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Using VoiceThread for Metacognitive Conversations

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Erica Mullins

Biology Department

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  • Please fill out your attendance form

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  • Please also submit a feedback form

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  • Thank you!

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Talk to me about class discussions

https://answergarden.ch/share/1651034

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Objectives for this workshop

  1. Define “metacognitive conversations”
  2. What is VoiceThread(VT)?
  3. How can it be used for learning?
  4. What if I want to learn more about VT?

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Metacognitive Conversations

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Community Building in the online “classroom”

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“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.”

  • Alexander den Heijer

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Four key dimensions to support learning

  • Social dimension
    • Community building
  • Personal dimension
    • Developing identities & self-awareness
  • Cognitive dimension
    • Mental processes & problem-solving strategies
  • Knowledge-building dimension
    • Identifying & expanding kinds of knowledge

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Metacognitive conversation

  • Links the four dimensions
  • Ongoing conversation
    • Discuss & think about personal connections
    • Social environment & class resources
    • Cognitive activity
    • Identify kinds of knowledge required

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“Metacognition, simply put, is thinking about thinking.” ~ Schoenbach, Greenleaf, and Murphy (2012)

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Integrating Approaches

  • CVC-OEI Humanizing Challenge & Academy
    • 5 Tools to Humanize Your Course on Wednesday @ 1:45 pm (L-160)with Alex Rockey
  • What can we do to change the environment?

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What is VoiceThread?

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Using VoiceThread AS a discussion tool

  • VoiceThread enables interactive conversations built around media sharing
  • ...is a Cloud application
    • Compatible with Google Chrome & Mozilla Firefox
  • A mobile app is also available
    • Google Play & Apple app store

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Ways to incorporate VT in your class

  • Sharing media
  • Demonstrations
  • Instructor-originated Discussion
  • Learner-originated Discussion
  • Student Project sharing

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Ways you can USe VoiceThread in your classroom

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Sharing media to reinforce concepts

  • Discussion on applying the steps of the Scientific Method

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Discussion Prompt

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Scaffolding Student Learning

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Layering tools for enhanced metacognition

  • Google Jamboard

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Linking Small group discussions to whole class discussion

  • COVID-19 Vaccine mechanism discussion
  • Asynchronous
  • In-person + Asynchronous

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Demonstrations

  • Talking to the Text

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Learner-originated Submissions

  • Content created by the students to demonstrate discipline knowledge

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Student Project Submissions

  • Presentations
  • Optional discussion thread content

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Community Building

  • Encouraging collaboration
  • Fostering a sense of community

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Ice Breakers & Casual Conversations

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Peer-to-peer Feedback & Encouragement

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The practical stuff

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How to make a VoiceThread

  • Options for creating your own VoiceThread Discussions

https://voicethread.com/share/15346456/

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Caveats & Limitations

  • Student buy-in
  • Cutting & Pasting
  • Creation, organization, and monitoring of VT discussions

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Accessibility & Cost

  • The free trial account for VT allows a user to create up to five VoiceThreads using microphone or text narration only.
  • Subscriptions and licensing
    • The single instructor license includes:
      • 1 Pro account for the instructor
      • 50 basic accounts for students
      • Admin abilities for those accounts
      • https://voicethread.com/products/highered/instructor/

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How does this work with Canvas?

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Canvas Integration

  • Also integrates with many of the major LMS platforms
    • Canvas & BlackBoard, among others
      • You can even integrate it with your gradebook

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Adding Voicethread posts to Canvas

  • Without Integration

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Learning more about VT

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Getting formal training

VoiceThread offers formal training on use of their product

  • There are weekly workshops posted on their site, on a variety of topics
  • There is also a certification course
    • It runs for two weeks, is offered online, and includes experience creating a capstone project - in addition to didactic training
  • Finally, there is also a digital library to access tutorials on-demand

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Questions?

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Thank you!

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Please feel free to email me for access to these slides :)

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erica.mullins@bakersfieldcollege.edu

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