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How do I access UNC VoiceThread?

To create VoiceThreads on voicethread.unc.edu, you must have an Onyen account.

   1. Go to http://voicethread.unc.edu (link will open in a new window).
   2. Click Sign-in/Register.
   3. When prompted for a user name and password, enter your Onyen and password. If you have a VoiceThread.com account, you will be prompted to enter your VoiceThread.com password to upgrade your account and merge any threads you created on the .com site to the UNC site.
   4. A terms of use agreement (link will open in a new window) will be displayed. Read the agreement carefully, and click Yes to accept the terms.
   5. Your account has now been created. Click the Browse tab to view VoiceThread tutorials and VoiceThreads that other UNC VoiceThread members have opened for other members to view.

How do I give someone access to a Voicethread that I created?

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread.
   2. Click the "menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Click the My Contacts button, then select UNC-Chapel Hill. (If this person is a member of one of your groups, choose that group instead.)
   5. Begin typing the person's last name in the search field. If necessary, scroll to view his or her record.
   6. If you'd like for him or her to be able to

      — add comments, click the comment icon
      — only view, click the eye icon
      — edit, click the pencil icon

   7. Optional: click elsewhere on the record button to select the record, then click the Invite button to send this person an automated email message that includes a direct link to the VoiceThread.

How do I give someone without an Onyen access to a VoiceThread?

Individuals without Onyen accounts can be given access threads on UNC Voicethread, but you must "invite" them to each thread that you want them to access. When the invitee clicks link to the thread included in the email invitation, he or she will be taken to a page with two buttons for signing into VoiceThread: one for those with Onyens and one for those without. Clicking the No button will prompt the person to sign in with or register for a free VoiceThread.com account.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Under My Contacts, click the Add+ button.
   5. Enter the individual's email address and name, and then click add. An entry for him or her will now appear in your list of contacts.
   6. Click Send Invite, and VoiceThread will send an email message with a link to the thread.

If you have created a VoiceThread (or have permission to edit it), you can also access the menu (gear) --> Edit options while viewing the VoiceThread. They are available at the top left corner of the VoiceThread player.

How do I view and comment on a VoiceThread?

View tutorial: http://unc.voicethread.com/share/409 (link will open in a new window).

How do I create a VoiceThread?

View tutorial: http://unc.voicethread.com/share/8381 (link will open in a new window).

After you upload the first file to a VoiceThread, you'll be prompted to select an option that best describes purpose of the thread before you can continue adding materials to the thread. You will also have the option of choosing whether or not other members of your audience can export a movie of the VoiceThread, including any comments that have been added.

I'm working with PowerPoint files, and I noticed that the fonts and layout look different after I've uploaded them to Voicethread. How can I fix this?

View tutorial: http://unc.voicethread.com/share/270459/ (link will open in a new window).

How do I draw on a VoiceThread?

Drawing "Doodling" on a still image: http://unc.voicethread.com/share/711 (link will open in a new window).
Drawing "Doodling" on an uploaded video: http://unc.voicethread.com/share/21651 (link will open in a new window).

How do I edit a VoiceThread?

At any point after you've created a VoiceThread, you can edit it. You can delete or replace files, add other files, reorder slides, or edit the title and description.

You cannot edit an existing comment; however, you can delete it and create a new one.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Edit button, which opens the Create tab for that VoiceThread.

Note that if you have created a VoiceThread (or have permission to edit it), you can also access the menu (gear) --> Edit options while viewing the VoiceThread. They are available at the top left corner of the VoiceThread player.

How can I give another person the ability to edit a VoiceThread that I created?

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Under Groups, select UNC-Chapel Hill. (If this person is a member of one of your groups, choose that group instead.)
   5. Under My Contacts, begin typing that person's first or last name in the search field. If necessary, scroll to view his or her record.
   6. Click the pencil/edit icon on his or her record.
   7. Optional: click elsewhere on the record button to select the record, then click the Send Invite button to send this person an automated email message that includes a direct link to the VoiceThread.

Note that if you have created a VoiceThread (or have permission to edit it), you can also access the menu (gear) --> Edit options while viewing the VoiceThread. They are available at the top left corner of the VoiceThread player.

How do I turn on comment moderation?

By default, comment moderation is off: any comments made to a thread are posted immediately, and anyone who can access the VoiceThread will also be able to access the comments. Turning on comment moderation allows you to preview comments before deciding whether or not to make them viewable to others.

It's always the case that (a) a VoiceThread's creator and (b) any individuals the creator has given editing permissions can delete any comments made on that VoiceThread. However, deleting a comment completely removes it from the system.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Click the Publishing Options button at the bottom of the page.    5. Click the checkbox next to Moderate Comments?, and click Save.    6. You'll notice that as a comment is playing, a curtain icon appears next to the commenter's thumbnail photo/avatar. Click the curtain to make that comment viewable to others. The chronological order in which comments are made visible determines the sequence in which they appear in the VoiceThread.

