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Is learning English online less effective than
learning in a face-to-face classroom?
By Fatima S. Odiver
TITC Diploma TESOL – Research Assignment
23 July 2015
I. Introduction
The advancement of technology has forever changed the face of education. It has made
education more accessible and abundant to many people around the world. Nowadays, it is
possible for an individual or a group to take classes online without being physically present in
the same room, but in a virtual room. Online education has been made available to learners from
K-12 to higher education and even to adult learners taking courses for professional development
(Sloan, 2010). The pervasiveness of computers and internet has not only become useful for
personal and business development, but also in education. Today, we can seize this technology to
reach more learners in distant and remote areas or even adults working full-time in an office or at
home. Students enrolled in schools can also have an option to choose subjects to take online
while taking other subjects in a face-to-face class. Online learning has become popular to many
students from young learners to adults all over the world with its ‘anytime-anywhere’ unique
selling point. Schools and private organizations also offer online courses and degrees, without
requiring the students to go physically to a school. This availability of online education has also
become a powerful response to assist this century’s workforce in its growing need to acquire and
develop skills. Thus, this option for online education has also become a motivation to engage in
lifelong learning.
While online learning is available from K-12 to professional development, this paper aims to
shed light to the reality of online English learning as part of professional development. Learning
English online has become a booming business employing millions of online teachers from
English-speaking countries. While this is becoming a booming industry, some frown upon the
quality of its learning outcome. So the question I would like to pose now is, “Is online learning
less effective than face-to-face classroom learning?”Through literature review, this paper will

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present issues, challenges and arguments to help an individual or organization make an informed
decision in choosing online learning.
Background and definition of terms
Online learning's roots can be traced 100 years ago when distance education was also possible
through correspondence courses. Then, we passed through a generation of Walkman, VHS
player, DVD and iPod which were also used to support learning activities, until worldwide web
sharing and virtual interaction were made possible through the Internet. With the increasing
popularity of online degrees and courses for professional development, both young and adult
learners should make a careful analyis of the online education's current status before investing on
it. Learners must not only follow a trend or what is convenient and cost-effective, then later on
be in despair because of unmet expectations. When the efficiency of a program and quality
learning outcome are being questioned, one must evaluate the factors that make up the whole.
Let me begin with a brief background and definition of terminologies associated to online
education. Online education is also commonly known as e-learning or virtual learning. It is a
setting where a learner receives education with the use of a computer and other learning
technologies that supplement learning. Some learning programs are a mix of online and face-to-
face class. This is called 'blended learning.' The popular hook to learn 'anytime, anywhere' is
more appropriately termed as 'asynchronous e-learning.' Asynchronous e-learning allows
learners and teachers to work together in a learning program facilitated by email, discussion
boards, portals and other media that do not require participants to be online at the same time.
Participants can log on to a specified e-learning environment to download and upload
documents, send messages to peers and teachers. Many people take online courses because of
this idea of asynchronous setting. This makes it possible for learners to combine education with
other commitments such as work and family.
On the other hand, there is an option that simulates a face-to-face environment which is called
the synchronous e-learning. Synchronous e-learning allows participants to have a real-time
conversation as they are commonly facilitated by a videoconferencing software, document
sharing tools, instant messaging and sometimes with a web camera.

