In Zoom’s Main Session mode, an instructor can respond to student output with commentary, explicit interventions, conversational recasts, or metalinguistic cues, much as one would in a F2F classroom. Breakout Rooms afford a more private space for feedback, and are particularly well-suited to personalized attention to pronunciation.
In addition, instructors can provide asynchronous oral feedback using VoiceThread (embedded in Canvas), which provides a streamlined process of creating, organizing, storing and posting audio files for students.
Ko & Rossen suggest using audio files in lieu of traditional written comments to convey tone and intent more precisely — which is especially true if the L2 is used as the feedback medium.
“Use audio for feedback on assignments — this can range from comments on papers to projects to insertion in online gradebooks. It is especially helpful for delivering sensitive criticism — your voice can easily soften what might seem like hard criticism in text.”
Ko & Rossen, p. 256
Girons & Swinehart (2020, pp. 39-40) cite several advantages to making use of audio feedback:
- It can save in-class time for other activities.
- Once you're familiar with the technology, recording is fast; instructors can provide more detailed feedback in less time.
- It allows instructors to give private and personalized feedback on oral skills.
VoiceThread audio files can be embedded in PDF files, using Adobe Acrobat Pro — and also into a Word document, using the command: Insert > Audio from file (or Audio Browser, from a list of files in iTunes)
Audio files can also be sent via email, but be aware that a file can be too large for this; if so, keep it in Canvas and direct your student(s) to listen to it there.
In addition, you can use VoiceThread to:
- send oral announcements to your class
- create your own listening comprehension activities
- develop talk-based (vs. text-based) discussion forums
- add an oral component to pre-recorded PowerPoint presentations
- have students create audio files for pronunciation practice (and assessment)
- include audio files in tests (for listening comprehension)
Instructors who are new to VoiceThread can consult the tutorial videos below, and contact the McGraw Center for one-on-one consultations.
References & Resources
Ko, S. and Rossen, S. (2017). Course design and development (Chapter 9, pp. 244-290). Teaching Online: A Practical Guide (4th ed.). New York and London: Routledge.
Girons, A. and Swinehart, N. (2020). Teaching Languages in Blended Synchronous Learning Classrooms. Georgetown, VA: Georgetown University Press.
Creating a Voicethread: [1:42]
Using VoiceThread with Canvas: [6:47]
How to use VoiceThread LMS Assignment Submission: [3:31]