Tools For Collaborative Work For Language Learning -- Using VoiceThread!

Cullen and Kullman (2013) pointed out in their work that knowledge and understanding were jointly constructed through interaction and "scaffolding practice". The rapid development of the network and the opening of software provide more opportunities for us to engage students in cooperative learning. In this blog, I will introduce a simple but powerful learning website, VoiceThread, which you guys can use in teaching, especially in remote online teaching. 😀😀

Software Function Overview

The name VoiceThread indicates that this is an application that allows users to participate in discussions and become the main body through voice. VoiceThread combines Flash production tools with audio recording, allowing users to add voice comments through the microphone, to add video comments through the camera, to add text comments through keyboard. Similar to Google Docs, where multiple users can edit the document at the same time, users of VoiceThread can effectively annotate videos at the same time. Moreover, their annotation has a more diverse formate.

Software Usage Guide

Add recordings to a video in VoiceThread

Step 1: Go to https://voicethread.com/ and register an account.

Step 2: Upload a video.

Step 3: Add your comment (voice, video, text, images, etc.).

Software evaluation and recommendations

Benefits 😄

(1) From the brief steps above, it can be seen that VoiceThread is easy to operate and suitable for people of all ages.

(2) Students no longer passively accept knowledge during learning, but actively participate in collaborative discussions.

(3) Participants do not need to be online at the same time and can access the video at any time, making time arrangements more flexible. Moreover, students can deeply reflect on the classroom content and are no longer limited by class time.

(4) Students can replay their comments on VoiceThread to learn what they have been thinking in the past.

(5) Students have the opportunity to freely exchange ideas with their classmates on VoiceThread. They no longer feel anxious, and teachers can learn more about students' thoughts.

(6) For beginners of a second language, VoiceThread is more practical. Unlike keyboard text input, the functions of voice input and video comments allow beginners to record their comments without the need to accurately spell words. In addition, the voice input function reduces the time and improves learning efficiency.

Shortcoming 😔

(1) The voice input function cannot ensure the accuracy of information. The highlight of VoiceThread is the diverse form of discussion. However, speech input is influenced by factors such as the speaker's physical condition and environment. For example, if the speaker's voice becomes hoarse or the background is too noisy, the recording cannot be understood.

(2) The video function increases the risk of information leakage.

(3) Lack of regulation. The age of VoiceThread users is not restricted, and their speech is not regulated. Some dangerous negative remarks may have an impact on teenagers.

Suggestions

In short, VoiceThread has more advantages than disadvantages and it is a website that is very suitable for teachers to use to develop their teaching skills and engage students in collaborative work. However, when guiding students to use VoiceThread, we need to exercise effective supervision.

Finally, if you want to learn more about VoiceThread, you can see the video from YouTube below. See you next week! 😄😄

Reference

Cullen, R., Wild, C., & Kullman, J. (2013). Online collaborative learning on an ESL teacher education programme. ELT Journal, 67(4), 425-434. https://doi.org/10.1093/elt/cct032