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As clarified by Babson Survey Reseach Group (January 2013), "online courses are those in
which at least 80 percent of the course content is delivered online." If a course delivers contents
online from zero to 29 percent, it is categorized as face-to-face instruction. A traditional course
is a course where content is delivered in writing or orally and no online technology is used. Some
courses are web-facilitated courses which use a web-based technology to facilitate a face-to-face
course and may sometimes use web pages or a course management system to post class materials
and assignments. The blended or hybrid course is the course that uses a combination of online
and face-to-face content delivery.
Statistics on online learners
There is a growing adult learning market that causes a massive demand for a practical
arrangement that online distance education can offer. In the last years, there has been a dramatic
increase in online courses and programs offered in the United States (Allen & Seaman, 2013).
Traditional programs in some disciplines such as MBA have decreases in enrollment, while there
has been an increase in the programs offered online (Graduate Management Admission Council,
2004).
A study presented by the National Education Association (NEA, 2000) in the United States
shows that 10% of their members are teaching distance education (DE) courses where 44% are
conducted as web-based and 54% depend on video technology. On the other side, the Sloan
Consortium (2005) in higher education shows that 65% of graduate schools offering face-to-face
courses also offer their courses online, and 63% of undergraduate schools offering face-to-face
also offer their courses online.
According to the Babson Research Group, their yearly report shows an increase of online
enrollment rates. This indicates that the growth of online enrollment is ten times than of the rate
in all higher education with the data of 6.1 million or 31% of students in the US taking at least
one online course in Fall 2010. It was also reported that the number of students taking at least
one online course increased by over 570,000 to a new total of 6.7 million (Allen & Seaman,
2013).

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A few years ago, there was much skepticism on the quality of online education, but this has
subsided as millions of people have started to experience the flexibility, accessibility and
practicality of online learning. Even the NBA star Shaquille O'Neal was praised for finishing his
MBA degree in 2005 from an online program provided by the University of Phoenix. Then,
there are other stars like Shannen Doherty, James Franco, Paul Goldschmidt, Hilary Duff and
more who have also taken courses online.
In the workplace, most companies no longer view online degrees as unacceptable. More and
more people climb up the career ladder as they earn certification and degrees from online
programs (Drummond, 2004; Schneider, 2004; Sharples, 2004).
With this growing number of providers, those who are planning to take online programs should
be wise in making their selection. Online providers, like other businesses, have their selling
points, testimonies and promises. Online consumers should be aware of what is realistic or not.
Moreover, research reports display optimism in the improving quality of online programs
especially in the coming years. There are also quality standards to consider when assessing the
effectiveness of online learning programs (Achtemeier, Morris, & Finnegan, 2003; Lorenzo &
Moore, 2002). Thus, we can say that it is no longer a question whether online programs are a
good investment or not. It has been a widely acceptable option that benefited many. The question
now is which online provider to choose and how online consumers can be properly guided in
their decision making. We can say that technology also presents challenges to traditional
universities and colleges as more learners choose to take classes virtually.
Online course providers
Given such demand for online learning, it is not surprising why traditional universities give birth
to what is called "extended universities" by providing online programs. In the United States
alone, there are over 260 schools offering online education programs that are recognized by the
US Department of Education and most are recognized by DEAC. DEAC or Distance Education
Accrediting Commission is the primary accrediting body that recognizes online schools. The
competition is growing stronger among traditional universities, for-profit and not-for-profit
online education providers. It was also observed how online language education has been

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commercialized and exported to developing and rich countries. These online language
institutions provide graduate certificates, masters, doctorates, professional certificates and
professional development workshops (Murray, 2013). These providers include public and private
universities, professional associations and publishers.
In online language teacher education, there was also a significant growth from 20 to more than
120 programs from the mid-1990s to 2009 (Murray, 2013). The Online Language Teacher
Education (OLTE) programs found on the web shows that 106 of these programs are offered by
universities or college-based, while the 80 were offered by private companies or professional
associations. Most of them (157) are headquartered in English-speaking countries, with 74 based
in the US.
Nowadays, one can find universities, even prestigious universities, offering free online courses to
anyone in the world. This is called the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) and it has grown
significantly since 2008 at the University of Manitoba when Stephen Downes and George
Siemens introduced it for a learning theory course. The privilege to learn from the top educators
of the best universities for free has captured the interest of millions who have registered for
MOOCs across the globe. Stanford professors at one time also offered a course on artificial
intelligence that attracted 160,000 students from 195 countries, where students received a
certificate of accomplishment (Murray, 2013). There are also free courses on electronics and
circuits that can make one earn a certificate of mastery from Harvard and MIT. MOOC had
merged around three providers known as Udacity, Coursera and edX. Udacity is a private
educational organization, Coursera is for-profit company, and they offer a lot of courses for free,
while edX is a non-profit organization. These institutions offer a variety of courses that anyone
can avail online. While MOOCs have been around for some time, only a very small number of
higher education institutions have MOOC, some are in the planning stage and most remain
undecided (Allen & Seaman, 2013).
Online Course Report has recently released its Top 50 Online Course-Providing Universities of
2015 where the list was also divided into two: a degree-granting program and a non-credit
course. In ranking these degree-granting universities, they incorporated the overall quality of the
program such as the range of offerings, online support services and the ranking of the online

