Virtual Classroom Tools: A case for web cameras!

As a teacher trainer in the use of virtual classroom technology, I ran into the question about web cameras a lot and I learned that there are basically two schools of thought on this issue.  Some live online trainers believe that it is necessary and some do not. I believe in the former and  I will systematically describe why I believe web cameras are important and let you decide for yourself.

First, the people who find web cameras necessary believe that a web camera allows the students and teachers to connect as real people.  When there is a group of students and there is no web camera, the teacher does not really know who he/she is teaching and the students wonder about the teacher.  If there is a web camera, it makes it more human somehow.  I have a small dog and sometimes have activity around my house and so I usually introduce my dog to the class during the first lesson and put him up to the camera.  When I started teaching live online, he eventually started jumping into my lap to see why I was having so much fun so I started introducing him to my classes.  My students have all gotten a kick out of it and there is an instant connection, especially if the student(s) is an animal lover.  They always ask about him in subsequent lessons.

Another reason some teachers are pro web camera is because the students really want to use the web camera.  Some students want to be able to see the teacher speaking as it helps them, as visual learners, make out what the teacher is saying (or so they say).  When I first started teaching live online, I had two students who could not get their web camera working and told the language school that they would not continue until it started working and so I had a technical expert work with them to get them into a virtual classroom that would take their web camera.  They really wanted to see that all the tools within the virtual classroom were being used.

A  final reason for the use of web cameras in the classroom is that it usually helps the students stay on task.  If their teacher is seeing them, they will pay attention a little more whereas if there is no web camera, the student could realistically walk away and come back a little later, especially if it is a larger group.

So, to summarize, online training can be isolating and the use of a web camera can make the students and teachers feel like they are still in the same room.  Many students like the web camera and feel it is important in the case of pronunciation and web cameras help with accountability, especially in large groups.

Business English Lesson in the Virtual Classroom

One great thing about using technology in language learning is that authentic material can be utilized with great success.  One such activity is for students who are studying English in order to improve their effectiveness at work.  When I started teaching live online, I was also a Business English trainer in many companies in Finland and I found that many of the ideas that I was learning for effective teaching in the virtual classroom could also be utilized in the face-to-face classroom.  One of my goals when teaching business English is helping the students be able to effectively explain what they do in a matter of minutes or in the time it takes an elevator to reach its destination.  Many of my students, online and face to face, work in industries and do jobs that I just don't understand.  Their task, in my class, is to be able to effectively communicate that to me.  If they are successful at selling a product, explaining what they do or whatever to me, then they will, no doubt, be successful with potential clients or even current international clients.  One such activity that I have utilized quite successfully is using the students' company websites.  Many of the websites are multilingual and are many times written in English as well as the students' native tongue.  What I do is have the student screen share and bring up their company website in their native tongue.  We then go through the website systematically as the student introduces the company and/or products to me.  I then come up with a lot of questions so that the student(s) can learn to handle questions extemporaneously.  I have found, through the years, that this lesson is quite helpful to the student as they are learning vocabulary that they really need for their particular industry.  In addition, they are learning to explain things in a way that a native speaker of English would understand.  If you haven't tried this with your business English student, I would encourage you to.  Tell the student in advance so they can study the English portion of their website in order to write down key vocabulary that they can use.  You can also refer to the English website before the lesson to ensure you understand what the student is presenting.

Expectations!

Lately, I've been wondering what people are actually expecting when they sign up for a live online language course. There are a lot of really good schools out on the web and I wonder if the students really get what they are expecting. As a LANCELOT trained teacher, I am trained to teach online using all four skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. There are many really good virtual classrooms that allow me to teach this way. However, do the students expect this type of teaching or are they just expecting a chat, or a conversation over Skype, Yahoo, or MSN. When I first started looking into this type of teaching--that is what I thought. I've realized that many people think that live online teaching is just that--a conversation over Skype. Is that teaching? Is it effective? Why do the students keep coming back for that type of training? I have high expectations because of my training, but am realizing that until the students are exposed to this type of training--they are happy with free conversation in a simple virtual classroom that allows camera and a chat function or a class where we are just on Skype. Are my expectations too high?

Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot this week as to why I really enjoy live online language training and I think I've figured out one reason. I'm happiest when I'm at home and when I'm with people, which is exactly what live online language training brings. Sometimes I feel like this type of training is an open house as people from many nations are coming into my home where I am the most comfortable. This past week, I have had 'visitors' from Palestine, Brazil, Japan, the USA, Germany, and several others. Most of them have met my dog and know just a little bit about me that my face to face students and colleagues have probably never seen. I am really enjoying this adventure!

SLanguages 2008 Conference - 23 May 2008

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