The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate how instructors and learners understand their experiences of using an SCMC system for spoken English teaching and learning. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and communicative language teaching approach provided the theoretical framework to create the curriculum and learning activities within the instructional program. The theoretical frameworks guided the study in interpreting and analyzing the phenomena resulting from the participants' perceptions of the real-time, web-based instructional program. The study also examined the role of instructors and learners, and an instructor's competence for instruction in an SCMC language learning environment.
Multiple approaches were used to collect data: in-depth, semi-structured interviews, participant observations, and course evaluation. Qualitative inductive data analysis techniques were adapted for data analysis. The participants were four instructors (1 adjunct instructor and 3 graduate students) at two Midwestern state universities, and seven learners (company employees) in China and Taiwan.
Findings from this study concluded that all participants preferred teaching and learning in a traditional face-to-face environment because of insufficient interaction and social presence available using the SCMC system. An adjustment of instructional strategies depending on the degree of presence which the SCMC system could mediate was needed to promote interaction and social presence. Learners' learning behaviors and attitudes reflected the major components of the two theories built in the curriculum and learning activities: mediation, negotiation of meaning, zone of proximal development (ZPD), collaboration and scaffolding, self-regulation, and communicative competence.
The study determined the SCMC systems' weaknesses--”unstable Internet connection, limited image size, namely technical problems. The major strengths of the program included promotion of interaction and communication, availability of different social interactions, flexibility of geography and time, compatibility of the system with other technologies, and reinforcement of learners' confidence. The participants' and the researcher's experiences formed an ISIS theoretical framework in which the important theories, approaches, components, and procedures were embedded, and suggested further study of instructional programs. In conclusion, SCMC has its potential within CALL, and more efforts for theoretical and practical research are urgent and necessary.