Week 11 - Article Reflection

The article, “Evaluating pedagogical affordances of media sharing  Web 2.0 technologies:  A case study,” evaluates the usefulness of the technology tool VoiceThread for educational purposes.  The authors Kevin Burden and Simon Atkinson note the vast variety of technology resources available for educational purposes, and the need to find value amidst the quantity.   Using a “Digital Artefacts for Learner Engagement framework: DiAl-e) the authors identified areas in which VoiceThread could be useful in an educational setting.  Ultimately, proper planning remains a critical component in the utilization of this technology tool, but with creativity and ingenuity, the tool according to the authors is a valuable one. 

Voicethread engages learners through video, sound, and story telling.  Tools include collaborative features through writing, audio and video capabilities to encourage discussions, provide feedback, and engage participants.   Overall, student learning can be enhanced through the use of this tool as it has the potential to engage students in challenging and meaningful activities and not simply provide another tool only useful for information sharing.