New tools make video integration easy

For fall 2010 we've acquired two new tools at Hofstra that we think faculty will find very useful.

All faculty now have access to VoiceThread. VoiceThreads can be embedded right in your Blackboard course. In a VoiceThread, there's something that takes center stage; it can be a video, a chart, a photo, a document, an equation, a proof, anything. Students comment on the center stage and their comments form a frame around it. Students can comment in video (using the built-in camera and mic on almost every new laptop or desktop), audio (they can even use the phone to post a comment), or just typed text.

We've seen faculty use VoiceThread to generate online discussion outside of class on varying performances of King Lear; on student presentations; on laboratory demonstrations; on mathematical proofs; on foreign language videos; or comparing J.S. Bach and Paul McCartney.

The discussion board in Blackboard is still the fastest, easiest way to generate outside-of-class discussions. Make posting a structured, graded activity and participation will shoot up. (Plus I'm always a fan of getting students to write more!) But VoiceThread is a great option if you want to get to know your students better or have them get to know each other better, or if you think the visual material on which you want them to comment deserves visual responses. Students seem to enjoy seeing each other's responses, and because the responses are tied to a moment in the presentation on the center stage, you can hear/see/read the comments in order of response. If you think written responses tend toward the incivil because they may be more anonymous, see if you can get your students to give honest but professional feedback to each other with VoiceThread.

In addition, we have added a limited number of licenses for Echo360 Personal Capture. I personally am very excited about this product because I used it in my class in the spring to create a short video on how to do library searches, and it only took me about half an hour. I assigned the students to watch the video and then follow the guidelines presented in the video to find a book on their research topic and send me the listing - and they did pretty well! Echo360 Personal Capture records both you (in audio or preferably video and audio, again through the camera built in to your desktop or laptop), AND what is happening on your screen, then it automatically combines the two recordings into one video and publishes it for you. You don't get to make a lot of editing choices with Echo360 - only where to stop or start the video. But it does a great job of deciding when to show you (primarily when you're talking!) and when to show the screen (primarily when you're typing or mousing!). You can even re-use the resulting videos from class to class - in fact we'd hope you would, since then you don't need to spend the time to create the video over and over again.

Both Echo360 Personal Capture and VoiceThread integrate into your Blackboard course, which as always is the launching pad for any online activity for your class at Hofstra. If you'd like to try one of these new tools, perhaps in a pilot capacity this semester (or in a much more core capacity for the spring), please visit us in the Faculty Support Center in McEwen 215 and let us help you get started. We will need to activate the account for you.

We're looking forward to seeing you this fall! As always we're available at 516-463-6894, or you can email the fcshelp account at hofstra.edu for fastest online services.