The Power of Voice The Power of Voice ToolsTools

Vida BarkerVida Barker

Professor, Centennial CollegeProfessor, Centennial College

May 2008May 2008

A bit of background…A bit of background…

Centennial College offers certificate, Centennial College offers certificate, diploma, post-diploma and applied diploma, post-diploma and applied degree programs to 12,000 full-time degree programs to 12,000 full-time and 28,000 part-time studentsand 28,000 part-time students

Four campuses located in Toronto Four campuses located in Toronto (Scarborough)(Scarborough)

100 ethno cultural groups are 100 ethno cultural groups are represented and 80 languages are represented and 80 languages are spoken on campus spoken on campus

Our CMSOur CMS

BlackBoard Academic Suite 6.3 BlackBoard Academic Suite 6.3 Over 4,000 courses were created Over 4,000 courses were created

on BlackBoard during the winter on BlackBoard during the winter 2008 semester 2008 semester

Beginning Fall 2008, all Beginning Fall 2008, all professors will be required to use professors will be required to use BlackBoardBlackBoard

Building BlocksBuilding Blocks

Online attendanceOnline attendance Who’s onlineWho’s online Advanced group managementAdvanced group management Discussion graderDiscussion grader Facebook SyncFacebook Sync Link CheckerLink Checker

Voice ToolsVoice Tools

Centennial adopted the Wimba suite of Centennial adopted the Wimba suite of voice tools 2 years ago voice tools 2 years ago

Main reason was the ease of Main reason was the ease of integration with BlackBoardintegration with BlackBoard

Voice ToolsVoice Tools

Using “Show and Tell” sessions Using “Show and Tell” sessions throughout the year for faculty and staffthroughout the year for faculty and staff

Centre for Learning Technology provides Centre for Learning Technology provides support and training to those who wish support and training to those who wish to experiment with and/or implement to experiment with and/or implement any of these toolsany of these tools

A small number of faculty in various A small number of faculty in various disciplines have begun using voice toolsdisciplines have begun using voice tools

Our SensesOur Senses

SeeingSeeingSmellingSmellingTouchingTouchingHearingHearingTastingTasting

Typical classroom or Typical classroom or lecture settinglecture setting

1.1. SeeingSeeing

2.2. HearingHearing

Online content is Online content is frequently visual frequently visual but voice tools can but voice tools can add another senseadd another sense

Learning TheoriesLearning Theories

LEARNING STYLESLEARNING STYLES VisualVisual AuditoryAuditory KinestheticKinesthetic

MULTIPLE MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCEINTELLIGENCE

LinguisticLinguistic Logical-Logical-

mathematicalmathematical MusicalMusical Bodily-Kinesthetic Bodily-Kinesthetic  Spatial-Visual Spatial-Visual Interpersonal Interpersonal IntrapersonalIntrapersonal

Sound, hearing, listening – all play a significant role in learning

Voice ToolsVoice Tools

Voice BoardsVoice Boards Voice EmailsVoice Emails PodcasterPodcaster Voice RecordVoice Record Voice DirectVoice Direct Voice PresentationVoice Presentation

Current ApproachesCurrent Approaches

Publishing solutions to Publishing solutions to assignments that just show the assignments that just show the correct answer or how the answer correct answer or how the answer is calculatedis calculated

I usually take up the questions in I usually take up the questions in class and explain how and why class and explain how and why the calculations were madethe calculations were made

Current ApproachesCurrent Approaches

I save the Excel file and upload it to I save the Excel file and upload it to Blackboard so that students can Blackboard so that students can view the worksheet and look at the view the worksheet and look at the underlying formulasunderlying formulas

Often students who missed the class Often students who missed the class still need explanations about the still need explanations about the source of some of the numbers or source of some of the numbers or why I used the calculations that I didwhy I used the calculations that I did

Current ApproachesCurrent Approaches

I thought of adding comment I thought of adding comment boxes to the Excel file to explain boxes to the Excel file to explain the calculations but it was a lot of the calculations but it was a lot of work and students already have work and students already have too much to readtoo much to read

