Moving to an Internet Enabled English Training Program

by Marc Anderson

Making the switch from classroom learning to a virtual classroom is a major switch for most individuals and companies but it doesn’t have to be that way.  Switching to an Internet enabled e-classroom is more about overcoming the technical issues associated with using the Internet than overcoming academic related issues.  Students are generally very receptive to a class conducted over WebEx for example which provides full video functionality, a whiteboard and great audio.

Companies that are taking the plunge to an online enabled classroom need to make sure the facilities are appropriate and conducive to online learning.  This may require a quiet workspace or a quiet room where there are no distractions.  Some companies that we teach English to,  have even built a lab specifically for online English training.  Normally a company wouldn’t have to worry about setting up internet connectivity for learning as traditional classrooms take care of all this.  Organizations are realizing that with a little bit of effort on their part,  learning online has many advantages over a traditional classroom.  In my case, as the General Manager, I have a lot to gain by convincing companies to train their employees in English with TalktoCanada.com.  So, in order to be impartial, visit the links below and do the research yourself on online learning, it might be right for your organization.

Why Students Like Online Learning?

http://www.worldwidelearn.com/education-articles/benefits-of-online-learning.htm

For a more detailed analysis of online learning

Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies by the U.S. Department of Education

http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/tech/evidence-based-practices/finalreport.pdf

Some key information from the Online Learning study which you can find at the beginning of the report under ‘key findings’:

“Students who took all or part of their class online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through traditional face-to-face instruction.”

“Instruction combining online and face-to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely online instruction.”

“Studies in which learners in the online condition spent more time on task than students in the face-to-face condition found a greater benefit for online learning.”

“Most of the variations in the way in which different studies implemented online learning did not affect student learning outcomes significantly.”

“The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.”

Spend some time and do your own research

By advocating online English learning, I am not suggesting any individual or organization jump into an online learning program without doing proper research.  As an organization or individual you need to see if this type of learning is suitable for your demands.  If you’re interested or considering online English training for your organization, make sure we are the first company you contact to find out more information about how we can help you or organization.