OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY
Rationale of the study
The use of English has been gradually increasing in Vietnam English is introduced to the educational curriculum from primary education (optional) to high school education (compulsory)
The traditional method of learning was attending a face-to-face class. However, there have been many other methods for learning English without going to a face-to-face class Online learning was the newest and most popular form of distance education today Within the past decade it has had a major impact on education and the trend was increasing This study would explore how online learners experiences the new method.
Topica Edtech Group with the product: Topica Native was the pioneer that applied the learning English online with their own system for the learners In the past, there was many educational organizations in Viet Nam which taught English online, however, they had always used the third applications such as: Skype,Messenger, Google Hangout as the platforms of classes As a result, these educational organizations themselves could not fix the errors of those above applications Hence, Topica Native was the first educational organization to create their own system which leads to quick changes and fixes the errors of other learning systems
However, Topica Native still found many mismatches that badly affected the quality of English learners The learners’ complaints about online learning method with the technological errors have not been solved completely.
The above mentioned situation has urged me to conduct a study to investigate learners’ difficulties in learning English online at Topica Edtech Group As a result,
I have decided to carry out a research into “The reality of learning English online of learners at Topica Edtech Group”.
Previous studies
There were a lot of research about learning online and difficulties in learning online (from teachers’ viewpoint, from students’ viewpoint and from other objective factors) in the world.
In the world, there were some famous research of some authors and linguists which can be mentioned such as :
Sangeeta Kakoty in “E-learning as a Research Area: An Analytical Approach”Ambient Insight, LLC, (January 2011) quoted that: “Online learning is the education through distance mode where many technologies can employ Though e- learning and distance education are both separate terms, they are quite same Only difference is that distance education separates the students from traditional classroom environment whereas in e-learning environment it is not So, research in distance education can help indirectly the whole e-learning procedure It is seen that, research in distance education has been subject to consistent critique It has even been characterized as “theoretical and predominantly descriptive” Richter argues in his paper that in the field of distance education, a validated meta-structure of research topic is lacking, i.e., a map of research areas that would help to organize the body of knowledge in the field.
Clark and Mayer (2016, p.8): Online learning is defined as “instruction delivered on a digital device (such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, or smartphone) that is intended to support learning” E-learning is conducted in digital environments in the form of speech or text and images such as pictures, illustrations, graphs, videos or animations According to Clark and Mayer (2016), asynchronous e-learning, which is typically self-paced and designed for individual studies, continues to be the most prevalent form.
Susi Peacock, Ann Robertson, Sarah Williams and Maria Giatsi Clause(2015):
“Effective e-learning? Multi-tasking, distractions and boundary management by graduate students in an online environment”
Those researches above were some examples that I would mention in my study However, in order to enrich the contents as well as make the study deeper and clearer for understanding, I would refer to some other researches throughout my work.
Aims of the study
The purpose of this study was to explore the reality of the learning English online of 500 learners with various of ages, sex, levels of learning and careers More specifically, this study attempts to clarify the procedures of organizing a optimizational learning English online models for Topica Edtech Group and bring the most effective way to absorb English for the learners Based on the findings, the research further seeks to suggest practical recommendations for the possibility of the most effective online class.
Research subjects
The subject of this study was the group of 500 leaners at Topica Native The learners aged from 25 to 30, 54% were male and 46% were female Some of them learnt English offline for more than 3 years.
The study led to one questionnaire for learners that were learning at the Topica Native The questionnaire was used to explore information about their attitudes towards the process of learning English at Topica, their difficulties in absorbing and practising English online as well as the suggested solutions to apply when using the product
The survey questionnaire was administered to 500 students including seven questions with an aim to get information about learners’ opinions on and students’ desires in learning English with different levels.
Scope of the study
Beside a lot of related issues that affected to the quality of learning English online at Topica Native, I have chosen to focus on the reality of learning English.Also, due to the time constraints, this study only involves a small number of learners at Topica Edtech Group.
Research methodology
The main method of the study was quantitative survey questionnaire, which was designed and distributed to the learners
In consideration of the research’s purposes, this study was done in the light of both quantitative research in which the data were collected by forms of questionnaires of learners.
