Yes—VoiceThread is a great tool for annotating video, and it would work well regardless of whether students were completing the activity during class time or asynchronously.
Is there a limit to how long a VoiceThread comment can be?
Yes—whether you’re adding a comment to your own presentation or someone else is commenting on your presentation, you’ll need to keep your comments under VoiceThread’s limits.
How long can a video I upload to VoiceThread be?
VoiceThread doesn’t restrict videos in terms of length but in terms of size. Any type of media file you upload to a VoiceThread presentation is limited to 3GB. If you have videos that are larger than 3GB, you could consider breaking them into smaller segments and uploading them to separate slides.
On a Comment assignment, are replies to comments counted?
Yes! On one of VoiceThread’sComment assignments, any new comment a student posts, even if it’s in response to another student’s comment, will count towards the number of comments you’ve required them to add for the assignment. The student will even see on the right column of VoiceThread’s Assignment platform an indication (i.e., a checkmark) that they have left a comment and it has been counted towards the assignment’s requirements.
Can I access my VoiceThread account outside of Canvas?
Yes, you can—but only after you’ve added VoiceThread to one of your Canvas courses. You have to take this first step in order to have your VoiceThread account created under Miami’s license. Then, you’ll be able to log in at voicethread.com.
How do I add VoiceThread to my Canvas course?
You can add VoiceThread to a Canvas course within a module or as an assignment. You’ll find it in the “External Tools” options in both places. (Note that VoiceThread doesn’t appear among your course navigation menu options.)
What types of video files can I add to a VoiceThread presentation?
We recommend that you create videos in .mp4 format if you’ll be uploading them to VoiceThread. Other formats may work, but there’s no guarantee. You can also import some YouTube videos to your presentation via their link.
Can I upload a presentation file to VoiceThread?
Yes! PPT, PPTX, Keynote, ODP, and PDF are all supported presentation file types. However, to avoid experiencing formatting issues (strange fonts or layout), we recommend that you convert presentation files to PDF before you upload them.
What dimensions should my media be for a VoiceThread presentation?
Because VoiceThread can zoom in and out on media, we recommend that your images, slides, etc. be at least 1280×960 (i.e., a 4:3 ratio). If they’re smaller than that, it’s likely they’ll be pixelated and blurry.
If I create groups in Canvas, will they show up in VoiceThread too?
Unfortunately, no. And groups and classes in VoiceThread in general are a little confusing because you’ll see separate lists of “Groups” and “Classes” on your VoiceThread account homepage, but then the two are combined in your sharing options.