Brainshark

Brainshark is an online application that allows user to include recorded voice into slide presentation/document/video/photo album/ or produce podcast. Anyone can sign up into this application for free. This application upholds 3 main stages, which are:

1. Create -Once we prepared the content (powerpoints, document, video clips), simply log in into Brainshark account, upload the content, and add audio/voice into the content. This audio /voice can be recorded through microphone , phone or MP3 . Then, that content will transform into voice-enriched presentation.

 2. Share - You can share your voice-enriched presentation through several ways such as via as link in email, posted to social media sites, or embedded into blogs or websites. Once we share it, anyone can view it anytime they want.


3.Track-  After you share your presentation, Brainshark allows you to track who has viewed your presentation, when they viewed, and also where they viewers are from.

How can teacher use Brainshark in facilitating English language teaching in learning?

1. Teacher can use this application as one way to measure students' speaking skills, especially to observe students pronunciation, how students elaborate their points, or give opinions.

2. Teacher can use this tool to assign weekend homework or weekly project to students. Students might be boring with traditional method of teaching and learning therefore through this tool, it is hopefully motivates students to learn English.

3. Teacher can use brainshark in order to give oral explanation on certain issue to students during term break or when teacher are away from school.

However, there are several limitation about this tool:

1. It would only applicable in good internet connection areas. Therefore, it can not be used in schools which has limited or not good internet access.

2. In certain countries, not all students have internet facilities at home. So, it would be less possible for teacher to assign brainshark work-based for students.

3. This is recorded-voice based, therefore the element of spontaneous in speaking most probably disappear because there is tendency for students to write down their speech before they start recording.

Regardless of the limitations mentioned above, this tool is a great application that can be used in teaching and  learning. So why don't you try this in with your students. Below is an example of voice-enriched power point presentation that is done through Brainshark application: