HNUE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE Educational Sciences, 2021, Volume 66, Issue 5A, pp 30-37 This paper is available online at http://stdb.hnue.edu.vn DOI: 10.18173/2354-1075.2021-0213 ORGANIZING ONLINE LITERATURE CLASSES, VIEWED FROM BORJE HOLMBERG'S DISTANCE EDUCATION THEORY Nguyen Thanh Trung*, Phan Duy Khoi and Le Thi Nhung Department of Linguistics and Literature, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education Abstract Based on the method of summarizing teaching theory and practice, this article applies Borje Holmberg's viewpoints to discuss the organization of an online Literature class Therefore, some basic characteristics of Distance Education such as empathy, learner autonomy, and interpersonal communication are used to analyze organizational aspects of online Literature classes including model, software, and content Hence, the article compares the above system with the Vietnamese status quo to improve the efficiency of organizing online Literature classes through some recommendations such as continuously applying the matching model, effectively exploiting the platform and tool features, streamlining the content, and innovating the assessment method Keywords: teaching literature, online, distance education, Borje Holmberg, Vietnamese status quo Introduction Online teaching is more and more important in theory as well as in practice because it does not only develop teaching forms but also become a solution for difficult situations such as the Covid-19 epidemic However, researches on online teaching have not been fully introduced, the application of online teaching forms in Vietnam is still spontaneous and lacking synchronous guidance In that context, this article sets the research object as organizing online literature classes; the research method is a summary of Borje Holmberg's theory (Distance Education) and the practice of literature teaching in university classes, teacher training classes of the Language and Literature Dep (HCMC University of Education) and some secondary, high school classes at the Canadian International High School CIS, Vietnam - Finland International School VFIS (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City) and Thai Binh Private School (Tan Binh, HCMC) The study of online/indirect/distance teaching has been grown in the second half of the twentieth century, in general, around four contents, including theories of independent study (Moore, M.G., 1980, On a theory of independent study; Wedemeyer, C., & Childs, G.B., 1961, New perspectives in university correspondence study, etc.), theories of the industrialization of teaching (Peters, O., 2003, Learning with new media in distance education; 2007, The most industrialized form of education, etc.), theories of interaction and communication (Borje Holmberg, 1960, On the methods of teaching by correspondence; 2003, A theory of distance education based on empathy, etc.), and the tendency to synthesize existing communication and educational philosophies (Hilary Perraton, 2005, Open and Distance Learning in the Developing World, Received October 21, 2021 Revised November 24, 2021 Accepted December 7, 2021 Contact Nguyen Thanh Trung, e-mail address: trungnt@hcmue.edu.vn 30 Organizing online literature classes, viewed from Borje Holmberg’s distance education theory etc.) In Vietnam, researchers are often interested in introducing teaching platforms and tools, such as Nguyen Thi Phuong Linh (2018), Teaching Vietnamese in the 11th-grade Literature program in high school with a technology approach; Pham Thi Thanh Phuong et al (2019), Web 2.0-based application in teaching Literature according to the flipped classroom model to meet the requirements of the new Literature program, etc The only relevant legal document approved in 2021 by the Ministry of Education and Training is Regulation 09/2021 BGDĐT, of which interpretation is still not clear and unified Therefore, this article aims to apply Borje Holmberg's theory of distance learning in a new context including the development of information technology, the Vietnamese socio-cultural context, and especially the Covid-19 pandemic The objective of this research is to find the nucleus or the main driving force of the theory, and then, apply it in the practice of organizing online Literature classes, which includes organizational model, tool/ platform, and assessment content In that process, those aspects are explained by the Regulation 09/2021 BGDĐT, put in the relationship with output standards of HCMUE as well as the orientation for capacity development of the 2018 Secondary, High School Literature program in Vietnam Content 2.1 The online Literature class and Borje Holmberg’s Distance Education Online classrooms were the development of indirect/distance classes around the 19th century in American universities Thus, with the development of science and technology, students, who not come to class, can receive documents by parcel, radio, television, and online Then this form became part of the flipped classroom model Since the 1960s, Borje Holmberg called this form distance education with manifestations of Distance education as correspondence education, home study, and independent learning In the Regulation 09/2021 BGDDT, online teaching includes software systems and infrastructure, teaching activities, assessment, learning materials, and teaching records Combining the forms and components mentioned above, we understand that organizing an online class is the construction and operation of a system consisting of three components: a teaching model/form (Education Management System), the teaching platform/tool (Learning Management System), and the assessment content (Content Management System) Organizing online classes needs to unify and synchronously solve the above three aspects Firstly, the system model determines the nature of online teaching Focusing on the role, Regulation 09/2021 BGDĐT distinguishes two forms of online teaching, which are a complete replacement and support for face-to-face teaching However, in its nature, it can be divided into fully online teaching (through complete courses which are 100% online), direct online teaching (through classes with teachers teaching online in real-time), and blended teaching (combining both in-classroom and out-of-classroom) Secondly, the teaching platform/tool represents the coverage of teaching and learning activities Hence, if teaching platforms (Edmodo, GG Classroom, MS Team) can deploy most online teaching activities such as giving lectures/assignments, grading, etc., teaching tools are often designed to serve a specific function or activity such as broadcasting (Zoom, GG Meet, etc.), taking quizzes (Kahoot, Quizzes, etc.) Thirdly, the system of organizing teaching content shows the ability to organize and transmit information and documents to learners This system is simply a place for learners to view the content (WordPress, Tumblr, etc.) Organizing an online Literature class needs to ensure principles First of all, the basic principle of organizing online classes is to satisfy the output standards Secondly, organizing online classes should consider the characteristics of Literature such as figurative thinking in the language of art, reaching the readers through emotionally Thirdly, from Borje Holmberg's point of view, online Literature learning needs to be motivated by the joy that comes through 31 Nguyen Thanh Trung*, Phan Duy Khoi and Le Thi Nhung empathy, the ability to directly and actively participate in solving educational problems This principle is even more meaningful in the context of the prolonged Covid-19 epidemic when economic, social, and medical uncertainties have gradually changed study goals, working forms, and life plans This pressure can reduce the effectiveness of online classrooms, especially when teachers and learners are not in direct contact; teachers not clearly figure out the learners’ problems On the contrary, ”The use of the computer may lead to depersonalized service which makes students feel that they interact with an institution or authority rather than with human beings.” [1,141] Although it is not a new idea, Borje Holmberg's Distance Education theory, which is viewed concerning the modern online classroom and the emotional and artistic nature of Literature, can suggest many ideas for organizing online Literature classes in Vietnam nowadays This German educator’s theory needs to be developed in receiving, selecting basic characteristics, and applying creatively In consequence, behind the system of principles, forms, relationships, etc ”Central to learning and teaching in distance education are personal relations between the parties concerned, study pleasure, and empathy between students and those demonstrating the supporting organization.” [2,81-82] Consequently, personal relationships, joy and empathy have turned from the content of Literature teaching to the principle of organizing the online teaching system These principles are implemented through conversation between the teacher and the learner Borje Holmberg distinguishes two types of conversation into Real conversation (two-sided between tutor and student) and Simulated conversation (one-sided, presentation of materials) It can be seen that these two forms derived from the Socratic tradition of dialogue (the teacher wanders and asks the learner questions) and Classical Europe classes (the classroom, program and content are organized, pre-determined), or furthermore, ancient educators such as Shakyamuni (who depended on the disciple's ability to teach the Dharma), Jesus Nazareth (who often asked questions for his disciples to make mistakes and then corrected them) The common feature of these teaching forms is that it is very personal; learners enjoy the lessons closely and feel that they have a special attachment to the teacher On the nature of Borje Holmberg's distance education model, the organization of an online Literature class needs to ensure three criteria of empathy, learning joy, and personal relationship Empathy, or the empathy approach, is presented by Börje Holmberg into six postulates [3, 38], which can be reduced to three groups, including function (helps to motivate force, creates a favorable atmosphere for teaching and learning); means (through a system of specific, clear, and understandable content, documents, and instructions even through media); and properties (frequency, appropriate, ongoing support; friendly interaction, verbal and nonverbal means) The joy of learning is expressed through the learner's autonomy; it means that learners can actively participate in education’s construction and problem-solving