Survey questionnaire was one of the most effective instruments for collecting data in social science Advantages of using questionnaires that Gillham (2000) highlights were: less pressure on respondents, not under pressure of bias, and analysis of answers was straight forward.
Organization of the study
The study consists of four chapters:
The first chapter, Overview of the study, provided an overview of the study in which the reasons for choosing the study will be focused It also includes the aim, previous studies, research methods, scope and design of the study.
Chapter two, Literature Review, provided the theoretical background for the thesis This chapter included three main points The first point dealed with the general view on learning English online The second point discussed the advantages and disadvantages of learning English online Finally, the third point discussed the characteristics of the online learning method.
Chapter three, Research findings, presented answers for research questions related to the reality, difficulties of learning online at Topica A detailed data analyze and discussions were also given.
The last chapter, Recommendations and Suggestions, gave suggested solutions, the summary and a recommendation for further studies
This chapter aimed to explore a general view on the theory of learning English online, a quick new method.
Definitions of learning English online
Learning English was the activity or process of gaining knowledge or skill by studying, practicing, being taught, or experiencing and understanding English. People learn English often by reading, writing, speaking, and listening or usually known as four skills of English
Online learning was a type of education that takes place over the Internet nowadays It was often referred to as “elearning” among other terms However, online learning was just one type of “distance learning” - the umbrella term that takes place across distance and not in a traditional classroom.
Learning English online based on learning English and online learning,usually via websites on the Internet There were many online community forums such as Englishforums, where many people meet to learn English Questions were answered quickly even with help from volunteer teachers all over the whole world.According to Stacey, E., Smith, P J., & Barty, K (2004), distance learning has a long history and there were several types available today, including:Correspondence Courses, Telecourses, CD-ROM Courses, Online Learning, MobileLearning Firstly, correspondence courses conducted through regular mail with little interaction while telecourses were where content was delivered via radio or television broadcast CD-ROM Courses were where the students interact with static computer content, online learning was Internet-based courses offered synchronously asynchronously Lastly, mobile learning was by means of devices such as cellular phones, PDAs and digital audio players (iPods, MP3 players). According to Sangeeta Kakoty, stated in the research “E-learning as a Research Area: An Analytical Approach” Ambient Insight, LLC, January 2011,
“Online learning is the education through distance mode where many technologies can employ Though e-learning and distance education are both separate terms, they are quite same Only difference is that distance education separates the students from traditional classroom environment whereas in e-learning environment it is not.
So, research in distance education can help indirectly the whole e-learning procedure It is seen that, research in distance education has been subject to consistent critique It has even been characterized as “theoretical and predominantly descriptive” Richter argues in his paper that in the field of distance education, a validated meta-structure of research topic is lacking, i.e., a map of research areas that would help to organize the body of knowledge in the field The structure of a research discipline forms the foundation for identifying gaps and priority areas for researchers.”
Online learning was defined as “instruction delivered on a digital device (such as a desktop computer, lap-top computer, tablet, or smartphone) that is intended to support learning”(Clark and Mayer 2016, p.8) E-learning conducted in digital environments in the form of speech or text and images such as pictures, illustrations, graphs, videos or animations According to Clark and Mayer (2016), asynchronous e-learning, which was typically self-paced and designed for individual studies, continues to be the most prevalent form.
Previous studies examined learning experiences and academic achievement in online learning environments with different levels of media naturalness (Kock andGarza 2011; Hattie 2009; Kock, Verville, and Garza 2007; Redpath 2012) These studies have revealed that despite the potential of online technologies for effective and meaningful learning suggested by MNT, their superiority, compared to the traditional, natural, face-to-face learning, was unclear.”
Advantages and disadvantages of learning English online
Online distance learning English met needs of an ever-growing population of students who could not or prefer not to participate in traditional classroom settings. These learners include those unable to attend traditional classes, who cannot find a particular class at their chosen institution, who live in remote locations, who work full-time and can only study at or after work, and those who simply prefer to learn independently
According to Paulus, T., & Scherff, L (2008), online learning English was a growing trend in the learning industry and these was some advantages
It was cheaper: The users can learn English using any device connected to the
Internet There was no need to spend a lot of money renting a building, paying an expensive electricity bill, internet connection and running water like face-to-face classes so that you can get your students physically there to take courses
It took less time: There was no need to spend time commuting to and from the classroom, for both teachers and students He or she only needed to prepare the content once, and then share with different groups of students.