Note that if you have created a VoiceThread (or have permission to edit it), you can also access the menu (gear) --> Edit options while viewing the VoiceThread. They are available at the top left corner of the VoiceThread player.

How do I delete a VoiceThread?

Only the creator of a VoiceThread can delete it. If you delete a thread, you delete all materials in it, including comments. Once deleted, a thread cannot be recovered.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   4. Click Delete, and then confirm that you want to delete the thread.

How do I share a VoiceThread with a group?

   1. If you're not already editing the VoiceThread you wish to share, click the MyVoice tab and locate that thread.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Under Groups, click New+.
   5. Enter a name for the group and, optionally, a description. Click Save.
   6. Click Copy the Link to copy the subscription web address to your computer's clip board. Students will use this link to sign up for the group. You can share it with them either by pasting it into an email message or by posting it to your course web site.
   7. Under Groups, mouse over the group that you just created. If you want to the group to view the thread, but not comment on it, click the eye icon. If you want to group to be able to comment on the thread, click the comment icon.

You recopy the group's subscription web address by clicking Edit and then Add Members.

If you already have people in your My Contacts list whom you want to add to a group, you can also drop and drag their records onto the group name.

View VoiceThread's http://unc.voicethread.com/share/325897/ (link will open in a new window).

How do I remove an individual from a group?

   1. Click the MyVoice tab, and click any the menu (gear) icon for any thread.
   2. Click the Share button.
   3. Under Groups, scroll to locate the group.
   4. Under Contacts, scroll to locate the individual.
   5. Mouse over the individual's record and click the x in the top-right corner.

How do I delete a group?

   1. Click the MyVoice tab, and click any the menu (gear) icon for any thread.
   2. Click the Share button.
   3. Under Groups, scroll to locate the group you wish to delete.
   4. Mouse over that group, and click Edit.
   5. Click Delete Group and Save.
   6. Click Delete to confirm that the group should be deleted.

Only group owners can delete a group.

Deleting a group will not delete a) group members' VoiceThread accounts or b) any VoiceThreads and comments that members have shared with the group.

How can I give another person the ability to moderate comments on a VoiceThread that I created?

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to edit.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Click the My Contacts button, then select UNC-Chapel Hill. (If this person is a member of one of your groups, choose that group instead.)
   5. Begin typing that person's first or last name in the search field. If necessary, scroll to view his or her record.
   6. Click the pencil/edit icon on his or her record.
   7. Optional: click elsewhere on the record button to select the record, then click the Invite button to send this person an automated email message that includes a direct link to the VoiceThread.

Note that if you have created a VoiceThread (or have permission to edit it), you can also access the menu (gear) --> Edit options while viewing the VoiceThread. They are available at the top left corner of the VoiceThread player.

How do I export a VoiceThread?

If you are the creator or editor of a VoiceThread, you can export it to a movie file.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread to export.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Click the Export button at the bottom of the screen. A prompt displays, letting you know how many remaining export credits you have left. The University's license with VoiceThread has paid for up to 30 export credits for each user. Click Export to confirm.
   5.  As the next prompt indicates, you will receive an email message when the exported files are available, with a link to the download page. The thread is exported into two formats: "Full" (.mov) and "iPod" (.mp4).

How can I make my VoiceThread appear on the public Browse page?

When you log into VoiceThread, the threads that appear on the Browse page are those that have been made available to any UNC user. You can share your thread with the UNC VoiceThread community, too.

   1. Click the MyVoice tab and locate the thread you'd like to share.
   2. Click the menu (gear) icon
   3. Click the Share button.
   4. Click the Publishing Options button at the bottom of the screen.
   5. Check Allow Anyone to View and Show on Browse Page.
   6. Click Save.

Can I embed or link to a UNC Voicethread on another website so that anyone who visits that site can view the VoiceThread?

You can't embed a UNC VoiceThread so that it's publicly available. However, you can post a link that will allow members of the public to join a group that has access to a particular VoiceThread:

   1. Follow the instructions for creating a group.
   2. Add the group's link to your website.
   3. When a person clicks on that link, he or she will be taken to a web page.

On this page, he or she will select whether or not he or she has an Onyen account. If no Onyen is selected, he or she will be prompted to create a free VoiceThread.com account. If Onyen is selected, he or she will create a UNC VoiceThread account.

UNC VoiceThread accounts permit unlimited commenting. Free VoiceThread.com accounts permit up to 15 comments.

Last modified: August 25, 2009