Video Submission Assessment (Summative - 2024-Apr)

Video submission (MP4s) as a summative assessment item will require either individual or group submissions, both of which should have a Turnitin portal for a textual submission to cover academic integrity.

• Individual submissions should use VoiceThread as the submission portal for students' videos in the MP4 format.
  • Scripts can be submitted to Turnitin to cover academic integrity with Similarity Reports and GenAI checking.
  • Students' submissions can be graded with the Turnitin rubric attached to the submission portal.
• Group submissions should use Blackboard as the submission portal for students' videos, submitted by only one member of the group.
  • Scripts can be submitted to Turnitin to cover academic integrity with Similarity Reports and GenAI checking.
  • Students' submissions can be graded with a Blackboard rubric attached to the VoiceThread Grade Centre column.

What is VoiceThread?

VoiceThread is a cloud-based media platform that enables users to have asynchronous group conversations around uploaded media files, such as images, videos, documents, or presentations. Users can add comments using voice, text, or video, turning a static media file into a dynamic, interactive conversation. VoiceThread is popular in educational settings because it supports rich, multi-modal communication and collaboration among students and educators. VoiceThread allows for a more personal and engaging form of discussion compared to traditional text-based forums, as participants can hear or see each other's reactions and explanations. It's used for a variety of purposes, including assignments, feedback, group projects, and more, offering flexibility in how users interact with content and each other.

VoiceThread is a cloud application, so there is no software to install. VoiceThread will run in your web browser and on almost any internet connection.

SCU Uses

Southern Cross University has a licence to use VoiceThread for both summative assessment video/audio file submission as well as formative assessment or simply to foster a Community of Inquiry model of learning through engaging online collaboration.

Formative Assessment

1. Encouraging Student Interaction and Engagement
   • Peer Feedback: Students can post their presentations or projects on VoiceThread and receive feedback from their peers in the form of audio or video comments. This not only enhances understanding but also promotes active engagement among students.
   • Discussion Threads: Create structured discussion threads around specific topics or questions. As students interact and build upon each other's comments, they deepen their knowledge and develop critical thinking skills.
2. Formative Assessment
   • Continuous Feedback: Teachers can use VoiceThread to provide timely and continuous feedback on formative student submissions. This ongoing interaction helps in assessing students’ understanding and progress on a continual basis.
   • Diverse Media Responses: Students can respond to questions or tasks using the medium they are most comfortable with (audio, video, text). This flexibility helps teachers assess understanding in different modes, catering to diverse learning styles.
3. Fostering a Community of Inquiry
   • Social Presence: VoiceThread helps in creating a social presence by allowing students to see and hear each other. This humanises the online learning experience and helps in building a supportive learning community.
   • Cognitive Presence: By facilitating thoughtful and reflective discussions, VoiceThread supports cognitive presence. Students are encouraged to analyse, synthesise, and evaluate information critically.
   • Teaching Presence: Teachers can design and direct cognitive and social processes for the purpose of realising personally meaningful and educationally worthwhile learning outcomes. They can guide discussions, provide summaries, and ask probing questions to deepen understanding.
4. Accessibility and Inclusiveness
   • Inclusive Participation: Students who might be reticent to speak up in a traditional classroom setting may feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts via audio or video recordings. This can lead to increased participation from a broader range of students.
   • Accessibility Features: VoiceThread’s accessibility features ensure that it is usable for students with disabilities, making it an inclusive tool that supports diverse learners.
5. Assessment of Soft Skills
   • Communication Skills: Regular use of VoiceThread can help in assessing and enhancing students' oral communication skills as they practice articulating their thoughts and responding to peers.
   • Digital Literacy Skills: Engaging with digital tools like VoiceThread also fosters digital literacy, which is crucial in today's technology-driven world.
6. Integration with Other Tools
   • LMS Integration: VoiceThread can be integrated into the Blackboard LMS, making it easy to blend with other teaching and learning tools. This integration can help in tracking participation and assessing contributions as part of overall student performance.

By using VoiceThread in these ways, you can effectively implement formative assessments that are not only supportive of learning outcomes but also contribute to the creation of a vibrant and interactive online community of inquiry.

Browsers

VoiceThread is supported in full in:

• Google Chrome
• Mozilla Firefox
• Safari (Version 14 or later, packaged with MacOS Big Sur)
• Microsoft Edge
• Opera
• Brave

For the best possible experience, your web browser should be fully up to date, but at minimum no more than two versions behind.

Creating
Upload, share and discuss documents, presentations, images, audio files and videos. Over 50 different types of media can be used in a VoiceThread.

Commenting
Comment on VoiceThread slides using one of five powerful commenting options: microphone, webcam, text, phone, and audio-file upload.

Sharing
Keep a VoiceThread private, share it with specific people, or open it up to the entire world. Learn more about sharing VoiceThreads.

Security

VoiceThread employs world-class, highly secure data centres that utilise state-of-the-art electronic surveillance and multi-factor access control systems. The data centres employ environmental systems designed to minimise the impact of disruptions to operations.

In addition, VoiceThread utilises Amazon Web Services. The AWS cloud infrastructure that powers the platform has been designed and managed in alignment with standard regulations and best practices.