It allowed for self-paced learning English: students or trainees can take their courses anytime, anywhere using their own devices Students who do not have time for regular classes can learn online whenever they do have time.
It was modern: Most people today prefer to consume contents using the Internet rather than in any other ways Actually, the very fact that you are reading this right now was a proof of that That includeed learning about the news, watching
TV, talking to friends, booking appointments, shopping and the list goes on According to the reasearch of Wilson, M (1999), he pointed out other advantages of learning online:
Variety of programs and courses: From traditional four-year universities to completely online career colleges, higher education today offers a variety of options for students This means that no matter what students wish to study, from nursing to neuroscience, they can find online the courses or degree programs they need They can also earn every academic degree online, all the way from a career certificate to a doctorate.
Lower total costs: Online programs can be a more affordable option than traditional colleges Though not all online degrees have less expensive net tuition prices than traditional colleges, associated costs are almost always less expensive. For example, there are no commuting costs, and sometimes there is also not any required course materials such as textbooks because those are often available for free online In addition, many colleges and universities have begun to accept credits earned via massive open online courses (MOOCs), the most recent advance in online education Free online courses such as these can help students fulfill general education requirements at little to no cost.
More comfortable learning environment: Commercials that featuring online students studying in the pajamas only skim the surface of one of the primary benefits of online education: there are no physical class sessions Lectures and other materials are electronically sent to the student, who will then read them and complete assignments Students will not have to fight traffic, find parking spaces,leave work early to go to class, or miss important family time.
Convenience and flexibility: Online courses give students the opportunity to plan their study time around the rest of their day, instead of the other way around. Students can study and work when they are at their peak energy, whether that was early morning or late at night Course material was always accessible online, so there was no need to schedule special trips to a library either All of this makes online learning a good option for students who need to balance their work and family commitments.
More interaction and greater ability to concentrate: While there was contradictory evidence about the rate of online student participation versus participation in traditional courses, one thing was certain: online courses offer shy or more reticent students the opportunity to participate in class discussions or chats with more ease than face-to-face class sessions Some students even report that online courses are easier to concentrate in because they are not distracted by other students and classroom activity.
Career advancement: Students can take online courses and even complete entire degrees while working, while in-between jobs, or while taking time to raise a family This academic work will explain any discontinuity or gaps in a resume as well Also, earning a degree can show prospective employers that you are ambitious and want to remain informed and prepared for any new challenges.
Continue in the profession: Even if someone wants to complete a degree program, it did not mean that they want to leave their current job For most students today, college costs mean that it was necessary to continue working while in school. The previously mentioned flexibility of online degree programs enable students to keep working while also pursuing academic credentials.
Avoid commuting: During snowstorms and thunderstorms, colleges may cancel classes; if they did not, you run the risk of getting hurt in dangerous driving conditions Rather than miss important class sessions, students in online courses can always “attend” by participating on discussion boards or in chat sessions, turn in their work on time, and watch lectures or read materials Many students also find that the amount they save on fuel costs can be substantial if they did not have to commute to a physical campus in general, no matter what the weather conditions may be.
Improve your technical skills: Even the most basic online course requires the development of new computer skills, as students learn to navigate different learning management systems (LMS) and programs The skills students learn to participate in their online courses translate to many professions, including creating and sharing documents, incorporating audio or video materials into your assignments,completing online training sessions, etc.
Transfer credits: For students who want to attend summer classes, but who live too far from their class or have to work summer jobs, taking online classes from an accredited college and transferring the credits to their primary college was a good idea Students will be able to earn college credit while still enjoying their summer vacation or fulfilling the responsibilities of their seasonal jobs Similarly, if a college or university was unable to offer enough open sections of a required course, students can take the course online at another college and transfer the credits.
