Add VoiceThread Content and Assignments to a Brightspace Course

With the VoiceThread integration, you can easily add all of your VoiceThread content into Brightspace. Using the integration is important, because a student or instructor that doesn't already have a VoiceThread account will have one automatically created for them when they click a link created using the integration. Additionally, Brightspace will associate the student to your course in VoiceThread, granting them the access and permissions they will need in order to use VoiceThread seamlessly in the course.

You can find the VoiceThread integration in Brightspace in either the Existing Activities menu in Course Content, the Insert Stuff and Insert Quicklinks buttons in File (webpage), or the UA Tools > VoiceThread menu in your Brightspace Course.

This article will explain how to insert links to the different options in Brightspace using the VoiceThread integration, what they do, and where they take you and your students when they are selected in Brightspace.

First, lets take a look at the VoiceThread Configuration Window in Brightspace and then the article will describe each option below.

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

This is the VoiceThread Configuration Window:

There are 4 options in the VoiceThread Configuration Window. They are:

• Assignment Builder (enters the Assignment Builder menu which contains Create, Comment, and Watch Assignments, along with a Reconnect Previous Assignment option)
• Individual VoiceThread (creates a link in Brightspace that leads to an individual VoiceThread that you specify)
• Course View (creates a link in Brightspace that leads to the VoiceThread Course Folder associated with the Brightspace Course)
• VT Home Page (creates a link in Brightspace that leads to the VoiceThread Home Page)

Now, the article will explore each of these options in more detail, explain what each of them mean and how they work, and give steps to create the links in your Brightspace Course.

Assignment Builder

Assignment Builder allows you to create assignments with specific assignment requirements such as how many comments must be made and how many slides must be added. Assignments are created using VoiceThreads, and can require a student to:

• Create a VoiceThread from scratch, share it with the course, and optionally enter the Student Gallery and interact with other student's VoiceThreads
• Comment on, add slides to, and/or watch entirely a VoiceThread of the instructor's choosing
• Watch a VoiceThread and all of it's media in its entirety

Create Assignments

Require students to create a VoiceThread. Students will upload the slides and record comments, then submit the VoiceThread for a grade. You can allow students to interact with other submissions via the Student Gallery so they can engage in peer review and conversation.

To insert a link to a Create Assignment, follow the subsequent steps.

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Select Assignment Builder from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Select Create.

Select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the different behavioral options for a Create Assignment, as well as the Slide and Comment requirements for the assignment. It is recommended that you read through the different options on this page and change the options in order for the assignment behaviors to have the desired effect. Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Continue.

If you would like more detailed information about each item in this menu, please visit the VoiceThread How to use new assignments (opens in a new tab) help page.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the page allowing for a title for the assignment as it will appear in the Brightspace Content Module to be chosen. Enter a name for the assignment in the Assignment name field as you would like for it to appear in Brightspace.

Additionally, Assignment Instructions, an Example URL (used for demonstrating a VoiceThread that has met all the qualifications of the assignment), a submission message, Start, Due, and Close Dates, a progression lock, permissions allowing or denying student interaction after submission, and assessment options can be set. Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Publish.

Comment Assignment

Require students to watch and add comments and slides to a VoiceThread that you choose. Students will upload the slides and record comments, then submit the VoiceThread for a grade.

To insert a link to a Comment Assignment, follow the subsequent steps.

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Select Assignment Builder from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Select Comment.

Select Continue.

Select the VoiceThread you want to share by selecting the radio button on the VoiceThread.

Once the appropriate VoiceThread has been chosen, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the slides that makeup the VoiceThread. In this page, you can rename the VoiceThread or slides, add or remove slides, and reconfigure the order of the slides. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the VoiceThread itself. In this page, you add or remove comments, play comments and navigate through the slides to verify the correct VoiceThread has been selected. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the different behavioral options for a Comment Assignment, as well as the slide and comment requirements for the assignment. It is recommended that you read through the different options on this page and change the options in order for the assignment behaviors to have the desired effect. If you would like more detailed information about each item in this menu, please visit the VoiceThread How to use new assignments (opens in a new tab) help page.

Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the page allowing for a title for the assignment as it will appear in the Brightspace Content Module to be chosen. Enter a name for the assignment in the Assignment name field as you would like for it to appear in Brightspace.

