An instructor asked an instructional designer for help improving students' oral Chinese skills outside of class. The designer suggested peer review activities using Voicethread, a web-based multimedia platform. Students would form groups, upload audio/video projects on given topics, and provide feedback on each other's work. The designer would provide tutorials while the instructor prepared instructions, rubrics, and feedback guidelines. Students would need Voicethread accounts after a training. The platform allows recording audio/video comments for assessment of language skills like pronunciation and fluency.

1. AN EXAMPLE OF MY
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
WORK
Yanyan Sun

2. A Problems to Be Solved
An Inquiry from a faculty member who teaches
Intermediate Chinese courses at Pennsylvania
State University:
I wonder if there is a better way to help my
students practicing their oral Chinese.

3. Problem Analysis I
Q: Could you describe the objectives that you expect
your students to achieve?
A:
• To improve their language skills, such as pronunciation,
vocabulary and grammar.
• To improve their conversational skills, such as fluency and
the organization of the speech.
•

4. Problem Analysis II
Q: What other thoughts/concerns do you have?
A:
• I prefer a out-of-class activity because I don’t have
enough in-class time.
• I prefer a collaborative activity.
• I prefer I could have some sorts of assessment on their
work.

5. The Suggestion—Peer Review
Activities via Voicethead

6. Voicethread
Multi-Media
Slideshow
Web-Based
Records for
Assessments
Shared
Projects
Audio/Video
Comments

7. Procedure of Peer Review Activities
Form Groups
Upload Pics/Audio/Video
Review Others’ Projects
Provide Audio/Text/Video
Comments

8. Design of the Projects
Project 1
Story-Telling
Based on Given
Pictures
Project 2
Narrate a Muted
Video
Project 3
Make Up
Dialogues
Project 4
Presentations on
Given Topics

9. I (the Instructional Designer) Would
Provide:
Voicethread Tutorials (PDF)
A 30 minutes Voicethread Training
for the Students
Photo/Video Editing
An Evaluation Survey

10. The Instructor Would Need to Prepare :
Instructions on the
Activities
Grading Rubrics
Instructions on How to
Provide Peer Feedback

11. The Students Would Need to Have
A Voicethread account
A 30 minutes training
Internet access, a headphone
set, and a web camera (Optional).

12. Demo of the Project—The Instructor’s
Control Panel

13. Demo of the Project—A Student’s
Voicethread I

14. Demo of the Project—A Student’s
Voicethread II