About this Collection
Collections offer curated content for UNF professors on practices, platforms, or tools. CIRT collects information from our own Knowledge Base, from official support communities, and from other reputable sources in order to bring you the best in a single location.
This collection concerns media-based discussion tools, platforms for students to engage in asynchronous discussion using audio and video posts instead of a traditional text-based format.
Technical Details
Video discussion platforms can provide outlets for asynchronous conversation that bring together the human element of face-to-face conversation and the flexibility of online learning. Video discussions can encourage the development of students’ social presence through visuals that allow participants to experience the community as consisting of “real” people. They also support the opportunity for reflexive thinking and the development of group cohesion. In addition, when instructors engage with their students in video discussions, it can contribute to the establishment of their teaching presence.
Several studies have highlighted the positive impact that asynchronous video discussions have on the development of both social and teaching presence when compared with text-based communication. Specific insights from this research include the increased development of trust and belonging that emerges from the ability to access both verbal and non-verbal cues (Clark, Strudler, & Grove, 2015). Media-based discussions also have a positive effect on dynamics such as course engagement and students’ ability to establish a projection of self (Pinsk, Curran, Poirier, & Coulson, 2014).
CIRT Recommends
UNF faculty have access to several media-based discussion tools that can take the place of traditional discussion boards. While there are many tools on the market with similar functionality, the highlighted options below have been approved to meet UNF’s security standards for external tools, and CIRT can offer additional technical and implementation support to faculty who use these tools within Canvas.
If you have any questions about how to integrate these tools into your course, please contact cirtlab@unf.edu.
Canvas Studio
Canvas Studio is a communication tool that allows instructors and students to actively collaborate through video and audio media. Unlike the other options below, Canvas Studio does not require a separate LTI installation and can be used directly within the native Discussions tool in Canvas. All that is required is for the instructor to provide instructions within the activity so that students are familiar with how to use the tool inside the discussion board. Students can record a simple webcam video of themselves using Canvas Studio, or they can also use this tool to record a screen capture video.
Inside this Collection
Other Recommendations
Perusall
Perusall is an e-reader platform that centers student discussion around the reading of an electronic text. Instructors provide students with access to a digital text in Perusall. When students view the reading, they can add public questions and comments as annotations to the text. Discussion threads develop around places in the reading that spark student interest or generate questions for them. Perusall can be integrated into Canvas using an LTI.
Refer to our support article Perusall / Canvas Integration for instructions on creating a Perusall assignment in Canvas.
Flip
Flip (formerly known as Flipgrid) is a tool that can facilitate simple video discussions, where students can post videos of themselves responding to an instructor’s prompt. Like a traditional discussion board, Flip uses threaded discussions, where participants can respond in a video or text-based format to any of their classmates. Flip feels and functions a lot like a social media messaging app; students can add filters, frames, annotations, and several other effects before finalizing and submitting their video. They can produce lengthier, edited videos or just record a simple video of themselves talking. The nice thing about Flip is that it is relatively easy to use for both teachers and students, it can be fully integrated into Canvas, and it is available for use in all courses at UNF.
VoiceThread
VoiceThread is another tool that can provide a welcome alternative to traditional discussion boards, and it is a bit more robust of a tool than Flip. With this platform, instructors can create a multimedia slideshow that allows participants to have asynchronous discussions on each slide of the presentation. For example, slide one might contain a video for students to watch and discuss, slide two might have an infographic or photo that students must react to, and slide three may consist of a traditional PowerPoint slide to generate discussion. Conversations can take the form of video, audio, or text-based responses, based on the preference of each student. It is worth noting that many users report that it takes a little bit longer to learn how to use VoiceThread than Flip. However, like Flip, it can be fully integrated into Canvas. Currently, VoiceThread is only licensed for use at UNF in designated DL courses.
Refer to our support article VoiceThread / Canvas Integration for instructions on creating a VoiceThread assignment in Canvas.
