspective other than text. You can create slides and moderate the presentation. Students will not need to look through a collection of VT s to find they correct one; they will be taken straight to it. Select VT Home if you want to create a portal into VT without directing students to any specific content. Select Assignment Builder if you want to create a graded assignment for students to complete. You can require them to create a VT of their own to submit, to comment on a VT you ve created, or simply watch a VT start to finish. Page 18
7. VoiceThread Setup Page - Options As shown in the figure above, in the VoiceThread Setup screen, you will see 4 options. 1. Course View: Displays the collection of VoiceThreads that have been shared with your course. Anything that has not been explicitly shared with your course will not appear here. 2. Individual VT: Displays any VT that you have created. When students click on the link, they ll see just this one VT. This option is the best way to create a VT discussion board or lecture. 3. VT Home: Displays all a student's VT content in a single view. This includes all VT s and all courses that belong to them. This option is useful if you want to create simple portal into VT without directing students to any specific content. 4. Assignment Builder: This option is where you create a graded assignment for students to complete. You can (1) require them to create a VoiceThread of their own to submit, (2) to comment on a VoiceThread you ve created, or (3) simply to watch a VoiceThread start to finish. Page 19
8. VoiceThread Set-up Page Instructions After you have added VoiceThread to your course, you ll need to decide what you want students to see when they click on that link. 1. Start by clicking on the link you ve just created. This will show you the VoiceThread Setup page, where you can select the option that best fits your needs and learning outcomes.. Page 20
9. VoiceThread Link for Assignment Above is a screen shot of the VT link you just created in BB. Page 21
10. Select the Assignment Type to Create Use Case: Select a Type of Assignment The above screen provides several options for faculty to use VT in their course. After you've selected the type of assignment you'd like to create, you will be walked through the steps to complete the set up process. You can include a description for your assignment, select a VoiceThread you've created for the Comment or Watch Assignment, and even require a specific number of comments for the Comment Assignment. You can: 1. Create a VoiceThread: This takes you to a window called Creation Assignment and requires students to submit a VT they have created for this assignment and enter a description in the box. Then click Create Assignment and check the box if you want to allow students to resubmit assignment. 2. Submit a Comment: If you choose Submit a Comment, you will be taken to a window where you can Select a VoiceThread, Search Voice Threads, or Add a VoiceThread. NOTE: TO CREATE AN ASSIGNMENT YOU MUST SELECT SUBMIT A COMMENT. THIS CAN BE CONFUSING BUT IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU DO NOT SELECT CREATE A VOICETHREAD, EVEN THOUGH THAT SEEMS LIKE THE LOGICAL CHOICE AT THIS JUNCTURE. Page 22
3. Watch a VoiceThread: (If you don t have any VT s you will be unable to Watch a VT).Require students to watch an entire VoiceThread start to finish (you don't have to have a VoiceThread ready to set an assignment. The next page in VT will prompt you to create a VoiceThread). Page 23
11. Creating a new VoiceThread and Thread Settings in BB Select Submit a Comment option to create a new VT assignment. In the Title/Description tab, add the Title, Description, and Tags (optional for searches). Page 24
12. Add Assignment Description and Select VT Options 1. Add Assignment Description. 2. Add Number of Comments Required. 3. Select the checkbox box to "share with class." 4. Only select "moderate comments" if you want to moderate student commentary. 5. Only select the "Allow students to resubmit assignment" if you want to enable the option. 6. Click on Create Assignment button. Page 25
13. Assignment Created and Return to Course Click on Return to Course Page 26
Student Assignment Submission When students click on the link for a graded assignment, they will see the assignment you ve created. They can immediately create or select a VoiceThread to submit for the Create Assignment, record comments on your VoiceThread for the Comment Assignment, or watch the VoiceThread for the Watch Assignment. As soon as they click on the Submit Assignment button, you will be able to grade their work. Page 27