Virtual Classroom Project
The aim of the Virtual Classroom project was to explore the use of the internet in English language teaching by using the medium to create an environment that would help stimulate purposeful communication between language learners across the globe.
There have been two Virtual Classroom trials involving more than 500 students from 19 classes in 6 countries; Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia and the USA. The first trial ran from October to December, 1996. The second trial started in May 1997. Although most participants had left the 1997 trial by July, when their semesters ended, students from two classes continued to participate in their own time until November.
The project has generated considerable interest in the English language teaching community. We received many email messages from researchers and teachers requesting information and providing feedback. Roger Hudson also presented papers about the Virtual Classroom trials at International English language teaching conferences in Australia, Korea and Japan.
In the trials we were attempting to approximate the shared and supportive environment of a real-world class. As a starting point we felt that it was necessary for all the participants to use the same course materials, since this would provide them with some common ground regardless of their geographic distance from each other. The trial phases of the Virtual Classroom were restricted, therefore, to learners attending language classes using the same published course text, 'Words Will Travel'.
The classroom material was supplemented by extra activities on the Virtual Classroom web pages. Student responses to these activities were also presented on the web pages for discussion and comment by other students (and teachers).
The majority of teachers who took part in the trials reported a high degree of student satisfaction with the project and agreed that the use of the video based course "Words Will Travel" to provide a shared context for all participating students worked very well. Most asked to be included in any future trials.
The Virtual Classroom is an initiative of the ELT publisher, English Language Systems. The course materials were developed by Jonathan Clemens and the trials were designed and administered by Roger Hudson. A report on the Virtual Classroom project is contained in the 'Resources' section of this site.