activities This active nature is reflected in the ability of learners to freely choose learning objects, thereby forming the intellectual pleasure of solving problems as their interest Interpersonal communication, personal rapport have been described by Borje Holmberg as ”friendly, helpful, and extensive” [1,117] This personality must be shown through the process of communicating, organizing activities, and presenting problems; especially teachers must “be reliable subject specialists” [1,138] It is the instructor's expertise that ensures this personal relationship has positive implications for the online classroom However, the three criteria mentioned above are not independent but as a whole; it is a unified process This process is empathic-centered, the way to empathize is a personal relationship, the effect of empathy is the joy of learning This is the reason why Michael G.M, William G A chose Borje Holmberg's “A Theory of Distance Education Based on Empathy” as the most representative issue in Handbook of Distance Education Recognizing the importance of empathy in Borje Holmberg's theory is the first step 32 Organizing online literature classes, viewed from Borje Holmberg’s distance education theory to change the perspective out of interpretive power and tradition biases Accordingly, the problem of how to effectively convey knowledge to learners will turn into how to make the teaching process interesting and fun This view liberates the task of organizing online Literature classes from the general trend of finding new teaching platforms and tools 2.2 Three aspects of organizing online Literature classes as Borje Holmberg’s theory At the model level, Borje Holmberg suggests that there are two forms of Distance Education: One-way and two-way traffic communication between students and the complete courses These two forms correspond to two models, which are completely online and face-toface teaching The former requires an attractively designed curriculum, interesting ideas, and a system of attracting exercises/ activities This system is automatic enough for learners to freely choose the subjects and learning progress However, this model shows the weaknesses of distracting learners, loose connection between teacher and learner; i.e it's not easy to make a personal connection From a literary perspective, even if the teacher is sublimated, it is difficult to create the same feelings in the learners This form can only be applied at university and higher levels, where learners have enough concentration, motivation, and time management ability At the secondary and high school level, this model will be opposed due to the student's ability to concentrate, the ability to create classes automatically, the management and operation mechanism, and the lack of clear instructions on the working regulations of state civil servants The latter (second form) is directly online This model requires a standard curriculum framework, live instructors, good communication lines, and peripheral tools The advantage of this model is the ability to attract learners The teacher can answer questions, create good personal relationships; both teachers and learners partly resonate with artistic and literary emotions The disadvantage of this model is that it still requires a directly working teacher A a result, the learners are under the management, so it is more difficult for them to choose the content freely Borje Holmberg wrote that the combination of online and face-to-face learning is quite common in American and European universities where face-to-face meetings between learners and program administrators/organizers are arranged occasionally However, face-toface working seems to be complementary to distance learning At the level of teaching platforms and tools, Borje Holmberg lists the means of distance learning as: “telephone, on audiotape, by computer” [1, 6] Therefore, students will study through audio, video recordings, radio, and television systems More specifically, the University of the South Pacific also experimented with a satellite communication system for teaching [1, 79] Computers were not a popular medium in Borje Holmberg's Distance Teaching theory in its early stage Until 2003, he clarified some aspects and possibilities of using computers to create 'virtual' communication [1, 28] In sum, those forms all belong to the content management system (CMS), which quite limits the ability of teachers and learners to interact because of the deficient circumstances and technical conditions of the second half of the twentieth century However, through CMS channels, learners can decide learning time and objects With the development of information technology, the compatibility between teachers and learners is increasing day by day; the distinction between content management system (CMS) and teaching management system (LMS), teaching platform, and tools are becoming clearer and clearer Hence, audiotapes, video recordings, etc are CMS tools Meanwhile, modern distance teaching needs a foundation as a teaching platform Borje Holmberg could pay less attention to this distinction It should be noted that not only solves the tasks as tools do, but a platform also allows to manage, organize, and track the entire process There are cases, in which lecturers and teachers only use one communicating tool such as Google