Automobile and Business Model Essay

?Introduction In 2000, Inspired by car-sharing concept in Europe, Chase and Danielson started Zipcar to pursue the opportunity of car sharing in U. S. market. By mid-October of 2000, Zipcar had enlisted nearly 250 members with 19 vehicles located throughout Boston. I will evaluate this potential venture and its progress based on the framework of â€Å"OUTSIDE1†, including opportunity, uncertainty, team, strategy, investment requirement, deal and exit. Opportunity Market – The market size of this industry is estimated at 26,400 members, which is 0. 04%2 of general population3 lived in Top 20 U. S. Markets. Usage of this industry grows rapidly at 30% annually. There are two competitors in U. S. market, but they focused on the environmental impact rather than convenience and cost effectiveness. Customer – Target segment are college-educated costumers who drive less than 6,000 miles per year and live in urban area. Acceptance of this business is very high referring to Major players in Europe market, whose marketing investment in this industry is low but the growth rate is continuously high (30% annually). Uncertainties Competition – Two current competitors in U. S. market and potential competitors from car manufactures Acceptance – Customer acceptance is to be proved in Boston before the business model could be replicated to other cities Management team – Co-funder’s commitment is not very convincing and the structure of the management is poorly organized Financing – Overhead continues to grow against limited financial resources Team. There are missing pieces in its team as founders are lack of experience in operation and relationship with car manufactures As a co-founder, Danielson commits not enough as she still have full time job and focus more on family Strategy Chase keeps pushing to start business operation maintain their promise to investors although the company is not ready. This Strategy would have negative impacts in the future. Using technology platform to improve cost effectiveness and adopting word-of-mouth are consistent with its current situation. Investment Requirement. Zipcar’s cash flow requirement is very high. It spent $375,000 in first year, and need additional 1. 3 million to complete technology platform, prove the business model and better understand demand. Overhead excess the projection and continues to grow, which will further increase the requirement of cash. Deal The current investors holds plenty of convertible loan, which would have negative impacts on future share holders. Exit The options for exit are available as this industry grows rapidly. The founders are not in a very strong position to potential exit. Business Model Car sharing business provides a hassle-free â€Å"ownership† for urbanite who don’t need to own a car but need the convenience to run occasional errands4. In the model before December 1999, it’s revenue comes from $25 application fee and $300 annual subscription fee, plus $1. 5 hourly driving charge and $0. 4 driving charge per mile. However, Chase decided to change the pricing model with a lower membership fee and a tiered pricing structure, increasing hourly charge to between $4. 5 and $7 and adding a maximum daily rate. The data from actual operations in September gives me a concern as seen in Exhibit 1, that the net contribution from actual operation in September is negative because of the very low revenue, though cost is only a little bit over the estimation. Conclusion The next step for Zipcar is to adjust its pricing model to increase its revenue. Chase need to pitch investors in Springboard forum by focusing on this: Though its cash flow is negative now, Zipcar is a unique business model with cutting-edge technology and well-established customer base. Zipcar will provide a great chance for investors to be rewarded a new market with 30% annual growth. Citation: 1 This framework is developed by Professor Steven Kaplan from University of Chicago 2‘At The Wheel, Volkswagen Pioneers Car Sharing Programs,† Fastlane, October 1997 3U. S. Census, http://census. gov/population/censusdata/90den_ma. txt, December 9, 2002 4According to the case Exhibit 1 Financial Plan in May 2000 September Operation Data Total Revenue 29,616 14,645 Number of Cars 12 19 Revenue per car 2,468 771 Lease per car 367 400 Access Equip 42 42 Fuel 90 99 Insurance 142 142 Maintenance 33 33 Parking 50 63 Cost per car 723 778 Net Income per car 1,745 (7) Source: Company Data.