Features of a online education platform
Laurillard, D & Ljubojevic, D (2011) stated that “With many education technology solutions available to teachers, it becomes time consuming for them to choose the right solution for their teaching and training needs Nothing disparages a teacher’s enthusiasm and drive than a software which was made without keeping them in mind Undoubtedly, the right software or platform should in all it was capacity enable the teacher and enrich the learner in every way possible rather than become another cause to worry.
Every online platform comes with different features and capabilities and each of them boast about being built both for the teacher as well as the student Which makes the process of choosing the right platform a difficult and time consuming task and thus discouraging teachers or students to open a world of possibilities.
So here are six must-have features that an online teaching or training software should satisfy before you decide on adding technology to your existing methods.” Laurillard, D & Ljubojevic, D (2011) also referred: “One of the significant factors behind the multifold increase in teachers choosing to go online was the wider reach offered by online platforms and well, the internet Using the internet, teachers can reach out to students across the planet, which was not possible with traditional teaching platforms There are many online teaching platforms with a varying number of users As a teacher, the right online platform to start with would be one with a good number of active users worldwide or in the geography of your choice and features that compliment the diverse set of students who might be opting for your course Moreover, a platform with support for foreign languages was also a very important feature, which means that you can teach students without worrying about the language barrier.
Effective teaching can simply be defined as a set of activities that cultivates learning Having an in-depth knowledge was just not enough to be an effective teacher In addition to having a deep understanding of the subject matter, a teacher also needs to be aware of the factors that affect the learning process, which might include how content was delivered, course ware design, student engagement, and more It was crucial for teachers to be cognizant of the students’ abilities and specific learning needs as a teacher’s effectiveness can be quantified by measuring the degree of student engagement and the understanding of content consumption.Online platforms that allow teachers to build their online academies and get actionable information about their courses, classes, and content delivery Such powerful features enable teachers to get insights into students’ activities through informative reports which cover information, such as content consumed by each student, live classes attended, and the percentage of the course completed to keep a tab on the number of dropouts Teachers can use this information to refine their course content or courseware design, improve their teaching approach or methodology, and do a lot more to increase student engagement to enhance learning outcomes.
Teachers work very hard to create their instructional content making it their intellectual property It was natural for them to be concerned about the security of their content as information on the web can be accessed and used by everyone. Content security remains one of the biggest concerns of teachers looking to teach online or offline One of the ways to claim content ownership was by controlling the dissemination and access of content so that it was accessible to only the intended students Server security, encryption types and other such technologies are used to keep your data safe on online platforms, so before deciding on which one you are going with, make sure to get a good understanding of who gets to access your data and how they get to do it.
The versatility of the software or platform decides the type of online teaching or training activities that you can do You need to take into consideration the level and type of interaction that you normally have with your students and choose the software accordingly.
Sometimes, you may need to include polls or quizzes, and other interactive elements in your course to engage students You may also need to have live audio and video communication with students during your class The platform you choose must be versatile enough to provide you with access to such features, and in an effective way.
In addition, since instructional content comes in various formats, you need to make sure that the software or platform supports content in all the widely-used formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Word, presentation, audio, and video, just to name a few.
Smartphones and tablets are radically transforming how we access content and stay connected We have instant access to information and expertise – from informal electronics lessons on YouTube to online courses Data was being consumed at a rapid pace on mobile devices and education was getting infused with our daily routine Mobile learning takes online education right to the student, making it their choice and not the teacher’s choice.
As pedagogy and learning needs change, learning tools evolve With the online education landscape changing rapidly, teachers and students are adapting to new technologies As more and more people join the online community owing to ease of use, scalability, flexibility, affordability and choosing the right platform or software continues to remain a crucial factor in the success of your teaching,training or business.”
Doug Madden, Honolulu Community College Revised Aug 3,(1999) stated that “The criteria of good online courses are those of the author based on the author's experience in web course development, writing, and research In view of the facts that there are many types of online courses, many disciplines with very different "modi operandi," many very different online audiences, and always the possibility of different but equally respectable approaches to teaching, not every criterium will always apply The criteria are intended to provide only a general guideline.”
