Overview
Voiceboard activities allow an instructor to create interactive speech-based discussions online. They are easy and efficient for the instructor to create and manage and were designed to facilitate out-of-class spoken practice.
Are Voiceboards easy to make?
Yes! They are straightforward and can be created in a few minutes.
- An instructor creates what's called a Voiceboard post and publishes it.
- Once published, students interact with the posted material.
- Students also interact with the teacher and/or other classmates.
Voiceboard posts usually include a prompt that containing basic instructions and other key information for students related to the Voiceboard activity. The instructor can easily add video, images, audio, documents, or a combination of this media to their Voiceboard post (and have options for how to do so).
Multimedia can be uploaded or embedded (video only: Vimeo and YouTube). Audio and video can also be conveniently recorded on-the-spot in Voiceboard itself. Multiple media files can be added to one Voiceboard post (e.g., a video, two audio recordings, and a PDF).
Below is what a typical Voiceboard activity looks like in Canvas. The example includes a prompt, attached media files, and student messages or comments.
Helpful information on privacy and media:
Instructors can choose whether discussions are private (between just the instructor and an individual student) or public (a class-wide interaction where everyone can see comments from everyone else). The instructor can also choose which media types (audio, video, images, documents) students are able to respond with or add to their written comments. By default, students will be able to add all the same media as their instructors. Learn more about what kind of media files you can add to a Voiceboard activity.
Ready to create your Voiceboard?
Great! The best way to get started is to visit our dedicated self-help page on how to create or edit a Voiceboard post for speaking practice.
Need help?