meet, Zoom, Facebook, etc for online teaching Currently, only when there is a comprehensive platform 33 Nguyen Thanh Trung*, Phan Duy Khoi and Le Thi Nhung integrating effective tools, can online teaching be effective At that time, the choice of which platform (Edmodo, GG Classroom, Ms Team) or which tool system (Communication Tools, Collaborative Tools, Homework/Assignment Activity Tools, Assessment Tools, Feedback/Polling Tools) will depend on the program objectives, teaching conditions, teachers themselves and principles of online teaching “Whichever medium is applied, counseling must be evidently 'promote a sense of close rapport between the student and the counselor'“ [1, 132] Until 2003, witnessing the outstanding development of information technology, Borje Holmberg still maintained his principled view on distance learning: Plus ỗa change, plus c'est laême chose” [4, 33] In terms of content and assessment, it can be seen that the most important orientations of online teaching that Borje Holmberg identifies are “students’ needs and interests, from society and the labor market” [1, 6] To understand the needs and interests of learners, the teaching content must be developed as a result of researching ”target groups (Their general education and previous study experiences), the general conditions (social, financial, etc.) in which the study is to be performed, and the needs and intentions behind the educational endeavor, i.e the study goals and objectives to be catered for” [1, 36] In addition, the content and evaluation system must also focus on serving training products, described by Borje Holmberg as: “the following goals, When the student has completed the program he/she should be able…” [1, 3839] Currently, Vietnamese universities call this the output standard In general, the educational output standards are developed from the triple model: Knowledge, Skill, Attitude (KSA) suggested by Bernard Wynne, David Stringer (1997) in Competency Based Approach to Training and Development On the other hand, Borje Holmberg's distance courses include a guiding documents system and a process of remote communication between learners and facilitators These documents are different from the textbook It does not merely present knowledge, but instruct the learner on how to use the material, how to work, and self-evaluate In addition, Borje Holmberg requires that the assessment system must be ”valid and reliable” [1,185], but he also noted that the student assessment is not only a rating of students ability but also a response to the curriculum, form, and content of instruction 2.3 From Borje Holmberg's Distance Education system to organizing online Literature classes in Vietnam From the organizational model, the form of distance learning in Vietnam has developed strongly since the 1990s but has now fallen into decline The causes of this situation are extreme simplified online and offline combined organizational model, under-standardized program/content, unreliable assessment As a result, there are many violations such as in Ho Chi Minh City Open University (201-2011), Nghe An (2013), Vinh, and Da Nang (2020-2021) Thereby, many agencies and businesses have announced that they have not accepted remote students; The People's Committee of Ca Mau province decided not to provide funding for distance learning staff since 2017; the Distance education sector is shrinking: “There are 21 universities in the country that are allowed to conduct distance education programs, but only 17 schools can enroll students” [5] This is a useful experience for organizing online Literature classes today at both university and secondary, high school levels In Borje Holmberg's positive spirit of distance learning, the organization of an online Literature class needs to ensure general regulations on organizational form, tool – platform, and especially the assessment – content On model level, there is currently no fully online model at the university and high school levels, which is due to many reasons such as high requirements for investment, technology, and programs, especially the lack of a regulatory legal framework Presently, there are only 100% short-term online courses, private units, and business individuals, which are playing support roles of the regular program in the school Up to now, although the Regulation 09/2021 of the 34 Organizing online literature classes, viewed from Borje Holmberg’s distance education theory Ministry of Education and Training has empowered the Departments of Education and universities to take the initiative, these units all uniformly regulate the online form directly, interacting in real-time as on schedule Besides, about the idea of the large-scale and small-scale class organization of Borje Holmberg, currently only have international high schools such as CIS, VFIS that have small-scale classes to support students In the universities, there is only a large-scale form Because of the training goals and subjects, in the near future, the blended teaching models at the university and high school levels are different from each other in the rate of online teaching Accordingly, this rate at the university level will be higher than in high school, it is possible up to 50% This is also the result of the criteria for developing information technology competencies for students at