Doug Madden, Honolulu Community College Revised Aug 3,(1999) refered to elements of good online courses He stated that the introduction to the course should be online continuously People possibly interested in the course should be able to access an overview of it before enrolling and verified its location on the web It also enabled them to communicate with the instructor before enrolling about course content, computer skills requirements, prerequisites A course syllabus should be part of the introduction
Training in accessing and navigating the course should be available Students often put off obtaining e-mail accounts as long as they can, avoid getting basic computer operation help until the class was underway, plan to purchase a computer and then find they cannot afford one when the time comes, or presume they can access the Internet if they simply have access to a computer Early communication with students was imperative, and pre-course basic training in how to navigate the course, use e-mail, and participate in class discussions was strongly advised.
A course syllabus should be presented no later than at the first class.Especially for students who have never before taken an online course and for whom the participation and and other requirements may be untypical, they need to know just as early as possible what to expect The syllabus should show at least the following:
Number and title of the course, instructor's name and e-mail address, instructor's office and (if available) home page location, instructor's in-person office hours and phone number, course start date, length of the course, and expected time involvement of students, textbook(s) and other materials needed for the course, an outline of the course format and a clear description or exercise in the use of navigational aids used in the course, a concise description of the course content,an evaluation plan and exam and project schedule, an explanation of the forms of student participation and instructor expectations regarding participation, and a list of all students in the class and a description of means for students to communicate online with both the entire class and with individual classmates.
The research hypothesis
The study was conducted at Topica Edtech Group whose product - Topica Native were used by a thousand of learners The learners experienced a new method of English learning that the teachers were thousands miles from them
In the first phase, questionnaires were administered to 500 learners at Topica Native from January to March 2018 The participants were asked to complete the questionnaire at home and returned their responses one week later so that they would have as much time as they needed.
The questionare comprises seven questions divided into two parts The first part, consists of questions about the learners general information The second part, from one to three investigates the attitude about English Thirdly, the rest questions related to learners’ difficulties and solutions when learning English online at Topica
In order to answer the questions, the data collected from the survey questionnaire would be categorized into degrees of lessons The quantitative data were analyzed in the form of tables Then the data were analyzed both descriptively and interpretively.
In short, this part has described in details the context, data collection procedure and data analysis used in this study Major findings will be presented and discussed in the next part.
Results and discussion
3.3.1 Current situation of online learning at Topica Edtech Group
The presented and analyzed data were taken from questionnaires for learners at Topica Native on January to March 2018.
Firstly, as can be seen from the table below, the learners’ profile plays a very important role in deciding what courses they should apply.
Years of learning English before attending
The total number of the students in the studying was 500 of which 290 were female and 210 were male
Most of students at Topica Native learnt English for less than 1 year (47%). 18.2% spent from 3 to 5 years studying this language 15.4 % had experience of 1 –
3 years in learning English while 3.4 % had no experience of learning English because they did not have it as a compulsory subject in high schools or they studied other languages such as French, Russian or Chinese before Most of the study subjects came from the countryside and provinces round Hanoi (82.2% equals 411 students) while only 89 were from big cities Their different places of domicile led to a greatly various experience in their English language learning Students from the countryside and provinces round Hanoi were taught English in traditional ways and had no opportunities to practice communicating English Therefore, it was hard for them to get acquainted with the approach of learning communication English
The attitude of Learners at Topica towards the position of English
The data about the attitude of learners at Topica Native towards the position of learning English was summarized in the table below.
Chart 3.3.1.2: Learners’ attitude toward learning English
It can be seen from the chart that in spite of some differences, almost students at Topica Native were aware of the importance of learning English Remarkably,60.2% and 34% supposed that learning English was very important and important respectively Only 3% had neutral idea about the importance of learning English.However, 2.8% and 0% claimed that it was not very important or unimportant.
