Advantages and Challenges:

Temporal and Spatial Constraints: It provides a virtual collaborative learning laboratory. All students can participate individually or in a group without being restricted in a given space (classroom) or by a given time (class hour schedule). Depending on the individuals’ schedules, they can work within the class-time or on their own. Thus, any schedule conflicts can be dealt with in a flexible manner. 

Supervision over students’ performance: Supervision over the students’ studies can be adjusted according to your teaching manner and to what extent VoiceThread is implemented. It is also dependent on the course’s learning materials and general management style. VoiceThread allows educators to monitor a student’s progress and process. 

Course Management: VoiceThread provides a virtual classroom in an unconventional session of teaching and learning.  To fully integrate VoiceThread into the curriculum, changes to the course management will need to be made. The preparation, instruction, and review of the learning cycle will have to be modified to best enhance the learning process and suit your classroom’s needs. Course management styles differ from classroom to classroom and VoiceThread is accordingly malleable. 

Tutorial Guidance: Proper tutorial—from the beginning—and use of VoiceThread for both students and educators is instrumental in the course management. Once students are familiar with the technology, instructors can guide each student according to their individual need. Specialized one-on-one attention can be given to each student with minimal concern about uneven or unequal distribution of the educator’s time and attention in class.

Study Pace: Flexibility of the program and the ease of internet access allows students to practice at their own pace.  They can access VoiceThread as many times as they need, from home or campus, without concerns of impacting their peers’ time in class. For increased discipline, deadlines can be imposed and accordingly checked up upon by the instructor. 

Multi-Dimensional Presentation: VoiceThread is a dual dimensional software, allowing for both auditory and textual presentation and instruction. The audio presentation offers training in public speaking through speed, timing, emphasis, intonation, and linguistic register delivery techniques. The textual presentation allows for a comprehensive review of the student’s progress. 

Face-to-Face Instruction: Instructions can be implemented through VoiceThread, removing scheduling constraints, such as classroom time and availability. It nurtures a one-on-one environment, whether between the students using VoiceThread to communicate or between the student and educator.  

For Graduate Students and TAs: VoiceThread is particularly useful for a graduate student’s perspective, as they do not need to commute to attend a seminar. They can access the seminar from the comfort of their home or local café. Students have complete control and can efficiently budget their time to fit best into their schedule. As a multi-media tool, VoiceThread establishes a simulated classroom experience by providing visual and auditory experiences that allow students to grasp the full picture of the activity. Studying is not lonely anymore because I can see others’ comments. In addition, because every improvement of mine will be recorded online, I will have a stronger sense of accomplishment in learning. In this sense, voice thread becomes a source of motivation for study.

Policy Considerations :

It is a small step towards building better understanding heritage Chinese students from the US in relation to their Asian counterparts. It also gives American students the chance to meet and interact with their native Chinese peers. The following considerations are essential in accomplishing the projected goal: 

1.     Language education and ease of exchanges at a grassroots level
2.     Use of new media facilities and technology
3.     Current pedagogical trend - active or participatory learning



It is primarily meant to meet the ever-increasing appetite of the growing Asian American heritage student population by:

1.     Enhancing the ‘content’ taught in a language class by including issues beyond the usual textbook. 
2.     Extending the 'community' beyond the campus gates into the world 
3.     Expanding 'communication' practices by engaging the students in world current events



Possible applications :
Inter-campus
Intercontinental 
 Global communication
Class discussion sections
Homework assignments
Self Testing
Group or individual Testing
Etc. 

CABLLE: Introduction
CABLLE: Procedure
CABLLE: Testimonials