Or sometimes they just don’t read Or sometimes they just don’t read what they shouldwhat they should

OpportunityOpportunity

Although it wasn’t the case in my Although it wasn’t the case in my class, supplementing online class, supplementing online material can help students with material can help students with visual disabilitiesvisual disabilities

It can also assist ESL students who It can also assist ESL students who often are too shy or embarrassed to often are too shy or embarrassed to ask a second or third time if they ask a second or third time if they don’t understand some of the wordsdon’t understand some of the words

DemoDemo

Here is the student experienceHere is the student experience I am using a “show and tell” I am using a “show and tell”

approach to take up a question in approach to take up a question in an assignment that many an assignment that many students had difficulty withstudents had difficulty with

Demo – other voice Demo – other voice toolstools

Using Communication Button

Training and SupportTraining and Support

Other Applications of Other Applications of Voice ToolsVoice Tools

Suggestion #1Suggestion #1

Tutors can use the voice boards Tutors can use the voice boards to answer questions and explain to answer questions and explain conceptsconcepts

Other students may have the Other students may have the same question and this way they same question and this way they can listen to the answer if it can listen to the answer if it already postedalready posted

Suggestion #2Suggestion #2

Think about how many times you Think about how many times you answer the same question or explain answer the same question or explain assignment or project requirementsassignment or project requirements

By posting a voice announcement or By posting a voice announcement or using the voice record in the using the voice record in the assignment area, you can either assignment area, you can either provide assignment instructions provide assignment instructions verbally or clarify requirements or verbally or clarify requirements or detailsdetails

Suggestion #3Suggestion #3

Students often work in teams and Students often work in teams and already use email and text messaging already use email and text messaging to communicateto communicate

Discussion boards also facilitate Discussion boards also facilitate group work as they create a group work as they create a centralized recordcentralized record

Voice discussion boards can be Voice discussion boards can be created can be accessible by only created can be accessible by only members of the teammembers of the team

Suggestion #4Suggestion #4

Send voice email reminders about Send voice email reminders about upcoming due dates, quizzes and upcoming due dates, quizzes and teststests

Sometimes we remember what Sometimes we remember what we hear better than what we we hear better than what we read, especially when we read read, especially when we read dozens of emails dailydozens of emails daily

Suggestion #5Suggestion #5

After grading a project or test, sometimes After grading a project or test, sometimes the same feedback applies to a large the same feedback applies to a large percentage of the classpercentage of the class

Voice emails can be sent to a single Voice emails can be sent to a single student, selected students, or all studentsstudent, selected students, or all students

Voice announcements are accessible to Voice announcements are accessible to entire classentire class

Some students may find this a more Some students may find this a more personal approach and respond differently personal approach and respond differently to the same message just because of the to the same message just because of the tone of voicetone of voice

Suggestion #7Suggestion #7

Speaking is generally quicker Speaking is generally quicker than typingthan typing

Speaking often allows you to Speaking often allows you to better articulate complex better articulate complex informationinformation

Enhance just about any online Enhance just about any online content with soundcontent with sound

Suggestion #8Suggestion #8

Many disciplines have technical Many disciplines have technical jargonjargon

Create a glossary for students to Create a glossary for students to listen to the correct pronunciation listen to the correct pronunciation and definition of technical termsand definition of technical terms

Suggestion #9Suggestion #9

Hold office hours from your desk Hold office hours from your desk at home or at the collegeat home or at the college

You can talk online one to one or You can talk online one to one or have multiple students at once have multiple students at once

There are “talking stick” There are “talking stick” equivalents so that only one equivalents so that only one person can talkperson can talk

The Future of Voice The Future of Voice ToolsTools Continue our “show and tell” Continue our “show and tell”

sessionssessions Use college events to showcase Use college events to showcase

best practices and innovative best practices and innovative uses of this technologyuses of this technology

Create student awareness – they Create student awareness – they can create demandcan create demand

Thank You!Thank You!

Questions?Questions?

My contact information:My contact information:

vbarker@centennialcollege.cavbarker@centennialcollege.ca