How Communication With Children And Young Essay

Children at different ages require different levels of attention, younger children will need more support which would mean more physical support, as children get older they need help with explaining and discussing their thoughts and issues they may have. When talking to different ages of children your vocabulary will need to change as younger children wont understand you if you were to use big words, so small and simple words would need to be used, as children get older turning into young people your vocabulary would develop more. Children and young people who may have communicational difficulties would need a whole different approach in the way you talk to them and the way they may communicate back. Some children and young people may be shy and quiet which would effect the way you would communicate with them, you need to adapt and respect how different children and young people are and their own individual needs. Some children and young people have a stammer or another type of speech disorder, when the child or young person are talking to you, you need to give them time to talk, never butt in to try and complete what they are saying you have to be patient and understand their speech disorder, if you try and rush them it will only make things worse as the child or young person will feel anxious and may find it harder to communicate with you. Working with children or young people who have special educational needs, you may need additional training such as sign language or makaton to help with communication. â€Å" Myself and the other staff use makaton in school, which is a big part of communication towards the pupils â€Å" The reason why makaton is used within the environment of special needs is that it is made up of simple words and signs, makaton is used for all ages who have learning difficulties, sign language is used for the deaf and it has its own vocabulary which is why it wouldn’t be appropriate for the different age ranges who have learning difficulties it would be to hard to  grasp. In my school the pupils use pecs book which are made up of pictures that they can relate to. The pecs books are all pictures and a â€Å" i want â€Å" picture so when they request something at snack some children will point to â€Å" i want â€Å" and then to what they have chosen to have for snack, but some children will only pick out what picture they want like â€Å" a apple† and they will put it into my hand, i will then respond by saying the â€Å"child’s name wants apple good talking† followed by giving the child a piece of apple. Some children use these pecs books at home to help with communication. Picture symbols are shown and given to the pupils on every transition, if for instance we were going to PE there would be two picture symbols on a schedule they would be a picture of a classroom and of PE, this shows them that after PE it is back to the classroom. This is such a great way of communication.

Is Marxism Still Relevant Today?