Reasons for learning English online at Topica Native
Reasons No of students Percentage
I do not have much time to learn offline
I have no environment to practise
It was not effective when learning offline
Table 3.3.1.3: Reasons for learning English online at Topica Native
Information obtained from the survey reveals that the largest proportion of participants found learning English help them improve communication skills.Obviously, they had more motivations to learn English than other groups who learntEnglish just to pass the final exams (80.4%) or because they have no environment to practise Thus, teaching English online might be an appropriate way of helping them learn English for a variety of different reasons They learnt English online due to the fact that they wanted to improve their English but they did not have time,they used to learn English offline but it was not effective
The opinions of students at Topica Native about the matching with learning English online
Chart 3.3.1.4: Students’ opinions about how suitable with learning English online at Topica Native
The results in Chart 1 shows that the biggest rate of the opinion “Suitable”, with 35.3% while 24,4% felt strongly suitable “Not really suitable” accounted for 18,2% with most of the reason were that they found it difficult to follow the courses or the sequence was harder or easier than their level The last criterion was “Not suitable” that made up for 21,1% with various reasons such as they have bought the entire courses so they had to learn or they just found their favorite topics
3.3.2 Problems in learning English online for the learners at Topica Native
Ba d int er ne r a cc es s
In co nv en ien t p lat for m
Un qu ali fie d te ac he rs
La ck of fo cu s
Lim ite d tim e a llo wa nc e
Chart 3.3.2.1: Learners’ difficulties in learning English online at Topia Native
Surprisingly, the graph shows that the unqualified teachers in Topica Native were the most common difficulty that the learners have to face with The runner-up for the propotion was due to their limited time allowance Along with two common reasons, the learners also found that they would have less focus when they learnt online than learning in the real class Other reasons were the passive group : bad internet access, and inconvinient platform.
Reasons were divided into two groups , first were the objective reasons and second were subjective reasons The objective reasons were due to the Internet access, the number of learners at that moment The others were related to Topica Native’s disadvantages and learners’ obstacles.
Firstly, the Internet access played an important role to the quality of any lesson Some of the learners complained that the Internet access in Viet Nam gennerally was ranked 58th all over the world that made the learners annoyed when attend the class Sometimes they could not attend the class or could not absorb fully what the teachers said in the lesson
Moreover, the worst time to learn English online on Topica Native was in the evening due to the huge number of learners that often made website crushes. Topica Native was trying to optimizing the system to reduce the crushing website with the milion of accessers at the same moment
As regarded to the related facility, the computers of the learners were also the factors that caused difficulties for the studying online
To the Topica Native side, they admitted that their system had not been optimized Topica was the first organization in Viet Nam which applied for learningEnglish online by using its separate system There had been many other organizations teaching English online but they used the third application or supplier such as Skype or other communicating applications Topica Native was the pioneer in this feild that had applied in USA and other developed countries The pioneers always got into troubles because they need the time to experiment the new system Obviously, the system of Topica Native showed many errors For example, when starting the lesson, the teachers and the learners alway had to wait the technician from Topica Native to check and ensure the system in the class which wasted about five minutes.
Furthermore, the teachers force at Topica Native was the most complained factors that brought out the difficulties for the learners Topica Native was managing more than 1000 teachers all over the world which led to the obstacle to control the quality of the teachers
However, the other factors might come from the learners The online system sometimes made the learners become lack of focus The interaction between the teachers and the learners were limited
Chapter three presents the findings from the questionnaires Answers to each question were analyzed, categorized and later compwered with or contrasted to findings The suggested solutions in the last section of this cleared out the difficulties that online learners at Topica Native met and suggested some solutions from them.
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
Suggested solutions
Solutions to Problem 1: Bad internet access
There might be two reasons for the problems: from the internet access of the learners and from the internet access of the Topica Topica should check the internet access before the class started If there were any troubles with learners’ internet, the technicians should timely use the application: “Team viewer” to access into the learners’ computer or laptop
By this way, the technician could fix the technical problems as soon as possible
Solutions to Problem 2: Inconvinient platform
Topica native should make the daily survey for the learners to understand more about their difficulties to improve the user experience
A very good solution to this problem was to build up an IT work force for fixing all the errors or the false of the system to support the learners.
Solutions to Problem 3: Unqualified teachers
“This problem took me a lot of time to apply oral activities as unqualified teachers, they were at very low level of teaching Their background knowledge was good enough to speak; but their skill to make the learners clear should be considered”
Therefore, Topica ought to weekly hold up workshops or training classes for them to update new method of teaching and learning English.
