VoiceThread: Enhancing Learning for Students with Learning Disabilities

Introduction

VoiceThread is a collaborative, multimedia slideshow tool that allows students and instructors to interact using video, audio, and text. It offers potential benefits for all learners, but can be particularly advantageous for students with learning disabilities when implemented thoughtfully. This article explores the uses of VoiceThread for students with learning disabilities, focusing on accessibility considerations and practical applications.

Accessibility Considerations

While VoiceThread offers a platform for engaging learning experiences, it's crucial to address accessibility to ensure inclusivity for all students. VoiceThread offers two modes: Standard and Universal. For screen reader users, VoiceThread recommends Universal mode, accessible at voicethread.colorado.edu/u. This mode is supported by the latest versions of Firefox and Chrome. It's important to note that VoiceThread Standard isn't accessible to screen reader users.

Limitations in Universal Mode

VoiceThread Universal, while designed for accessibility, has some limitations compared to the Standard version. A key limitation is the unavailability of VoiceThread Universal within the assignments feature (Assignment Builder) in Canvas. This can create barriers for students who rely on screen readers to complete assignments. Additionally, recording audio comments can be challenging due to the countdown timer and difficulties in stopping the recording. The prompt to allow microphone access when leaving audio or video comments can also be difficult to locate and the text is small. The Standard version of VoiceThread has instances of low color contrast.

Workarounds and Recommendations

Screen Reader Users and Canvas Integration: To mitigate the Canvas integration issue, students using a screen reader can click the VoiceThread link in Canvas once to be added to the VoiceThread course.
Assistive Technology: If a student uses assistive technology, it's important to be familiar with the limitations of VoiceThread for that specific technology. For example, students using screen readers may have trouble adding voice comments or sharing created VoiceThreads.
Collaboration with Disability Services: Institutions should partner with Disability Services to provide assistance for accessibility issues related to VoiceThread and other supported services.
Captions: Captions are not automatically generated, so it is recommended that users upload captions manually or through an integration with a professional third party service.

General Accessibility Guidelines for VoiceThread

To create accessible VoiceThreads, consider the following:

Closed Captioning: Add closed captions to all media with audio components.
Visual Descriptions: Describe the visual content of each slide.
Narration of Visuals: When creating video content, narrate any visuals that appear. Avoid vague language; instead, describe what you are referencing. For example, instead of saying "This over here indicates…", say "This graph shows increasing purchases over time, which indicates…".

Benefits of VoiceThread for Students with Learning Disabilities

Despite the accessibility challenges, VoiceThread offers several potential benefits for students with learning disabilities:

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Multisensory Learning: VoiceThread allows for a multisensory learning experience through video, audio, and text. This is beneficial for students who learn best through different modalities.
Increased Engagement and Motivation: Innovative technological tools, programs, and software can be used to promote student engagement, motivation, and ultimately enhance the quality of the learning experience for students with disabilities. VoiceThread, an interactive, multimedia slide show tool, enables users to hold conversations around images, documents, and videos.
Flexibility and Learner Independence: Educational strategies for all students should be aimed at increasing school engagement, motivation, and learner independence. Educators can use VoiceThread in general education, self-contained, resource rooms, and inclusive settings in large group, small group, and one-on-one learning environments.
Enhanced Communication: The ability to leave voice and video comments can be particularly helpful for students who struggle with written expression.
Building Community: Human voices breed connection. They are integral to developing relationships and a sense of community that underpins powerful online learning experiences.

Practical Applications and Examples

VoiceThread can be used in various ways to support students with learning disabilities. Here are some examples:

Read Alouds: Teachers can record read-alouds by showing pages of books and recording themselves reading.
Step-by-Step Instructions: Complex processes can be broken down into smaller steps and presented visually with audio explanations. For example, a teacher documented every step of the process by taking pictures. She made a simple Google Slides presentation, downloaded it as a PDF, and uploaded it to VoiceThread. From there, she was able to record herself, pose questions on each slide, and write text comments including to links to their favorite pizza making game on ABCya. This trifecta multi-sensory experience is simply not an option on most technology resources today. Though it is something that is essential to the learning process for my special learners.
Virtual Field Trips: Images and videos from field trips can be uploaded, and students can add comments and ask questions.
Collaborative Projects: Students can work together on projects by creating a VoiceThread and adding their own contributions.

VoiceThread in Professional Development

In New York State, paraprofessionals are required to engage in professional development for a certain amount of hours. Using VoiceThread, essential documents can be uploaded, discussed, and questions can be posed-entirely remotely and before they even set foot in the room. In regard to new hires, basic workplace training certainly seems easy if all you have to do is share a link.

Overcoming Resistance and Vulnerability

Students, just like faculty, do not openly embrace the vulnerable feeling one feels when speaking to a webcam.

The Human Voice in Learning

I remember the first time I heard one of my online students respond to a work of art. I don’t remember the art and I don’t remember exactly what that student said. But I remember pausing, pushing myself away from my desk, and being moved to tears. It was that moment that I felt the power of the human voice and began to understand how it provides valuable information about learning. I could hear the emotion in my students’ voice as she looked at a representation of art and shared her thoughts about it. That was the moment that I began to grow as an educator and understand that there is more to learning than cognition.

I remember the first semester I taught a class with a student who was dyslexic. She was the only student in that class who elected to use her webcam to leave video comments. I remember listening to her deeply engaging comment and comparing it with the fragmented sentences in her discussion board posts.

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The Evolution of Accessibility

Yet, while VoiceThread supported the needs of more learners, many students with disabilities were excluded in by its multimodal learning. Students who are deaf had no way to access the voice and video comments. In 2015, VoiceThread enabled an option to site-license holders to integrate third party captioning for comments and central media with sound. In 2016, my team, Teaching & Learning Innovations at CSU Channel Islands wrote and implemented a detailed accommodations plan for students who are blind and students who are hard of hearing.

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tags: #voice #thread #learning #disability #uses