The Industrial Revolution (1750-1850) had brought about significant changes in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and technology and subsequently established an era of unprecedented economic growth in capitalist economies. It was within this era that Karl Marx had observed the deprivation and inequality experienced by men of the proletariat, the working class, who had laboured excessively for hours under inhumane conditions to earn a minimum wage while the bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, reaped the benefits.For Marx it was this fundamental inequality within the social and economic hierarchy that had enabled capitalist societies to function. While Marx’s theories, in many instances have been falsified and predictions invalid, his ideas about class struggle and conflict being a motivator for change is still relevant in contemporary society. The disparity of wealth between occupations in Australia demonstrates that class stratification is still inherent within society and the recent Qantas airline dispute is a relevant example of this.Marx’s theory of class struggle originates with his belief that â€Å"the history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles† (Marx & Engel, 1848). Marx had established that conflict between classes was the key driving force of history and the main determinant of social change. For Marx, conflict originates with the deterioration of a ‘false consciousness’ and the subsequent acquisition of a unified ‘class consciousness’.Marx argued that that proletariat was under the influence of a ‘false consciousness’ brought about with the acceptance of the dominant ideology that freedom and equality could be interpreted as an equal exchange of labour for wages (van Krieken et al. , 2010). Marx however, perceived this as an exploitive relationship because in capitalism, the labourer only receives what is deemed sufficient to meet his basic needs for himself and his family, as opposed to the real value of his labour power.Marx had identified that the difference between the labourer’s wage and the value of the goods in which he produces is taken as profit, of which only the capitalist is the beneficiary (Habibis & Walter, 2009). Marx had theorised that, as a result of this exploitive relationship, alienation would occur. Marx argued that commodification of goods and services produced in conjunction with the lack of control over the end result would mean that workers would no longer recognise a connection with their labour, and hence become alienated from their labour.Only with the recognition of class exploitation and alienation would a class consciousness develop. Marx referred to class consciousness as a ‘class for itself’, denoting a collective self-awareness of the interests shared by members of a social group (van Krieken et al. , 2010). Marx predicted that class consciousness would create a conflict of interest between classes and revolution would eventuate. The bourgeoisie would be overthrown, capitalism would collapse and a classless state would emerge as its successor (van Krieken et al. , 2010). In post-modern times however, it is widely accepted that the opposite occurred.Critics insist that Marxism’s credibility was eradicated with the fall of the communist states within the ‘Eastern Bloc’. While others such as China, although still governed by a communist party, have adopted numerous capitalist policies (van Krieken et al. , 2010). Marxism has also been criticised for its over-concentration on economic relationships and its tendency to overlook other forms of non-economic conflicts (Griffith, 2005). Feminists, for example, argue that the conflicts between male and female relations are not necessarily related to economics, but patriarchal.Furthermore, Marx like other social theorists at the time had ignored the role and contribution of women. Marx had described the proletariat of industrial societies where manual labour was involved; he did not however, take into consideration a woman’s domestic or reproductive labour. Federici (2004) asserts that Marx failed to recognise the importance of reproductive labour because he had adopted the capitalist criteria for what constitutes labour and believed that a wage in exchange for labour would be the paradigm that shapes humanity. Considering that as of 2010, 45. % of the Australian labour force comprised of women it would seem that Marx’s socialist perspective is less so equal or relevant in contemporary society. Marxism is often cited as being irrelevant within contemporary society due to the fact that Marx had critiqued an almost incomparable society. McDonald & Brownlee (2001) argue that contemporary society exists in a post-modern era where westernised societies enjoy the benefits of higher living standards, where the rights of employees are elicited within the Austra lian Constitution and the rights of humans are dictated within Geneva conventions.An era where employees are entitled to government pensions, allowances, superannuation, and employees accrue sick and annual leave (McDonald & Brownlee, 2001). Furthermore employees are able to seek union representation and are legally entitled to industrial action. McDonald and Brownlee (2001) assert that Fair Work Australia, established as an institution responsible for fixating minimum wage and resolving work related disputes, perpetuates the notion that Australia is in transition to become an egalitarian society with minimal class disparity.Critics have also argued that Marxism within western society is no longer relevant due to the increased levels of social mobility. Social mobility refers to movement in an individual’s or group’s social position over time and is often assessed on their change in income over time (Borgatta & Montogomery, 2000). The traditional stratification of clas ses had a tendency to overlook the middle class and analyse the two extremes of rich and poor, bourgeoisie and proletariat (van Krieken et al. 2010). In the context of Marxism, the middle class was ignored due to their perceived limited role within the political revolution that would depose of capitalism. In contemporary society however, the traditional labouring occupations have decreased, leading to a shortage of skilled labourers and tradesman. As a result these occupations often earn a higher income, blurring the line between working class and middle class (Braverman, 1974).In August 2011 the most common occupations were distinctly white collar with the workforce comprising of 22% professionals, 15% Clerical and administrative workers and 14% Technicians and trades workers (Australian Bureau Statistics, 2011). The evident emergence of the white collar-middle class within contemporary society significantly undermines Marx’s theory of class stratification who had predicted an absorption into the working class and the emergence of a classless state. Despite this however, research has suggested that social mobility has not necessarily increased.Graetz and McAllister (1994) identified that while the shift between manual and non-manual occupations has increased since the 1970’s, most of this has been the result of structural changes in light of technological innovations and advancements