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program's parent institution. On the other hand, universities offering non-credit online courses
were assessed based on the number of courses they offer, overall ranking of the online program's
parent institution and their range of online-support services including project-based learning,
video lectures, exams, certifications, interactive environments, forums, and supplementary
material (Cook, 2015). The list shows top universities such as Harvard University, Duke
University, Yale University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton University and the
description of the free courses they offer. Most MOOC courses from these universities are
offered through platforms such as edX and Coursera using YouTube, iTunes and other portals.
The popularity of online courses being taken here and there, anytime and anywhere, has naturally
brought forth online English programs for ESL and EFL learners. The demand in the use of
English as a language of business or lingua franca has also led to the growth of these online and
offline courses. This popularity in learning English online for young and adult learners is also
receiving strong criticism like the online academic courses. As the question on quality is being
raised for virtual schooling in K-12 level, so is the question posted on the learning outcome from
these online language training providers.
Even many years ago, when English classes are being reinvented with computer or web support,
some already view that this technological transformation in education is caused by the vendors of
network software, hardware and content who invest in the education industry for their own
benefit and not truly about education at all (Noble, 1998). While some view online courses as
low-level of work, on the other hand, more and more companies are also acknowledging these
degrees and certifications earned online as valid credentials. With all these skepticism and
criticism from different fields debating on the motives on propagating online education, a learner
who has experienced the program can have a strong testimony to prove or debunk the presented
claims.
Assessing the quality
It is important to understand that there are various techniques and methods available to collect
data to evaluate online teaching. For instance, peer review can generate data to assess the course

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design and content. The delivery of instruction and effectiveness of the technology can be
assessed by student questionnaires, survey, teacher report and interviews.
A few years ago, an informative reseach was released by the US Department of Education
(revised September 2010) entitled "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning:
A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies." One of its findings show that there
has not been a lot of research done lately about online learning. Also, the term online learning
also varies from one instution to another. When online databases were searched, there were only
a few results and some have different versions of online learning. Some studies contrasted purely
online, online with face-to-face, online with and without elements such as videos, online quizzes,
etc. It explains an unexpected finding in the literature search that there was not an extensive
research published available to compare the learning effectiveness of online and face-to-face
instruction for K-12 students from 1996-2006. While only a few rigorous studies have been
published on the effectiveness of online learning for K-12 students, the meta-analysis of study
effects taken from research with older learners show that , “students in online conditions
performed modestly better, on average, than those learning the same material through traditional
face-to-face instruction.” Other key findings show that, “ instruction combining online and face-
to-face elements had a larger advantage relative to purely face-to-face instruction than did purely
online instruction; the effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across
different content and learner types (Means et al., 2010).”
Factors to consider when assessing quality
The Sloan Consortium established the Five Pillars for Quality Online Education in the mid 90's
which serve as the framework for assessing and developing asynchronous online programs
(Lorenzo & Moore, 2002). The five pillars are the following: learning effectiveness, student
satisfaction, faculty satisfaction, cost effectiveness and access. Sloan-C has created a website that
they update regularly to present effective practices for each pillar that editors have gathered from
their reseach on published and unpublished practices. The information available in the Sloan-C
website is useful to consumers of online education searching for information about institutions
and their offers.

