New Features for VoiceThread Assignments

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 12:36:14 -0400
voicethread, voicethread-assignments

There are some new features in VoiceThread Assignments!

New features were added to VoiceThread Assignments at the end of September and we would like to share them with faculty. These features enhance the functionality of VoiceThread Assignments to allow increased flexibility for submissions, due dates, and commenting. New features are available in Blackboard now and as you create new assignments.

Separate close and due dates + late submissions

When building an assignment, you can now set both a due date and a close date. This enables you to continue making the assignment available to students even after the due date passes. It will only become unavailable after the close date.

Additionally, students can submit after the due date has passed, and their submissions will be marked as "Late" on your grading page so you can decide whether to deduct any credit for missing the due date.

Replying to comments after submitting

After students submit a commenting assignment, you might want them to go back and reply to classmates to keep the conversation going. Now they can use the threaded reply option to continue the conversation even if they've submitted and received a grade. The image below illustrates how a student can make a reply comment even after submitting successfully.

Slide requirements

Create and comment assignments can require students to add a specific number of slides before they can submit. Set this requirement in the same place you set a required number of comments.

New location for importing from other VoiceThreads

Previously the option for importing slides from other VoiceThreads was inside the Media Sources option. Now it is available right on the main slide import page to make it easier to find and faster to use.

Other recent updates

Just in case you missed these other great updates from the last couple of months, these have also been added since June:

Hands-off course copying: If you use a learning management system that supports automatic copying of LTI-integrated links, all of your student submissions and comments will be removed from your assignments automatically each time you copy the course to re-use it.

Watch assignment feedback: If students are completing a "Watch a VoiceThread" assignment, they can access a detailed list of which slides or comments they haven't yet viewed or listened to completely.

Caption editing: You can now edit closed captions in the Assignment Builder and in the student view. Note that you can't do this in the grader yet, but that's coming soon.
Bonus: This means you can create and edit closed captions in VT Universal now, too!

Maximum comment requirement: Rather than setting only a minimum or exact number of comments required on a VoiceThread, you can set a maximum number of comments students can record.

Selecting comments to include: When building a commenting or watch assignment and selecting a VoiceThread you've already created, you can also choose which comments you want to include in this fresh instance.