Examining the Effect of Using Voicethread and Educreations on Preservice
Teachers’ Self Efficacy and Learning Outcome in Online Course
Mohamed Ibrahim and Aileen Watts
Arkansas Tech University
United States
mibrahim1@atu.edu
awatts4@atu.edu
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the use of Voicethread and
Educreations as multimedia online discussion tools on students’ learning outcomes and
self-efficacy. Two-group, pretest-posttest design was employed to assess whether there were
significant differences in students' self-efficacy after engaging in multimedia-based online
discussion. The twenty-three preservice teachers who participated in this study were enrolled
in an online graduate level course. Participants were divided randomly in two groups
(Voicethread or Educreations). After students completed the online learning activities on the
topic selected, they were asked to create an online discussion post, either Voicethread or
Educreations and reflect on a minimum of one student’s post using the same tool. The results
of a paired-samples t-test found that there were significant differences in students’
self-efficacy after they created their discussion posts compared to their scores before the
discussion activities. Further, the results indicated that although students in both groups
improved their learning outcomes, students in the Voicethread group scored higher than
students in the Educreations group. Finally, the results showed that students’
multimedia-based discussion post scores related positively and significantly to their frequency
of using computers in online courses. The results suggest that when students engage in online
discussion activities that involve the use of audio, video, drawing or images, their self-efficacy
and learning outcomes improve compared to their self-efficacy and learning outcomes after
completing other online learning activities. Furthermore, students’ level of success in the use
of the multimedia discussion tools depends, in part, on their knowledge of using a computer.
Introduction
The majority of higher education institutions are continuing to increase the courses they offer online.
Recent studies indicate that American public higher education institutions show more increase in creating online
courses, with 89% of public four-year colleges and universities offering various online degrees. Further,
two-year colleges show the highest number of online courses; with 91% of these institutions providing online
courses (Parker, 2011). With the increased enrollment in online courses, students’ interaction with learning
materials, instructor and other learners becomes an essential component for students’ success with knowledge
acquisition and application. One of the tools used in online courses to improve students’ interaction is the
discussion board. Many studies found that group discussion has significant impact on student learning. For
example, studies found that students’ engagement in online discussion activities improve students’
comprehension, learning, motivation, retention, and attitudes (Applebee, 2003; Chiu, 2003; Laurillard, 1999).
Furthermore, the emergence of multimedia-based discussion tools, such as Voicethread and Educreations, add
additional support for students’ online learning and often improve the quality of interaction and communication.
Therefore, multimedia-based discussion tools are utilized by many educators because of their ease of use,
flexibility and their employment capacity in an asynchronous online discussion boards, allowing students to
reflect and respond with images, audio, video and drawings capabilities (PytlikZillig, 2011).
Theoretical Framework:
According to social cognitive theory (Bandura, 1982) and self-efficacy theory (Bandura, 1986), one of
the strongest predictors of individual perceptions and use of computing technology is students’ self-efficacy.
According to this view, self-efficacy beliefs help determine how much effort students are likely to spend on a
task and how long they would endure when encountering impediments. The social cognitive perspective holds
that successful self-regulated learners possess higher levels of motivation (personal influences), apply more
effective learning strategies (behavioral influences) and respond more appropriately to situational demands
(environmental influences) (Pintrich, 2002). Therefore, many educators consider students’ self-efficacy to be an
essential indicator to evaluate students’ engagement in problem solving activities and to motivate students to
engage in effective learning strategies.
As with many online learning systems, discussion board employs multimedia-based discussion and
collaboration tools in various applications, including tools supporting students’ audio, video, comments and
drawing. Specifically, the use of multimedia online collaboration tools has been found to enrich students’ online
interactions and enable them to utilize multiple forms of representation and expression to demonstrate learning.
According to cognitive theory of multimedia learning, the case of multimedia rests in the premise that learners
can better understand an explanation when it is presented in words and pictures than when it is presented in
words alone (Mayer, 2001). Empirical research on the use of multimedia in learning demonstrates that learners
not only prefer multimedia over text, but are also more likely to gain deeper conceptual understanding of the
content from multimedia than from words alone (Baggett, 1984; Mayer, 2002, 2003; Mayer & Moreno, 2002).
