ITS site enables media sharing

Imagine combining the capabilities of YouTube, Facebook, Microsoft Office, cell phones and iChat into one program.

A pilot program introduced at UNC does just that.

UNC alumnus Andrew Synowiez and information science graduate student Monte Evans developed the program, called VoiceThread.

Information Technology Services funds the program, so students and professors can use it for free. They have spent just less than $5,ooo for up to 1,000 users.

VoiceThread allows users to have conversations around an uploaded media. Users can post any file type except MP3s to the site and add an annotation to guide viewers.

VoiceThread works like iTunes U, an Apple program that lets students download lectures. But Evans and Synowiez said their program is more interactive.

“iTunes U lets you upload audio and video, but it’s fixed,” Evans said. “With VoiceThread, you can add comments or edit media at any time.”

Students cannot yet upload to iTunes U, but will be able to in the future.

Once a thread is posted to VoiceThread, the creator can release it to the public and users can comment via telephone, webcam, microphone, text or file upload.

“It’s more fun to leave video and voice comments rather than the text comments on blackboard,” said Marie Garlock, a UNC alumna and active VoiceThread user.

Garlock took a Ghanaian drumming class through VoiceThread in which her teacher recorded beats and rhythms that they would have to repeat and record.

“It’s so perfect for people in music classes,” Garlock said.

Synowiez and Evans said they were introduced to the idea in December 2005 as a program for families to post photos and discuss them, but it eventually attracted the academic community.

“The advantage of it was that the possibilities were so broad that we couldn’t even think of every way that it could be used,” Evans said.

In May 2008, VoiceThread was introduced to UNC and advertised  to professors by ITS.

“There were probably 50 faculty members that responded by noon the next day,” said Kathy Kyzer, senior manager of ITS Teaching and Learning.

There are 209 users and 134 total threads on UNC’s program, about 60 of which were created for courses.

The program also has spread to Duke University and Gallaudet University, a school for the hearing impaired that uses it to post classes in sign language.



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.