universities On the contrary, even with online teaching, the duration of face-to-face classes in the high school program remains stable; online teaching is still only a form of support Currently, education institutions have chosen a suitable platform and aimed to have the right investment, for example, registering a copyright package of MS Team of the HoChiMinh City University of Education, G.G Classroom of CIS, Manage Bac of VFIS, and Edmodo of Thai Binh Secondary-high school Education platforms are often invested by educational institutions and generally prescribed for teachers and learners, but the teachers freely use tools However, due to the unpredictable severity and the prolonged situation of the Covid-19 epidemic, the system of regulations on online teaching platforms and tools is currently only at the level of encouragement and requirements but not yet required as a mandatory There are a few lecturers and teachers who only use one teaching tool (such as Facebook, Google Meet) over the phone to teach online because of its convenience, familiarity, and low cost However, such classes are often affected by software or hardware problems, which not guarantee the best conditions for both teachers and learners Although the criteria of personal conversation can be guaranteed, study joy and empathy can hardly be achieved because learners cannot fully access the channels of images, sound and text as well as it is difficult to receive lectures or learning materials as specified in Regulation 09/2021 [6] Part of the reason lies in the ability and low self-training needs of part of lecturers, teachers who have difficulties in accessing information technology fields as well as the lack of strict regulations in this first phase of completely online teaching The application of online teaching platforms and tools from high school to university will follow the direction from quantity to quality High school teachers and students are going to use a variety of tools according to their needs and interests to develop communication skills In contrast, with the output standard of creative problem solving, lecturers and students will focus on maximizing the utility of a tool Currently, the program content and assessment system for online Literature teaching are being reused from the available direct teaching one Ministries, Departments of Education, and universities all have orientations to reduce content load to suit learning conditions during the epidemic season However, the reduction of content also needs to ensure the basic criteria At this time, all secondary-high schools have online teaching plans prepared monthly With online Literature classes, most training units build content associated with teaching goals, experience, and personality of individual students (as well as gender, age, background, family background, interests, living situation) In particular, the Literature program aims to discover the literary beauty, artistic language, noble ideology, heroic tradition, and cultural values of Vietnam and other countries around the world through the system of knowledge, skills, and attitudes of learners However, at university, course outlines, which are drawn up every two years, there are many shortcomings, especially in the context of fully online teaching during the pandemic Thence, some lecturers only upload the lecture file system for students to study on their own, or use only one conversation channel such as Google Meet, Facebook to transmit the contents of the available program With such a form of teaching, the assessment is also limited in form In 35 Nguyen Thanh Trung*, Phan Duy Khoi and Le Thi Nhung this difficult situation, this kind of action can be temporarily accepted, but in the long run, this will significantly negatively affect the quality of education In contrast, at the high school level, Thai Binh school still has to ensure the score columns as prescribed by the HCMC Department of Education, international schools have an assessment system divided into 25% knowledge and understanding, 25 % thinking and learning, 25% communication, and 25% practical application (CIS) or 40% Knowledge, 30% Skill, 30% Attitude (VFIS) It can be seen that the evaluation system of the high school system, especially the international schools, has come closer to the criteria of Borje Holmberg However, with the increasing trend of online teaching time, the educational program at the university level will gradually convert the theoretical part into digital documents; class time is devoted to answering questions and guiding research Scientific research capacity in the output standards of universities will be increasingly focused; information technology also becomes a noteworthy content in the assessment In contrast, the curriculum and assessment in high school will be relatively stable We have some suggestions in comparisons between Borje Holmberg theory and teaching practice at some Vietnamese educational institutions during the Covid-19 epidemic Besides the basic principles analyzed, soon it is necessary to promote the form of combination between online and direct learning because it can best exploit art, literature emotions Then, online teaching after the Covid-19 epidemic will become increasingly characterized by the Flipped classroom In addition, the application of the platform and tools