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It is understandable that not all institutions will be categorized and supported by research.
However, online education consumers would have this continuous need to make a wise decision.
In this case, one can decide by understanding the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of
online education.
To assess a course's effectivity, one must look at the elements that make up the whole course.
Although face-to-face and online courses are different, both require an approach to design the
teaching evaluation. In both types of courses, these three dimensions should be evaluated: 1)
subject matter mastery 2) instructional delivery and 3) course design (Cashin, 1989). However,
in online teaching, there are more dimensions to consider that are related to its functioning in the
online environment. In creating an online course and designing its evaluation, we must consider
the course content, delivery of instruction, course design, communication and interaction, student
time spent on learning tasks and assessment of student learning (Zhu, Payette & DeZure, 2003).
With the commercialization of online education such as learning English online, one may not
have the luxury of time to conduct a formal research to help in their decision making process.
Nevertheless, a personal secondary research can be done by anyone provided that they are aware
of the factors that contribute to the effective learning outcome. In the succeeding pages, I wish to
discuss these factors contributing to the quality of online learning in three categories: assessing
the delivery of instruction, quality of interaction and competence of the instructor.
Quality of instruction
Factors affecting withdrawal rates in online courses include mode of instruction and maintaining
course quality (Instructional Technology Council, 2010). Online learning can be as effective as a
face-to-face class given the appropriate and quality delivery of instruction.
As pointed out earlier, online education’s mode of instruction can be classified as blended, web-
enhanced, asynchronous and synchronous. Regardless of its technical mode, it is important to
understand that the effectiveness of online training can be achieved with the quality delivery of
instruction according to its mode. Depending on the class size, level, subject, setting and learning
goals, providers should carefully consider the delivery of instruction. Quality of instruction
should also be motivating, interesting and relevant. Therefore, providers must take into account

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the appropriateness of tools used (e.g. video conference, PowerPoint slides, etc.) in delivering the
course materials (Zhu, et. al., 2003). Since technology is partially substituting the role of a
teacher in an online class, course websites should also be useful in their instructions to activities,
interface, navigation (Zhu, et. al., 2003), where online trainees would not feel lost in accessing
the course website.
Online educators can learn from Chickering and Gamson's (1987) "Seven Principles of Good
Practice in Undergraduate Education" which has been recognized as pillars of effective teaching
and learning in higher education which has also been a model to effective instruction in online
distance education.
The authors identified the principles that are generally present in quality instruction:
1. encourage student-faculty contact,
2. encourage cooperation among students,
3. encourage active learning,
4. give prompt feedback,
5. emphasize time on-task,
6. communicate high expectations,
7. and respect diversity
Doubtlessly, these principles can be applied in online learning.
The Internet Advantage
We can learn from web-integrated ESL classes in the past on how they have optimized their
English language learning experience through the Internet. We can set the same goal for online
classes, whether blended, asynchronous or synchronous, for as long as there would be a teacher
input and guidance on the student's language learning.

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The Internet can be simply motivating to students as they develop their English proficiency
skills. Not only it is trendy, but it also practical as it is useful in life (Muehleisen, 1997).
Learners are also set to be motivated in several ways once they are involved in an English
language program using the Internet. It is motivating for learners to experience how people from
across the globe can easily interact through technology. Since most of the information on the
internet is in English, learners also appreciate learning and activating their language skills.
The Internet being text driven, also encourages learners to participate in electronic discourse
which is more complex syntactically and lexically than oral discourse. As a result, students use a
broader range of English as they participate in emails and discussion groups (Warschauer, 1997)
. There is also an increase in reading and writing skills when the Internet is used effectively in
interacting with people. Truly, the internet provides a real language experience that is functional
and motivating.
While face-to-face second language education is still of value, we also need to consider where
the learners usually are and their interests. In this century where almost everyone is online, it has
also inevitably become a rich learning ground. However, it is also possible that a learner will
only become indulged in the tool without significant improvement in the language competency
compared to language learners in the past who had no or limited access to the modern learning
tools we have nowadays (Kwok, 2015). Therefore, it is important to remember that in second
language learning, interaction with another human being in the target language is essential than
solely interacting with robot or avatar teachers. Technology always has its limitations so it is
valuable that there is a human facilitation to encourage fluency and provide feedback on the
learner.
Once again, second language learning through the internet should be integrated and not only as
an add-on to the English learning program. Moreover, having a successful program also means
having an active teacher involvement.