According to this view, knowledge acquisition better achieved through presenting materials using both the
visual and auditory sensory channels at the same time (Mayer, 2001). A major assumption underlying this
empirical work is that humans can construct a mental representation of the semantic meaning from either
auditory or visual information alone, but when instruction presented in both formats, each source provides
complementary information that is relevant to learning (Baggett, 1984).
Statement of the Problem
Although there are many online content delivery tools used in a digital environment, some multi-media
discussion tools do not provide students the same level of interaction and collaboration, which in turn can
influence the equality of student contribution through the limited method delivery options. For example, while
tools such as Voicethread and Educreations allow students to comment and reflect using voice, camera, drawing
and text, other tools do not allow students the same level of representation. Therefore, the purpose of this study
is to examine the effect of employing multimedia-based discussion tools on students’ self-efficacy and learning
outcome both before and after engaging in the study’s discussion activities.
Research Questions
Based on the research outlined in the theoretical framework, the following questions were developed:
First question: How the use of multimedia-based discussion tools affect preservice teachers’
self-efficacy in the context of in online environment? This research question is important for instructors and
course developers because the finding can help them utilize the appropriate discussion tools to improve
preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in an online learning environment.
Second question: How the use of multimedia-based discussion tools affect preservice teachers’
learning outcomes in the context of an online environment? The response to this research question could
provide important information for instructors and designers to design more interactive online learning
environments, where students can use multimedia to enhance the methods of presenting/expressing their
understanding.
Third question: Is there a relationship between students’ frequency of computer usage and their
multimedia discussion scores in an online course? This research question attempts to gather information
regarding the importance of preparing students for online courses and providing them with the proper training to
improve their learning experience. As indicated by prior research, using multimedia in learning requires a basic
understanding of the relevant technology, including familiarity with the use of computers and the internet as
well as key aspects of multimedia design.
The Study
This study used between-subjects design to investigate the effect of two different types of multimedia
discussion board activities (Voicethread or Educreations) on students’ learning outcomes and self-efficacy. The
course used in this study focuses on the characteristics of individuals with exceptional learning needs as it
applies to school, family and society. The course also covers the uses of formal and informal assessment to
identify the accommodations and modifications needed by individuals with exceptional learning needs in order
to be successful in inclusive classrooms. The focus of the module used in this study comprised of activities
designed to help students to learn about building partnerships through collaboration to support exceptional
learners. These activities included: 1) how students can improve the quality of the working relationships among
professionals and between professionals and parents, 2) how these relationships can influence the effectiveness
of students’ instructional programs, 3) explored the various collaborative services in schools and how these
entities work together effectively to foster an inclusive learning environment, and 4) what is the teacher’s
specific role in these collaborative relationships.
The study has one independent variable: creating a Voicethread or Educreations discussion post, and
evaluating another other student’s discussion posts, and three dependent variables: (1) students’ self-efficacy (2)
the learning outcomes (3) student’s use of computer. Students were divided into two-group based on the type of
the discussion post (Voicethread or Educreations).
Participants for this study included twenty-three graduate level, pre-service teachers enrolled in an
online course entitled “Instruction and Assessment for Diverse Learners.” Students in this course were divided
randomly into two groups (Voicethread or Educreations). There were eleven students in the Voicethread group
and twelve students in the Educreations group (1 male, 22 females). Students area of specialization included:
nine students in an Early Childhood Education program with a Special Education emphasis, one student in a
Foreign Language program, one student in History, and eleven students in other areas of specializations.
Students’ age was between 22-40 years old (five students between 22-25, ten students 26-30 and eight students
31- 40 years old). Eleven students indicated that they felt very comfortable using a computer, nine students felt
somewhat comfortable and three students were not very comfortable in using a computer. Twenty students
indicated that they used the internet at least a few times a day and three students indicated that they only used
the internet a few times a week. Students’ learning styles included: four students preferred lectures/discussions,
one student preferred Video/Movies/Media, eight students preferred hands-on activities and nine students
preferred a mixed method option.
Instrumentation
All learning materials, the discussion board posts and surveys were posted online as part of the
Blackboard course content. The instrumentations consisted of the following items: one, 13-item demographic
survey, and a 2-item self-efficacy survey to assess students’ self-efficacy before and after posting their
discussion post and responding to other students’ multimedia discussion posts (e.g. Voicethread or
Educreations). All learning measures were selected or developed by the course instructor and were used
regularly with students attending the course “Instruction and Assessment for Diverse Learners”.
