With the demand for online learning and the integration of
technology in many of the learning environments today from universities to corporate
training, organizations must not only think about effective ways to use the
technology and successfully deliver education online, but also how they use it
and how it can be managed. The best methods will be different for every
organization depending on what is taught, the technology they use and the
learning environments.
Englishtown is the largest online English school in the world, founded
as one of EF Education First’s affiliates in 1996, with a mission “to use
technology to create a fundamentally better way of learning English (EF
Education First Englishtown, n.d.).” Not only do they use technology in an
online learning environment, but it is built right into their mission as their
primary tool to improve English language study.
Englishtown has developed its own proprietary technology, called
iLab, which contains thousands of hours of content, to administer its online
English courses. Through a partnership with University of Cambridge in England to
research English and Applied Linguistics, and a partnership with Apple to
develop their Efekta learning method, Englishtown has used specific learning
theory and methodologies combined with a variety of technological delivery
methods to create a successful interactive learning environment for their
students (EF Education First Englishtown, n.d).
English town took five years creating and perfecting iLab and with
this technology in place, Englishtown combines adult learning methodology along
with the method of language training which is widely considered to be most
effective; students study vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar within context as
a tool to get them talking -- that is where the true comprehension begins,
which can present challenges in an online environment. "[Language] acquisition requires meaningful interactions in the
target language -- natural communication -- in which speakers are concerned not
with the form of their utterances but with the messages they are conveying and
understanding (Schutz, 2007).”
Efekta, Englishtown’s specialized learning system is summed up
with a learning methodology of “learn, try, apply,” and integrates a variety of
technical tools through iLab to vary the instruction with the goal of having
their students learn through seeing, hearing and using real English in the real
world. Before a student starts their program with Englishtown, iLab administers
an advanced diagnostic test as a needs assessment, and then breaks down the
learning into targeted lessons around the student’s weaknesses to create an
individual study plan (EF Education First Englishtown, n.d.).
Englishtown’s technology starts with quick interactive lessons,
using a library of over five hundred short videos produced exclusively at their
own studios in Hollywood, CA, allowing students to observe real English
speakers in real-life situations. These videos include an interactive sidebar
which asks the students questions in order for them to check their
comprehension of the material as they watch, followed by other interactive activities.
The students receive immediate feedback on the questions/completed activities and
can see where they need to improve. Virtual Flashcards (with over 75,000 words
and phrases) and a tool called, My Notebook (with access to over 70,000 words
from the Cambridge Dictionary for Advanced Learners) supplement the interactive
video lessons providing vocabulary, through both visual and audio mediums in
order to see the words and hear them be pronounced correctly. Students can use
these tools to see all vocabulary for their current lesson, as well as a long
list of other words, view translations and
create custom word lists allowing for targeted vocabulary building, along with practice
for proper use or context of the words and pronunciation There is also a
separate text to speech feature that
allows the student to enter any word in order to hear the correct
pronunciation, as well as translation of a word instantly for their
convenience, allowing them to practice listening and improve comprehension (EF
Education First Englishtown, n.d.).
Along with these video-based interactive lessons and complimentary
tools to support students in learning and practicing vocabulary, grammar,
listening comprehension and pronunciation, there are also options for
interaction with native-English speaking instructors via video conference
through their iLab system. Students can choose to join a small group or to have
a private lesson in which they may choose for the instructor to lead them
through a discussion based on their study program, or request a different topic,
such as practicing a job interview in English (EF Education First Englishtown,
n.d.).
Social Media is becoming more popular as a technology used in
education, and Englishtown has incorporated it into their program by creating
their own social network where students can interact with each other, being
matched with study partners based on similar jobs/careers, interests and language
abilities (EF Education First Englishtown, n.d.).
In summer 2011, Englishtown made their courseware available as an
iTunes application for students to access their Englishtown accounts on their iPads
(PR.com, 2011). Later that fall they introduced a free mobile application through
iTunes called, ‘EF My Words’ providing a ‘five-minute word workout’ (PR
Newswire, 2011).
Since 2010 alone Englishtown has won fourteen awards from
different organizations recognizing them for excellence in areas such as Education,
eLearning, Distance Learning, and more, with two of these awards specifically recognizing their Education
Management System. Englishtown created just that, a system/technology that
manages needs assessment, curriculum and individualized programs, interactive
activities, interaction with teachers and other students, and immediate
feedback to guide students in recognizing their strengths and learning where
they can work to improve their skills. Maintenance of such a system would
require a large information technology department, continued research and
development and regular updates to curriculum and lesson plans. With the
implementation of so many web 2.0 tools into the Englishtown curriculum, the
organization sets out clear expectations making the students and teachers
responsible for ensuring they have the minimum system requirements, along with
required broadband/high speed internet connections to be able to access the
iLab technology and tools from their homes or wherever they choose to teach or
study that day (EF Education First Englishtown, n.d.).
Englishtown has successfully created a platform to incorporate
best practices with cutting edge technology and web tools to give students an
interactive learning experience allowing them to learn English through
interactive video lessons, activities, group or private lessons with
native-English speakers via video conference, tools to learn and practice
vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation and listening comprehension, all while offering
the opportunity to practice and interact with other students with a similar
level of English. With all of this, and the many awards to illustrate Englishtown’s innovation and success, I wouldn't say they are in need of any immediate changes to improve the adult
learning experience, but there are ways they could do so
– there is always room for improvement.
With so many new tablets and smart phones hitting the market since
the launch of the iPad, their students are likely to possess a variety of
android and windows tablets and smart phones. Creating an application making
this technology available to students with other tablets would provide this
tool and opportunity for many more students to learn while on the go. Another opportunity to make their lessons,
activities and practice more accessible to students is to develop more tools to
make available as part of the smart phone applications. In a report by the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation promoting innovative education for Adult ESL
students through mobile technology, educational organizations in
Turkey, China, Canada and the United Kingdom were cited as examples for their initiatives
in “mobile-based ESL instruction through cell phones (The Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, 2008).” The study showed innovative instruction via a
mobile phone to be more user-friendly, interactive and flexible than many other
programs using only computers, or specific software programs (The Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation, 2008).
Though the iLab technology and the tools it provides for studying
English are innovative and provide students with many options for learning and
practicing their English through varied instructional methods and interaction,
when it comes to mobile access they fall short for many of their students, only
offering access through the iPad. Developing an application that will be
compatible with android and windows for other tablets would make lessons and
evaluations accessible to most of their students when they are away from their
computers. Getting creative with more
lessons available via smart phones, would offer students more flexibility and
the ability to practice for short periods while on a bus or waiting in line at
the movies. The more access the students have to Englishtown’s technology, the
better their learning experience will be.
Regardless of how well an organization creates or integrates
technology into their learning environment, or how successful they are as a
result, as Educators we need to always be striving to do better, to improve our
instruction, our mediums of delivery, our materials, and the benefits and
experiences of our students.