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Quality of interaction
It was reported that in community colleges, withdrawal rate in online courses is at least 20%
higher than the withdrawals in traditional courses (Aragon & Johnson, 2008). One argument
presented was the limited student interaction (Sonwalkar, 2009).
However, quality interaction in online education is affected by various factors such as learner
motivation, issue of isolation, technology tools that can simulate a face-to-face class. An Online
English class can be as effective as in a face-to-face class if there is sufficient and appropriate
interaction.
One of the points I would like to make is the impact of interaction to the motivation and
reflection on the learners. Online learning requires a lot of motivation from the learner to finish
the course and this motivation can somehow be influenced by the instructor. Motivation can be
increased by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner
reflection. Studies indicate that manipulations triggering learner activity or learner reflection and
self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as
individuals. (Means, et al., 2010). This shows that extrinsic motivation can influence only up to a
point, but the intrinsic motivation is stronger than the other.
It is also worth noting that online learning with less or no interaction can be considerably
difficult to complete, like the courses offered in MOOC. While MOOC provides some free and
valuable courses, it would take serious effort and discipline from the learners to finish a course.
In the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning where Massive Open
Online Course completion rates were revisited and analyzed according to the assessment method
after the course, course length and attrition rates (Jordan, 2014), it was reported how MOOCs
enrollment rate has plummeted since inception.
Quality interaction can also be achieved given the right technology tools. Management and
facilitation of class can be done via conferences and discussions. There should also be adequate
communication with students via email, phone or other interactive softwares. Institutions should
also take into account their availability to respond to student questions and the frequency of

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feedback the instructors give during the course (Zhu, et. al., 2003). Again, we can see here the
role of technology tools in aiding teachers to achieve quality interaction.
When discussing online learning, the issue of isolation is always on the list. But this can be
overcome when there is proper facilitation to encourage interaction. Interaction can be made
possible in synchronous and asynchronous methods.
The quality of interaction differ in asynchronous and synchronous presentation. While some
debate on which one is more superior than the other in quality, Stefan Hrastinski (2008)
presented in his article that asynchronous and synchronous e-learning methods support each
other in different purposes as both have limitations and benefits. Most learners become attracted
to the asynchronous nature of online learning that suggests they can learn anytime, anywhere.
This asynchronous e-learning is commonly facilitated by media such as email, discussion board
and so forth where participants are not required to be online all at the same time. In this case,
when asked to make a contribution on a certain topic, participants are not obliged to deliver
answers impromptu. Thus, they have more time to compose a more thoughtful contribution to the
discussion unlike in synchronous e-learning where there is a higher level of frustration from
participants because they are asked and expected to give answers real time. However,
synchronous e-learning has the potental to develop learning communities and it combats the
classic issue of feeling isolated since participants are connected real time through media such as
videoconfercing, chat, VoIP and so forth.
I would like to emphasize the point that online learning is even more effective if done
synchronously with a teacher. It overcomes the issue of isolation and it develops learning
communities. Indeed, online classes in synchronous setting simulate a classroom setting. For
instance, Brendan Dwyer, the director of research and distance learning in VCU, expressed in his
paper, "Can you hear me now? Creating and maintaining an effective synchronous online
learning environment," some issues of online educators in facilitating meaningful interaction in
online settings. The paper was written to present the challenges, solutions and best practices in
using their web-conferencing software called Wimba Live Classroom (WLC). This tool was
designed by educators with the focus on the content and the speaker. The WLC enables
participants to interact in a domain simulating a face-to-face course with the use of the web, a