in modern society, as opposed to mobility in social classes. Moreover, Leigh (2007) argues that the youth of Australia are equally likely to reproduce, or not reproduce, the class of their parents and that social mobility in the context of Australian youth, has not necessarily increased.Argy (2005) reinforces this argument and states that while Australia can be referred to as economically liberated country, there has not necessarily been an increase in equal opportunity and the distribution of wealth within Australia is an evident example of this. The National Centr e for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) was commissioned to conduct a study in relation to the distribution of wealth in Australia. NATSEM analyst Simon Kelly (2002) reported that the richest fifth of households in Australia each have, on average, forty times more wealth than the poorest fifth of the population.The NATSEM data reiterates that wealth within Australia is still concentrated in the hands of the wealthy minority who have ascertained the benefits of the economic growth in recent years by disproportionately increasing their personal wealth (Stillwell & Primrose, 2011). The disparity of wealth between occupations was a key indicator of the inequality between classes. NATSEM data identified that personal wealth is the highest for managers and administrators (men $250,000, women $183,300) and professionals (men $173,800, women $99,700).In contrast to these figures, the lowest personal wealth is held by the production and transport workers ($55,400), labourers (men 39,700 , women $29,300) and trade persons (men 60,000, women 35,000) (Stillwell & Primrose, 2011). From a sociological perspective class inequality is often represented by comparing class personal wealth and income. From a Marxism perspective however, a person’s social class isn’t defined by personal wealth but rather the level of control that a person wields over the means of production.According to Ben Hillier (2012) it is measured in terms of social wealth derived from the â€Å"control of the productive or financial apparatus of society†. This can be interpreted as the bourgeoisie having ownership of the assets that enable modern society to function such as the telecommunications infrastructure, electrical companies, newspaper enterprises, transport facilities and mines etc. The transactional influence of these assets inevitably provides its owner with the power to influence governments of capitalist societies and effects how society functions.The recent Qantas air ways dispute demonstrated how this power is exercised. One recent example of class conflict inherent within Australian society was the Qantas airways dispute. On 29th October 2011, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce issued a press release announcing the immediate grounding and cancellation of all Australian domestic and international flights and the lock-out of all employees without pay. Leading up to the unprecedented grounding, Qantas had been involved in contract negotiations with unions representing employees of the company.The unions were seeking a 3-5% wage increase and better job security for casual staff. (Mulcahy, 2011). Around the same time Qantas had announced its decision to slash 1000 jobs and restructure its fleet to move to Asia under a new airline Jetstar Japan. The traditional international routes within the North Atlantic were operating at a loss with a half year profit of $241 million a year ago, dropping by 83%, to $42 million (Ryan, 2012). Despite the evident decline in prof it the airlines had awarded Alan Joyce with a 71% lift in his total remuneration package to $5. 1 million, after he received $2. million worth of shares (Mulcahy, 2011). After two days the debacle finally ended with the intervention of the Federal government submitting an application to Fair Work Australia (FWA), terminating the industrial dispute and ordering Qantas to resume operations. The verdict stated that those involved had 21 days to finalise a settlement to the dispute and neither party could engage in further action for three years after a settlement had been made. If an agreement could not be reached the Fair Work industrial courts would arbitrate the details of the contracts (Mulcahy, 2011).The economic impact was expected to be profound, Qantas which represents approximately 65% of the aviation industry, contributes $6 billion to the Australian economy and employs 50,000 employees (Squires, 2011). Although Qantas reports that the dispute cost them $120 million, its shar e prices increased by 6% to $1. 61 (Frith, 2011). The controversy attracted much political and economic commentary speculating on who won the dispute and what this would mean for those involved. Alan Joyce explicitly stated that the FWA ruling was a favourable decision for Qantas as â€Å"nobody any more can take industrial action† (Taylor, 2011).This thereby would allow Qantas to restructure its fleet in Asia, ascertaining cheaper wages by outsourcing and offshoring labour, without any internal opposition. The unions established to represent the working class of businesses and corporations would be made obsolete for three years allowing any injustices within the workplace to remain unresolved. From a Marxist perspective this would mean that the bourgeoisie of the company, the CEO and high profile managers, who already have exceeding high salaries, would profit from the new means of production and the proletariat would be further disadvantaged with pay cuts and the isk of red undancy. Karl Marx’s critique of industrial societies developed out of the belief that conflict between stratified classes such as the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, would be the drive needed to perpetuate social change. Marx believed that with the acquisition of a class consciousness the proletariat would revolt against the exploitative capitalist institution, eradicating all class structures and establishing a socialist state. Admittedly, Marx’s critique failed to recognise essential components of society such as the middle class and female representation which has significantly undermined Marx’s theory of class struggle.Furthermore Marx’s predictions have been falsified in light of modern developments which have led to many critics casting doubt on its relevance within contemporary society. The higher living standards, government allowances and union representation enjoyed by citizens within Australia all perpetuate notions of equality and repudiate the potential collapse of capitalism. Despite this however, there are still many instances of class inequality inherent in Australian society.The disparity of wealth between occupations in Australia demonstrates that the minority with extreme wealth have control over the means of production, and have used the power derived from it to influence society’s development. The recent Qantas dispute is a testament of how this power is exercised and demonstrates how the wealthy minority are able to accumulate excess wealth at the expense of the labouring class. Thus attesting to the inherent class inequality that Marx had recognised, and acknowledging its existence within contemporary Australian society. ?