Pre-test
Demographic survey: This survey was created to collect information about the participants’ demographic
information. The survey consists of thirteen questions about students’ gender, age, years in college, learning
style, area of specialization, computer and internet usage.
Self-efficacy survey: This survey was developed to assess the level of students’ self-efficacy in building
partnerships through collaboration before and after completing the discussion posts. The survey was based on a
scale developed by Bandura (2001) and has been validated in other studies. Reliability of the scale with a
population of college students was estimated with Cronbach coefficient α ranged 0.82 to 0.92 (Uzuntiryaki,
2009). The survey consisted of two multiple-choice questions. Both questions asked students to rate their degree
of confidence by recording a number from 0 to 100. The first question asked students to indicate how certain
they were that they could identify the characteristics for establishing effective collaborative practices amongst
school/home/community partners. The second question asked students to rate how certain they were that they
could identify the key elements that should be embedded within these collaborative relationships
(co-teaching/shared problem solving, etc.)
Discussion board questions
Students were asked to create a 3-4 minute discussion post, either a Voicethread or Educreations based
on the discussion topic of collaboration developed from Chapter 3 of the course text. The instructor attached a
rubric to assess the quality of the posts. For example, the instructor requested that each post must contain the
following criterion: Content based elements students had to follow - (1) Characteristics of effective
collaboration practices (school/home/community partnerships) (2) Key elements that should be embedded
within these collaborative relationships (co-teaching/shared problem solving, etc.) Process based elements that
student had to follow- (a) discussion question is thoroughly and thoughtfully planned out, (b) critically analyzes
each of the key elements from the chapter, (c) incorporates at least 3-4 specific examples from the text but
DOES NOT quote directly from the text (in your own words), (d) uses a lot of content vocabulary from the text
that is correct in both tense and definition (f) no errors in grammar/syntax (sentence structure and usage) or
colloquialisms/slang words. For the discussion posts, each correct post yielded 35 points if it met the post
criterion outlined above.
Materials
The module used in the present study was part of the instructors’ materials to introduce the topic
“building partnerships through collaboration” to preservice teachers and included online learning materials and
activities from the textbook. Materials were identical in both discussion groups, except the creation of either
Educreations or Voicethread discussion posts. Voicethread is a web-based application that allows students to
place collections of media like images, videos, documents, and presentations at the center of an asynchronous
conversation. A Voicethread allows students to have conversations and to make comments using any mix of
text, a microphone, a web cam, a telephone, or uploaded audio file. Educreations is a recordable interactive
whiteboard that captures students’ voice and handwriting to produce video posts that they can share online.
Students can replay other students’ lessons in a web browser, or from within Educreations’ app on i-Pads.
Voicethread, similar to Educreations, runs inside a web browser and doesn’t require software to download,
install, or update.
Procedures
First, all students were randomly assigned to one of the following discussion formats: (1) Voicethread,
(2) Educreations. The random distribution of participants to each of the discussion formats was via Blackboard
Random Selection tool. Next, the course instructor emailed the instruction for the assignment to students to
explain the purpose and procedure of the module. The e-mail included a brief introduction about the module and
the scope and the requirements of the study. Finally, over the course of the week participants completed the
module and submitted their work through Blackboard following these steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Complete the demographic survey before working on the discussion assignment (Individual)
Complete the self-efficacy survey before working on the discussion assignment (Individual)
Create an online discussion, including creation of Voicethread or Educreations thread (Individual)
and reflect on a minimum of one student’s contribution
Complete the self-efficacy survey after completing the discussion assignment (Individual)
Findings
Prior to the main analysis, the data was screened for out-of-range responses and systematic patterns of
missing values and found small number of cases and no apparent patterns or clusters emerging.
