VoiceThread Reflection
Posted by Lake Gensui Uchino , Tuesday, June 15, 2010 5:24 PM
VoiceThread is an online discussion board with a bit of a twist. A normal discussion board consists of threads with different topics, and within the threads, different users state their thoughts and opinions by commenting and discussing about the topic of the thread. In VoiceThread, however, the discussion board allows audio and video commentary, along with interactive slides and even a laser-pointer like drawing tool to talk about the topic in further detail when needed.
When making my VoiceThread, I first had to come up with a topic that could possibly stir up some discussion. Then I went and looked for pictures, or made slides in order to make the discussion flow smoother. Without various slides, discussions on the thread can be hard to maintain, because the thread lacks new ideas. After preparing my VoiceThread, I shared it with my peers.
My VoiceThread generated a moderate amount of discussion. It was mainly comments, more than it was opinions, and most people did not ask questions in order to generate further discussion.
By looking at the content of the discussion generated, rather than the amount, I can see that the VoiceThread Webapp is limited in some ways. For one, the discussion depends on the participants. If the participants do not extend the discussion by asking questions, the thread itself would die. Secondly, it is necessary that the thread starter be aware and well-informed of the topic, in order to assist other participants with keeping the thread going. However, this limitation is not limited to VoiceThread, and is also existent in normal threads on discussion boards. However, one major limitation that only applies to the VoiceThread, is the trouble of keeping up with not only your own threads, but with the threads you are following as well. With a normal thread, you can casually just browse through each post without spending much time. With a VoiceThread, it takes too much time to browse through the audio and video comments, and can ultimately lead to the discussion dying out.
However, VoiceThread is a wonderful tool for discussion when used right. Normally, people only have the people that are in their everyday life to have discussions with. However, with VoiceThread, not only can you hear what others in the world have to say about a topic, you can also use your voice or video in order to further emphasize a point, or express emotion. Unlike a normal thread, a VoiceThread allows participants to become more interactive. It would be like having an actual conversation with people you don't know, without any interruptions! So although VoiceThread does have its limitations, it also has potential. I have never heard of VoiceThread until I took this course. I believe that VoiceThread should be used more frequently by webusers.
Click to see my VoiceThread topic about Apple's iPad--> http://voicethread.com/share/1173689/
