Enhancing short academic presentations through extended independent practice using VoiceThread

Abstract

This study examines the potential of VoiceThread (VT) as a learning tool to enhance learners’ performance and confidence while facilitating ongoing independent practice in a 10-week English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme in an Australian university. Students carried out weekly academic presentations on topics of personal interest using VT for recording and rehearsal. Their recordings were shared for peer review and teacher feedback. The recordings were analysed in relation to a number of features to measure utterance fluency, including speed, repairs and pauses. Questionnaires were used to investigate students’ perceptions of the value of the task, of their performance on the task, and of changes in their performance and confidence over time. Interviews were conducted to investigate the potential of recording and rehearsal for long-term independent practice. In total, 34 students participated in 10-week courses, 22 students using the VT software, and 12 students in a comparison class following the same curriculum, but without the VT software. The findings suggest that regular VT tasks, over time, help students develop their spoken English performance and confidence. Such voice-recording activities hold promise for improving oral performance by encouraging independent practice in oral activities, effectively addressing the time limitations, constraints practice opportunities, and feedback challenges inherent in classroom-based courses.