AN Experience of Synchronous On-Line Classes

Abstract

The M. A. in Bilingual Education at Nebrija University includes a diverse set of training tools which aims to facilitate the acquisition of various skills, among which language skills are the most important ones. As part of an active teaching method, the student is the protagonist of his own learning and the teacher is the expert in the field, the connoisseur of the best means to transmit knowledge and to help students improve their learning strategies. The teaching methodology used is blended learning, combining face-to-face and online classes through the virtual campus, a collaborative platform which makes use of typical e-learning educational spaces such as fora, chats, links, task box, documents, etc. Learning a second language at a distance is a very difficult task. However, live interaction supported by asynchronous learning systems can be crucial tools to aid the student. The tool Blackboard Collaborate constitutes the real novelty in the project. Through this on-line synchronous tool teachers and students can work together in real time in virtual classrooms. Asynchronically, students can complete assignments and self-evaluation tests online, communicate with their teachers and fellow students, or even view recorded classes that they might have missed. Our article aims at presenting and describing the tools used at the M.A. programme whose objective is providing students with effective content and foreign learning opportunities. The content of this article will also serve as the basis for future research about the adequacy of the method for the referred programme.