VoiceThread Effects On Learning

Michelle Pacansky-Brock, an Art History Professor at Sierra College, recently completed a thorough assessment of the effects of VoiceThread on the learning experiences of her online students. She will be showcasing these results in presentations at several upcoming venues including MoblEd in Pasadena on April 23 and 24, the Online Teaching Conference in Aptos on June 11 and 12, the Sloan-C Symposium on Emerging Technologies in San Francisco on June 17-19. Michelle is the recipient of the 2007 Sloan-C Excellence in Online Teaching Award and the NISOD Award for Teaching Excellence.

Michelle gives us a glimpse into her findings in her blog post titled “VoiceThreads of Inclusivity“. Here’s an excerpt:

“A total of 101 students were surveyed and 87 responded (an 88% response rate). Out of those who responded, 70% of the students either strongly agreed or agreed that the use of VoiceThread contributed to establishing a sense of community in this class. Community is an important element in fostering a student’s motivation to continue with an online class, as online learners continually struggle with feelings of isolation as they go about their learning experience physically isolated from their classmates and instructor.” (Read more…)

Michelle was also interviewed by Russ Barneveld and Barbara Lebeau, professors from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. They spent time discussing how VoiceThread (from Michelle) “has transformed my online teaching”. Listen to the interview.