The learners suggested that Topica should add the part “ rate the teacher” right after any courses This could be the tool which help Topica Native to classify the level of teachers all over the world
Solutions to Problem 4: Lack of focus
Topica Natve has applied AI (artificial intelligence) to analyze behavior of the learners Native Gen 4 which was launched in 2018 has been equipped with the lastest technology In the online classes, AI could estimate the learner’s level of focus throughout the facial expressions, voices or automatically estimate the progress of the learners
The lack of focus of online learners would be divided into many levels in order to warn and support them in the classes For instance, if the learners attended to the everyday class three times a week, the system would warn the learners at level 3, if the learners attended the class twice a week, the system would warn them at level 2 and if they did not attend the class in a week, the system would warm them at level 1 (red alert) The online teachers of the class would timely call the learners and support to solve learners’ problems
Solutions to Problem 5: Limited time allowance
At Topica Native‘s courses, each English lesson lasted 3 periods Teachers of English were responsible for teaching new English topics, structures and all the vocabulary related to these topics
Consequently, it was very difficult for both teachers and students to finish their tasks in 120 minutes (as 15 other minutes were used for a short break) Some learners expected that the lesson could be flexible according to the time of the learners Because Topica Native was proposed to let the learners choose the duration time for the lesson right before the lesson started.
Limitations of the study
Due to the lack of time, the data were only collected through one main instrument, with questionnaire, supported by opinions gathered from the certain group of learners Therefore the result of this study might only reflect a part of situation of learners at Topica Native There were many things that need considering and investigating thoroughly Mistakes and shortcomings were unavoidable so any comments or extra contributions were welcome.
Suggestions for further studies
Learning online still remained a wide overview to study Further research might focus on other parts like all the learners, teachers or the learning system technician As for a field of reality of learning English online at Topica Edtech Group, the researcher would suggest that the research be on core factors leading to the advantages of learning English online at Topica Edtech Group and the updating solutions to cope with the changes of the educational market in the future
This research was presented with the aims to investigate the problems in learning English online at Topica Native The research was based on the survey questionnaires The results of the research have made it possible to come to the following conclusion
Obviously, it was found that learning English online was the newest and most popular form of distance education today which shows many advantages for the learners rather than those in the traditional method The learners can save time, money and be applied the most modern technology in learning that leads to the higher effectiveness Topica Edtech Group with their product: Topica Native became the pioneer applying the method in language learning, opened the new revolution to the Vietnamese education
However, after popularizing this model for the English learners, they also have to cope with many problems Regarding the difficulties, the biggest challenges to all the learners were limited time allowance, bad system and teachers qualification. Based on the findings of the study, suggested solutions to each problem were given by learners themself and the reseacher
It was hoped that the study may be useful for learners and Topica EdtechGroup in teaching English and organizing the online class for the English learners in particular and to any groups of learners in general.
Asensio, M., Whatley, J & Jones, C (2001) ‘Taking over someone else’s design: implications for the tutor’s role in networked learning’,Association for Learning Technology Journal,vol 9, no 3, pp 65-74.
Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, vol 28, no 7, pp.1103- 1118.
Bazeley, P (2009) ‘Analysing qualitative data: more than‘identifying themes’’,Malaysian Journal of Qualitative Research, vol 2, pp 622.Burns, R. (2000) Introduction to Research Methods, Longman, Sydney.
Bloom, B.S 1953 Thought processes in lectures and discussions Journal of General Education 7: 55–71.
Caudle, L A & Moran, M J (2012) ‘Changes in understandings of three teachers’ beliefs and practice across time: moving from teacher preparation to service teaching’, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, vol 33, no 1, pp.
Clark and Mayer (2016, p.8) “Survey of Technology Enhanced Learning for Higher Education in the UK”
Denzin, N & Lincoln, Y.(2011) The SAGE Handbook of QualitativeResearch ,Sage,pp.1-20.
Entwistle, N & Walker, P (2000) ‘Strategic alertness and expanded awareness within sophisticated conceptions of teaching’, Instructional Science, vol 28, no 5, pp 335-361.
