Online Learning: Engaging the Learner

Introductions• Mary Beth Kyer

– Founder, Euphoria Workforce Solutions– www.euphoriaworkforce.com– www.learnerhill.com

• Kymberleigh Richards– Director Studies, Learner Hill– www.learnerhill.com

Agenda• Elements of Online Learning• Barriers to Learning Online and how to

remove them • How to Enhance and Engage the

Learner• A Demonstration of the Learner Hill

Platform and online classroom

Who’s Studying English Online?• Global Language Industry is approximately $40 billion

• 50% of which is English as a Second Language

• Online Language Education is growing 22% per year

• Expected to reach $1.69 billion in 2014.

• E-Learning is being used to allow learning to take place the learner’s convenience - any place, anytime.

Sources: ‘’The Changing Enterprise’–ACE 2002; World Bank & IFC; IDP Education Australia 2002; Philp G. Altbach–Tertiary Education & Management (No.1, 2004); UK Open University, 2005i, AmbientInsight

Elements of Online Learning

Online learning includes:• Live online classes• Self-study• Language labs• Blended Learning

Trends in Online Learning • Self-paced materials• social media• blogs• discussion boards• videos• live chat• video conferencing

Classroom vs. Online Classroom Online Learning

+ - + -Easy access to Instructor

Inflexible schedule which requires attendance

Easy access to Instructor by email

Myths to online learning

Immediate response to question

Must reply on notes to review material

Immediate response to questions using the in-class chat board

Peer support Difficult to study while working / taking care of a family

Peer support through the use of a discussion board

Convenient

Flexible

Can study while studying/take care of family

Barriers

Myth # 1:

• no one-on-one time• no personalized attention• no individual attention• difficult to ask questions

Removing the BarriersTruth:• The Chat board can be used to ask

questions during the class• Instructors are taught to engage the

learners• Learners can get the instructions

attention by raising their hand in an online classroom

BarriersMyth # 2

• Classes are not interactive• The instruction is more teacher driven

as opposed to student centered

Removing the BarriersTruth:

• Instructor can call on the learn to answer a question as the names of all participants are displayed in the sidebar.

• Instructors can assign multiple microphones to participants in order to engage in a class discussion

Enhance and Engage • Interactive courseware that allows “learning

by doing”, arouses interest and generates motivation.

“If you tell me, I will listenIf you show me, I will see

If you let me experience, I will learn.”

Lao-Tse, 5th century BC

Enhance and Engage • Call on all learners to participate

• Have learners role-play and practice dialogues

• Have learners answer comprehension questions based on videos or listening clips

• Use whiteboard tools to highlight concepts and correct sentence structure

Tell Me Show Me

Let Me

Enhance and Engage • Use chat boards to check for correct

spelling and explaining words in context

• Give learners control of the whiteboard writing tool for error correction

• Use pointers to help learners follow content while in a virtual classroom

• Incorporate tests and activities throughout the materials.

Tell Me Show Me

Let Me

Platform

Linkswww.learnerhill.com

www.euphoriaworkforce.com

www.englishtown.com

www.adobe.com/products/connect

www.webex.com

www.adobe.com/product/captivate

www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp

Contact

Mary Beth Kyer • mbkyer@euphoriaworkforce.com

Kymberleigh Richards• krichards@learnerhill.com