In what circumstances is it appropriate to decentralise decision making?

Decentralisation of decision making is the process of involving different people in an organization in making key changes whether these changes are policy based or otherwise, different levels of management are involved and their expertise and opinion is sought before any changes are enacted. There are 2 key decisions making methods in an organisation, namely centralized and decentralized, In the latter, only the top management is involved in making key changes and decisions which affect the whole organization. This system is advantageous in that, it is faster, reliable and less tasking. While it is still used in majority of organizaions, most organizations are shifting to the decentralised method and therefore are involving different levels of management in the decision making process. This system is ideal in a number of situations as explained below. Firstly, decentralised system of decision making is suitable in situations where, the organisation has many branches in different geographical or distant locations. This is usually necessitated by the fact that, there arise emergency situations whereby key and quick decisions have to be arrived at and therefore contacting the central decision making authority within a short period of time is out of question question. Secondly, decentralised decision making process is preferred when an organisation is experiencing major staff turnover and their fore lack of key management staff through sackings or retires or any other natural attrition method warrants decisions to be made irregardless. Thirdly, decentralised decision making process is ideal whereby, key decisions are being made at departmental levels such as in production department. Empowering departmental heads to make key decisions perhaps pertaining to the purchasing of crucial ingredients as well as other technical areas may require a decentralised decision making model. PAGE 2: Organisational culture can present difficulties for management initiated change programmes? Discuss Organisational culture refers to the employee – employer relations which shape how the two parties interact and intermingle at the work place. Also, organisational culture can be shaped by, employee backgrounds, external factors as well as the level of support accorded to the employees by the organization staff. Usually there are two common types of organisational cultures namely, positive and negative culture. The first one affects management initiated programmes in that, employees experiencing this kind of culture are more likely to accept any changes in the organisation as usually there is a good blood between the two parties which therefore translates into a strong trust, and mutual understanding. In such an environment, any changes coming from the management whether good or bad are welcomed without any queries and are looked at as being beneficial to the employees. This in turn leads to failure of pragrammes initiated by the management in that, as long as the staff who are tasked with project implementing do not question anything in terms of abnormalities and even if there are clearly missing facts, this is never realized until it is too late therefore causing programme failure. On the other hand an organization culture which is negative leads to customers shunning away so that, any well meant programmes will be fail to take off since, negative publicity which the employees can advance in the process of interacting with the different stake holders also does have a bearing on the outcome of the projects. Lastly, organizational culture determines output in workers in that, a negative attitude amongst employees is more likely to lead to low output in that, it is highly correlated with low morale and therefore productivity. PAGE 3: Discuss why managerial authority is so important to our understanding of organisations and how this power has to be legitimised not just by individual workers but by the organisations culture. Failure to appreciate managerial authority stems form a negative culture which in stead of pestering a mutual understanding between workers and employers causes tensions and misunderstandings in an organization. Usually, for the organisation to meet its goals and objectives the management has to execute its duties well just as stipulated in functions of management. This involves carrying out duties and responsibilities which must be commensurate with the corresponding authority. In situations whereby managers are allocated duties and responsibilities without proper and clear cut, authority to accompany it, the management becomes ineffective and this contributes to failure of many organizations. Therefore, there is a need for decision makers while allocating managers duties to weigh the responsibilities and duties assigned to employees versus the authority and power required to execute the roles and responsibilities effectively. To achieve the above, management should work towards having and inculcating in the organization, the right culture. This can be achieved (if it is lacking), through the launching of strategic plans which could incorporate vision and mission statements, core values of the organization as well as the social responsibility statement of the organization. All the above are necessary in ensuring that, the organization functions in the right environment whereby the needs of all members in the organization are taken care of and employees feel free and as a part of the organization. This in turn result into a culture of unity and strength.

Should the principle of party autonomy be restricted Coursework

Should the principle of party autonomy be restricted - Coursework Example Party autonomy in contracts 1. Historical Development of party autonomy – Theoretical framework 6 III. Party Autonomy: Characteristics and challenges A. How is the principle of party autonomy established in the context of the European and the US law? 1. The European law on party autonomy 8 a. Rome (I) Regulation 9 b. The Hague Choice – of – Court Convention 10 2. The US law on party autonomy 12 a. Forum selection clauses 13 b. The doctrine of forum non-convenient 13 c. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) 13 B. Under which terms the principle of party autonomy could be restricted? 1. Approaches on the potential restriction of party autonomy 14 2. Restriction of party autonomy as promoted through the existing legislation. 16 a. Rome (I) regulation and restrictions on party autonomy a1. Public Policy 17 a2. Mandatory Rules 17 b. Restrictions on party autonomy in the US law 18 C. Would the competency of the court to apply the law chosen influence the principle of party aut onomy? 19 IV. Conclusion 20 I. ... or this reason, the specific concept has been promoted in jurisdictions worldwide, even if in come cases conflicts are developed in regard to the restrictions of party autonomy because of local statutory rules or public policy. In other words, the provision of party autonomy in the context of civil and commercial agreements serves the need for ensuring the interests and the rights of individuals, as related to these agreements, without the general rules of law to be violated. The scope of party autonomy is to promote the right of the parties to decide on the law applicable on their dispute. Rome 1 Regulation recognizes the party autonomy as being the key criterion for the choice of law in regard to contracts related to two or more jurisdictions. In any case, problems seem to exist regarding the power of party autonomy, as promoted through various legislative texts worldwide. In fact, under certain terms, restrictions to party autonomy seem to be unavoidable. In this context a critica l problem has appeared: should the restrictions on party autonomy be allowed? This issue is examined in this paper. Emphasis is given on the following issue: should the principle of party autonomy be restricted so that the law chosen by the parties to be applied only if the court considers itself as competent? The identification of the most appropriate solution to the above problem requires the careful examination of the legislative environment in which party autonomy is developed, meaning both in Europe and USA. Reference is made particularly to the 1980 Rome Convention on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations, as it has been incorporated in Rome 1 Regulation. At the same it is necessary to refer to certain important concepts related to contractual agreements, such as jurisdiction

CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

CONTRACT LAW ASSIGNMENT 4 - Essay Example Contract terms of employment could change due to changed economic circumstances, or to bring about improvements in working conditions3. Materially changed circumstances are always admissible especially for the benefit of children. Contracts could be changed if there is an absolute change in the law4that occurs during the course of contract. If the other party becomes seriously ill, permanently incapacitated, called for military services or dies5 contract could be frustrated. If the contract depends on a certain state of affairs which alters, contracts could be frustrated6. Commercial purpose of contract could be frustrated if unalterable circumstances take place7. It also can happen if the main object of contract becomes void subsequently8 and the circumstances should be acceptable to Court. Fred and George have won the contract together for the installation of water system and this makes both of them bound by contract9. Still there is a contract between George and Fred and George defaults his side of it by delaying the work. Fred tries to accomplish his side of contract, but fails to do so, after doing three quarters of the work because he had to honour another contract. Fred has to be paid by George as he has done a lot of his share of work and it is George's delay that made Fred leave the job for honouring another contract. Still George and Fred are liable for completing the water system to the third party and here their liability is equal. Fred can claim payment from George for the work he has done. If he could prove that it was George's delay that caused him trouble, he might be able to get damages from George via Court. Still he will be liable to honour the first contract of completing water systems and will be forced to do so10. If water systems claim damages fro m the two of them for delay, Fred too may have to pay the damages, though he could have a lesser share of it, if he succeeds in proving that George defaulted his contract with him as well as with water systems. Not paying Fred would go against George and will give more strength to Fred's argument and Court might take a lighter view of his abandoning one quarter of the work under changed circumstances of contract which clearly redeems Fred for non-payment and delay by George. This could be taken as self-induced frustration. Fred also will be paid for the contract completed as it could be considered as 'substantially completed' and it entitles for a payment of services and goods, though it will be compared with the work NOT done. QUESTION THREE: Presuming that the illness of the parties could be traceable to the sandwiches and fault lies with Harry, his defence will be weak. He might be able to prove that the meat was contaminated not through his fault, but was supplied to him in contaminated state and he was unaware of it, whereby the fault will be divided between the meat supplier and Harry. If he could not prove that and if the contamination is due to his fault (meat supplier might prove that other meat of the same category is not faulty), he will be liable for the sickness caused to the parties. Ian's garden getting neglected might not cause much harm to Harry. John can

Designing a Formative Classroom Assessment Essay

Designing a Formative Classroom Assessment - Essay Example This paper provides a comprehensive formative classroom assessment for English language learners in grade 3. The English language learners targeted with this classroom assessment are students in grade 3. On most occasions, English language learners in this class have difficulty in comprehending lessons taught in English. It is because of this that the task chosen for the purposes of this assessment will be presented in very simple and easily understood English. In this assessment, the students will be required to read a short essay and make sense out of the text. However, before the students are given a text to read, they will be asked to guess the storyline of the story book after having seen the cover page of the book (Gottlieb, 2006). The assessment will also make use of VoiceThread that is a web-based assessment tool found in VoiceThread.com. There are countless reasons why this web-based assessment tool may be the most useful for English language learners. One of the reasons is that it allows it users to create conversations, documents, snapshots, videos and diagrams and share them with others; especially students. It is suitable for English language learners because the conversation voices and videos can be captured with utter clarity thereby helping these students note pronunciations in English and learn the difference of similar words when used in different contexts (Gottlieb, 2006). Another important aspect of this assessment tool is the inclusion of pictures and diagrams which can be helpful in illustrating written documents for English language learners. For this reason, the tool will be invaluable in making the students further understand the short essay chosen for the purposes of this