Gonzalez, C (2009) ‘Conceptions of, and approaches to, teaching online: a study of lecturers teaching postgraduate distance courses’, Higher Education, vol.
Goodyear, P (2005) ‘Educational design and networked learning: patterns, pattern languages and design practice’, Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, vol 21, no 1, pp.82-101.
Gunn, C.(2010) ‘Sustainability factors for e-learning initiatives’, Research in Learning Technology, vol 18, no 2, pp 89-103.
Guskey, T R.(1986) ‘Staff development and the process of teacher change’, Educational Researcher, vol 15, no 5, pp 5-12.
Hativa, N (2000) ‘Becoming a better teacher: a case of changing the pedagogical knowledge and beliefs of law professors’, Instructional Science, vol.
Investigations of e-Learning Patterns: Context Factors, Problems andSolutions, eds C Kohls & J Wedekind, IGI Global, Hershey, pp.86-106.
Kock and Garza 2011; Hattie 2009; Kock, Verville, and Garza 2007; Redpath
2012 Student characteristics for online learning success Internet and Higher Education 9: 91–105.
Lameras, P, Levy, Paraskakis, I & Webber, S (2012) ‘Blended university teaching using virtual learning environments: conceptions and approaches’, Instructional Science, vol 40, no 1, pp 141-157.
Laurillard, D & Ljubojevic, D (2011) ‘Evaluating learning designs through the formal representation of pedagogical patterns’
Littlejohn, A (2003) ‘Supporting sustainable e-learning’,Research in Learning Technology, vol.11, no 3, pp 88-102.
Mahdizadeh, H., Biemans, H & Mulder, M (2008) ‘Determining factors of the use of e-learning environments by university teachers’,Computers & Education, vol 51, no 1, pp.142-154.
Malkki, K & Lindblom-Ylanne, S.(2012) ‘From reflection to action? Barriers and bridges between higher education teachers’ thoughts and actions’, Studies in Higher Education, vol.37, no 1, pp 33-50.
Neumannn, W L.(2003)Social Research Methods: Qualitative andQuantitative Research,Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA.
Phillips, R., Kennedy, G & McNaught, C (2012) ‘The role of theory in learning technology evaluation research’,
Sangeeta Kakoty in “E-learning as a Research Area: An Analytical Approach” Ambient Insight, LLC, (January 2011)
Stacey, E, Smith, P J., & Barty, K (2004) “Student reflections on formative e-assessment: expectations and perceptions”, Learning, Media and Technology, vol 33, no.3, pp 221,234
Susi Peacock, Ann Robertson, Sarah Williams and Maria Giatsi Clause (2015): “Effective e-learning? Multi-tasking, distractions and boundary management by graduate students in an online environment”
The NMC Horizon Report: 2012 Higher Education Edition, The New MediaConsortium, Austin, Texas.
(For learners at Topica English )
Dear learners who are learning English online at Topica English,
These following survey questions are designed for the study” The reality of learning English online of learners at Topica Edtech Group” To get the best result of the research, I would be grateful to get your answers for these questions All the following information was only used for the research, not for any other purposes .
Part 2: Information on learning online
Please circle on your answer
Question 1: How long have you learned English online? a Never b Less than 1 year c 1 – 3 years d 3 – 5 years e More 5 years
Question 2: How important do you think about learning English? a.Very important b Important c Neutral d Not very important e Not important
Question 3: Do you usually learn English online on courses at Topica? a Very often b Often c Sometimes d Rarely e Never
Question 4: Why did you decide to learn Engish online? a I dont have much time to learn offline b I am lack of knowdege d I have no environment to practise e I am lazy f It was not effective when learning offline g.Others(
Question 5: Are the courses at Topica Native suitable for you? a Very suitable b Suitable c Not really suitable c Not suitable
Question 6: Why did you choose Topica English? a These courses were cheaper than other offline classes b Topica Native is famous c I attended the courses thanks to my acquaintance d Others
Question 7: What problems do you face up with when learning English online at Topica? a Bad interner access b Inconvenient platform