First question: To answer the first question “How the use of multimedia-based discussion tools effect
preservice teachers’ self-efficacy in the context of in online environment?” the investigators used Paired
Samples Test to compare the means between students’ scores in the Voicethread and Educreations groups on
the same continuous, dependent variable (self-efficacy after completing the discussion). Before running the test,
the investigators conducted basic analysis and found that different assumptions for the dependent t-test are met
(dependent variable measured at the interval, independent variable consist of two "related groups", no
significant outliers in the differences between the two groups and the distribution of the differences in the
dependent variable between the two groups is normally distributed). A paired-samples t-test was conducted to
compare the effect of the use of Voicethread and Educreations on students’ self-efficacy before and after the
discussion activities. The results found that there was a significant difference in the scores for students’
self-efficacy after the discussion activities (M=175.8, SD=18.9) compared to before the discussion activities
(M=132.8, SD=38.3) conditions; t (17) = -4.04, p = 0.001. Table 1 summarizes the paired-samples t-test results.
Table 1: Paired Samples Test
Paired Differences
95% Confidence Interval
of the Difference
Mean
Pair 1
SE before
SE after
SD
Std. Error
-42.222 44.399
Lower
10.465
Upper
-64.301
t
Sig.
(2-tailed)
df
-20.143 -4.035
17
.001
Note: Significant at p < 0.05 level
Second question: How the use of multimedia-based discussion tools effect preservice teachers’ learning
outcomes in the context of an online learning environment? To answer the second question, the investigators
conducted a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the effect of the use of multimedia-based
discussion tools on preservice teachers’ learning outcomes in Voicethread and Educreations conditions.
Although the ANOVA analysis indicated that there was difference in students’ learning outcomes and that the
mean scores for the students in the Voicethread condition were higher than students in the Educreations
condition, these differences did not statistically significantly differ from the students’ mean scores in the
Educreations condition (F (1.17) = 1.4, p = .23). Table 2 summarizes the ANOVA results.
Table 2: One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)
Discussion
Sum of Squares
Between Groups
df
Mean Square
F
49.862
1
49.862
Within Groups
607.822
17
35.754
Total
657.684
18
1.395
Sig.
.254
Note: Significant at p < 0.05 level
Third question: Is there relationship between students’ frequency of using computer and their multimedia
discussion scores in online course? A partial correlation computed between students’ multimedia discussion
scores and their frequency of using computer, controlling for students’ frequency of using Internet. The results
indicate that students’ multimedia discussion scores is related positively and significantly to their frequency of
using computer in online course, r (.938) = .020, p > .05, when controlling for students’ frequency of using
Internet. Table 3 summarizes the correlations results.
Table 4: Correlations
Control Variables
Internet use
Discussion
Discussion Correlation
Computer Use
1.000
.020
Significance (2-Tailed)
.
.938
Df
0
16
Note: Significant at p < 0.05 level
Results and Discussion:
The primary findings from this study indicate that the use of multimedia-based discussion activities
really do have a positive effect on students’ self-efficacy in online learning environment. Specifically, our
results suggest that when students engage in online discussion activities that involve the use of audio, video,
drawing or images, students’ self-efficacy increases as compared to other online learning activities. The results
of the present study support previous findings found in research of the use of multimedia discussion tools and
provide empirical evidence that validates the social cognitive theory and the cognitive theory of multimedia
learning. Certainly, students’ self-efficacy improved when the learning activities include multimedia-based
discussion activities rather than text-based activities (Shank, 2014). According to cognitive research, in the
process of trying to build connections between words and pictures, learners are able to create a deeper
understanding than from words or pictures alone (Mayer & Chandler, 2001) and consequently improve their
self-efficacy. In this study, results showed that students’ self-efficacy indeed benefited from their ability to use
more multimedia representations in order to synthesize and communicate their ideas and thoughts to their peers
and engage in a more interactive discussion. This benefit demonstrated by the statistically significant
differences in the scores for students’ self-efficacy after the discussion activities compared to before the
discussion activities. A possible interpretation of this result is that after students engaged in the online
multimedia-based discussion experience they also received multimedia feedback from their peers. They were
able to observe visually and auditory how their peers presented their own posts and compare the ideas shared by
their peers to ideas in their own analyses, all of which contributed to positive effects on the measure of students’
understanding and self-efficacy. Regarding the effect of the use of multimedia-based discussion tools on
students’ learning outcomes, the results suggest that the use of Voicethread as discussion tool really did have an
effect on students’ learning outcomes compared to Educreations. Specifically, our results suggest that when
students use rich multimedia tools to engage with the learning content, they improve their learning outcomes.
However, it should be noted that students’ level of success in the use of the multimedia discussion tools
depends, in part, on their knowledge of using a computer.
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