should be in the direction of applying the minimum amount to bring maximum efficiency It means that making good use of the built-in tools on Google Classroom such as Breakoutroom grouping, Polls, Q&A, recording, and whiteboarding, etc would be better than spending time using external tools The teaching content should focus on learners' interests rather than transport full of content However, it is not possible to minimize the teaching content just to serve the interests of learners, especially spending all of their time in class watching movies and plays adapted from literary works Moreover, it should be noted that in the distance learning model, instead of the teacher, Borje Holmberg often uses the word organizer, consultant This refers to the requirement to have a clear understanding of the position and role of the teacher in the online teaching model In particular, in the university system, study guide documents must be clear, capable of orienting and guiding learners The evaluation system needs to target both learners and program content to perfect the online teaching system Regarding the assessment of program content, the university currently has an advantage over high schools The bases for evaluating the current program of HCMCUE also coincide with the criteria of Borje Holmberg such as comparing achievement with objectives and performance standards, consulting experts, consulting future employers and/or teaching bodies, and investigating students’ views In reality, empathy, study joy, and personal communication also help explain and solve controversial online teaching problems in recent times in Vietnam such as: the concern of a lecturer at Hanoi National University of Education about breaking the framework; sacrificing program progress and grades to “slow down” (Ha Uyen, Vietnamese Lifetime, September 14th, 2021) or the lecturers of the University of Technical Education expelled students from online classes (Viet Dung, GDVN, September 20th, 2021) Conclusions Thus, through summarizing Distance Education theory and organizing practice of some Literature classes at the university and secondary, high school level, this article has applied the three contents of empathy, study pleasure, and personal relations to analyze three aspects of model/form, platform/tool, and content of teaching Literature online classes So, our view proposes to see online teaching not only as a form of coping with Covid-19 but also as a 36 Organizing online literature classes, viewed from Borje Holmberg’s distance education theory development orientation for the future of education As a result, the most important issues are not teaching enough content but evoking the joy of learners, not looking only inside the online teaching system but also outside to sympathize and relieve pressure for both teachers and learners Although Borje Holmberg's theory evokes some core points, it also needs to be aware of certain deviations which are about individual characteristics, class organization, and legal document system on classroom organization.online in Vietnam In the future, this study needs to be continued to clarify issues such as how the relationship changes from individual to interpersonal; multi-personal will specifically affect the model, meaning and content of teaching, or combination form of online and face-to-face teaching is not only as a supplement (in Borje Holmberg's opinion) but as the main form of the teaching process All is still ahead and needs to be further discussed REFERENCES [1] Holmberg, B., 1995 Theory and Practice of Distance Education, Second Edition Routledge, London, New York [2] M G Moore & W G Anderson (Eds.), 2003, Handbook of distance education Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ [3] Borje Holmberg, 2005 The Evolution, Principles and Practices of Distance Education, Vol Oldenburg B/S-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universitat [4] Borje Holmberg, 2003 Distance Education in Essence – An Overview of Theory and Practice in the Early Twenty-first centuty, 2nd edition Bibliotheks- und Informationssystem der Universität Oldenburg [5] Online People's Daily, 2017 Developing distance learning in the right direction.https://moet.gov.vn/giaoducquocdan/giao-duc-thuong-xuyen/Pages/default aspx? ItemID=4896 Access in Sep.20th, 2021 [6] Ministry of Education and Training, 2021 09/2021/TT-BGDDT Regulations on Management and Organization of Online Teaching in General Education Institutions and Continuing Education Institutions https://thuvienphapluat.vn/van-ban/Giao-duc/Thong-tu09-2021-TT-BGDDT-quan-ly-va-to-chuc-day-hoc-truc-tuyen-trong-co-so-giao-duc-phothong-449937.aspx Access in Sep.20th 2021 37 ... chose Borje Holmberg' s “A Theory of Distance Education Based on Empathy” as the most representative issue in Handbook of Distance Education Recognizing the importance of empathy in Borje Holmberg' s... and tools 2.2 Three aspects of organizing online Literature classes as Borje Holmberg? ??s theory At the model level, Borje Holmberg suggests that there are two forms of Distance Education: One-way... Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ [3] Borje Holmberg, 2005 The Evolution, Principles and Practices of Distance Education, Vol Oldenburg B/S-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universitat [4] Borje Holmberg, 2003 Distance