Additionally, Assignment Instructions, an Example URL (used for demonstrating a VoiceThread that has met all the qualifications of the assignment), a submission message, Start, Due, and Close Dates, a progression lock, permissions allowing or denying student interaction after submission, and assessment options can be set. Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Publish.

Watch Assignment

Require students to watch a VoiceThread and all of its elements in their entirety.

To insert a link to a Watch Assignment, follow the subsequent steps.

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Select Assignment Builder from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Select Watch.

Select Continue.

Select the VoiceThread you want to share by selecting the radio button on the VoiceThread.

Once the appropriate VoiceThread has been chosen, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the slides that makeup the VoiceThread. In this page, you can rename the VoiceThread or slides, add or remove slides, and reconfigure the order of the slides. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the VoiceThread itself. In this page, you add or remove comments, play comments and navigate through the slides to verify the correct VoiceThread has been selected. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the different behavioral options for a Watch Assignment. It is recommended that you read through the different options on this page and change the options in order for the assignment behaviors to have the desired effect. If you would like more detailed information about each item in this menu, please visit the VoiceThread How to use new assignments (opens in a new tab) help page.

Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Continue.

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the page allowing for a title for the assignment as it will appear in the Brightspace Content Module to be chosen. Enter a name for the assignment in the Assignment name field as you would like for it to appear in Brightspace.

Additionally, Assignment Instructions, an Example URL (used for demonstrating a VoiceThread that has met all the qualifications of the assignment), a submission message, Start, Due, and Close Dates, a progression lock, and permissions allowing or denying student interaction after submission can be set. Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Publish.

Individual VoiceThread

The Individual VoiceThread option allows you to link a VoiceThread from your VoiceThread Home Page into the Brightspace Course to share with others in the course. When following a link to an Individual VoiceThread, the user selecting the link will get a University of Arizona VoiceThread account if they don't have one already, and be associated to the course in VoiceThread, giving them access to the VoiceThreads used in the course. Additionally, a copy of the VoiceThread will be placed in your Course Folder automatically.

To insert a link to an Individual VoiceThread, follow the subsequent steps.

Step 1

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Step 2

Select Individual VoiceThread from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Step 3

Select the VoiceThread you want to share by selecting the radio button on the VoiceThread. When you select a VoiceThread, the screen will refresh, moving your selection to the top of the menu.

Step 4

Once a selection has been made, select Continue.

Step 5

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the slides that makeup the VoiceThread. In this page, you can rename the VoiceThread or slides, add or remove slides, and reconfigure the order of the slides. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Step 6

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the VoiceThread itself. In this page, you add or remove comments, play comments and navigate through the slides to verify the correct VoiceThread has been selected. If you do not need to make any changes, select Continue.

Step 7

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the comment, playback, and permission options for the VoiceThread. It is recommended that you read through the different options on this page, and toggle the options in order for the VoiceThread behaviors to have the desired effect. Once the appropriate selections have been made, select Continue.

Step 8

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the titling page. Enter the name into the Activity name field as you would like it to appear in Course Content.

Step 9

Select Publish.

Course View

The Course View option allows a link to the Brightspace Course's VoiceThread Course Folder to be created. The Course Folder is the folder in VoiceThread that contains all the VoiceThreads linked in a Brightspace Course by using the Individual VoiceThread method above. To create a link to the Course Folder, follow the subsequent steps.

Step 1

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Step 2

Select Course View from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Step 3

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the titling page. Enter the name into the Activity name field as you would like it to appear in Course Content.

Step 4

Select Publish.

VT Home Page

The VT Home Page View option allows a link to the VoiceThread Home Page of the individual following the link from Brightspace. The VT Home Page is the home page of the University of Arizona VoiceThread instance that displays the VoiceThreads and Course Folders a user has access to. To create a link to the Course Folder, follow the subsequent steps.

Step 1

In a content module in your course site, select Existing Activities. Then, select VoiceThread.

Step 2

Select VT Home Page from the VoiceThread Configuration Menu.

Step 3

Now the VoiceThread Configuration will display the titling page. Enter the name into the Activity name field as you would like it to appear in Course Content.

Step 4

Select Publish.

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