Have you ever found yourself looking at a training course, only to discover that it’s either too expensive, too time-consuming or that the location makes it impractical to attend? There are other options available– you could look for free courses online, watch video lectures and tutorials, or engage with an eLearning course. But what if you prefer to learn from a tutor in real-time, or you find it difficult to stay engaged with an eLearning course? That’s where the virtual classroom comes in.
What is a virtual classroom?
A virtual classroom is an online environment that has similarities to a traditional classroom. You attend with other learners and are guided through a subject by a tutor with the use of the following tools:
- Videoconferencing, allowing you to engage in face-to-face conversations with your tutor and peers via webcam if you wish.
- Online whiteboard for real-time collaboration.
- Instant messaging tool that will, for example, allow you to post comments, ideas or questions during a tutor or learner-led presentation.
- Participation controls that allow you to virtually raise your hand to speak or to share your work with the screen.
- Breakout rooms, where you and other learners can collaborate on a presentation or discuss a topic as a group before feeding back to the rest of the class.
What are the benefits?
There are many benefits to attending a virtual classroom course, a key example being convenience, as it allows you to log in and learn from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection and a suitable device. Another example is cost-effectiveness, as virtual courses are often cheaper than a face-to-face equivalent, and you will have no travel and accommodation costs either. While these are often the deciding factors in the selection of any training course, it is also important to understand the cognitive benefits as well.
The real strength of a virtual classroom lies within the collaboration between learners. The role of the tutor is not just to deliver the content. They create opportunities for both independent learning and collaborative learning that will aid in guiding learners as they progress through the course. This increases motivation, as well as interest in the learning activities.
Learner-centred instruction encourages higher-order thinking
A traditional classroom typically uses ‘teacher-centred instruction’ where a lecture is given and is followed by an activity to assess if the knowledge is retained and understood. This is a passive form of learning and there is often a danger of learners losing focus after a time. A virtual classroom uses ‘student-centred instruction’ where learners and the tutor interact equally through sharing and evaluating their understanding of the topic and then applying it in their context. This, in turn, encourages learners to practice what Bloom’s Taxonomy describes as ‘higher-order thinking’.
Higher-order thinking involves the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills, both of which are assets when it comes to the application of the ideas presented in our Lean Six Sigma and business improvement courses.
Introducing 100% Effective virtual courses
At 100% Effective, we understand that attending a face-to-face classroom course is not ideal for all learners. For this reason, we now offer our Lean Six Sigma Yellow, Green and Black Belt courses as virtual classroom experiences. These courses combine the flexibility of an online course and the experience of classroom learning, through live expert-led sessions, virtual collaboration and breakout rooms, exercises, and self-study.
You can attend our virtual classroom courses from anywhere, as long as you have an internet connection and a device to view it on. You still will be delivered the same, high-quality content that is delivered in our face-to-face courses.