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real-time audio, video, whiteboard and Powerpoint. Breakout rooms for group work can be
created by instructors using this software. It also automatically records and archives sessions for
future reference. There are also interactive functions such as real-time audio, instant messaging,
yes or no feedback buttons, clapping, smiling, hand raising, thumbs up and more. Both
participants, trainer and trainee, only need a strong internet connection, a computer and a headset
with a microphone.
Dweyer also explains that online education has become popular partly because of the idea of
learning "anytime, anywhere" which is the asynchronous method in online learning. While AIM
(asynchronous instructional method) has allowed students to learn at their own pace, it was also
reported to be a major cause of student withdrawals (Grint, 1989; Hiltz & Wellman, 1997; Lake,
1990) because of its lack of real-time exchange. This resulted to having more online education
experts advocating synchronous sessions to complement asynchronous online courses (Schullo et
al., 2005). It was also concluded by Skylar (2009) that both AIMs (asynchronous instructional
method) and SIMs (synchronous instructional method) were effective, but a survey showed that
three-fourths of the student respondents would prefer an online course delivered in SIM. In a pre-
test and post-test of preservice teachers done by Levin, He, Robbins (2006), it indicated that the
teachers actually preferred the SIMs discussion. They provided reasons such as having the real-
time discussion, receiving immediate feedback and the convenience of having a chat real-time.
Their school's use of WLC presented imperfections like all technology tools. Dweyer presented
the compilation of issues based on the perspective of the students, instructors and administrators.
It presented issues such as the timing to determine who will speak next, absence of nonverbal
communication, encouraging all participants to speak, technical programming updates, browser
compatibility, connectivity, video feed, audio dropout, microphone feedback and other
malfunctions when using web videos and Powerpoint slides.
Dweyer’s research has presented very well the effectivity of using the WLC software. Given
those facts that the features worked very well to simulate a FTF class, we can actually make an
online SIM session more effective by using an alternative software such as Cisco Webex or
anything alike that has webcam. Cisco Webex is a tool for business meetings and web-
conferencing where one can see each other via webcam, can work on uploaded worksheets,

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whiteboard, file sharing, web browsing, screen sharing, instant messaging, polling, notepad and
more. Cisco Webex is currenltly being used by an established French-based training company to
teach English online. Adobe Connect is one among many other alternatives that online teachers
and learners can explore.
Competence of the instructor
The effectivity of an online course can notably be affected by the competence of the online
instructor. Moreover, when choosing an online education provider or planning to be one, it is
essential to understand the challenges this e-learning setting brings to the instructors. Once again,
it also depends on the type of online session, subject to learn and software to use. Understanding
these components will rather assist an online consumer in their personal assessment and in
asking the provider the right questions before enrolling in a program.
Classroom teachers who are required at the same time to conduct online classes are faced with
multiple challenges such as the challenge of adaptation, time requirements and technical issues.
Teaching their lessons online from a face-to-face class proves to be an uneasy task as comments
of interviewed teachers were analyzed (Arabasz, et al, 2003).
As for their adaptation rule in e-learning course development, the research suggested this
sequential pattern: first, instructors begin with less complex activities. Second, they can begin
focusing on the pedagogical aspects. It is the teacher's skill and decision if an activity is best
discussed through email or discussion board. Third, instructors need to rethink their course
concepts accordingly. An example given was the electronic course in which the adaptation
process means starting over completely. Teachers are challenged to build an extensive plan that
would make the instruction fit within the technological constraints. Lastly, instructors can begin
referencing other teaching models. This pattern was explained to go from strict conversion to
true innovation. Paul Faber, dean of arts and sciences from Fort Hays State University explained
that most e-learning courses were adapted typically by instructors from classroom mode. But as
the teacher gains experience, the medium used becomes a little different and more unorthodox.
Furthermore, we can imagine how these issues and patterns translate to an online English class.
Some language activities may be successful and enjoyable in a face-to-face class, but this does

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not always translate well when conducted online. In-class activities on communicative lessons
such as pairwork, group work, match the cut-outs and writing on the board may not be as
exciting when done online. However, a competent ESL instructor would know how to modify
the lesson activities and facilitation in a way that would still achieve the desired learning
outcome.
Aside from converting classroom instruction to e-learning mode, instructors must also add the
challenge of possible technical issues. When technical issues occur, the flow of thought becomes
disrupted. This trouble of having downtime will be shouldered by an instructor who needs to be
quick to think and flexibly continue the session despite the interruption. For this reason, an ESL
instructor should be competent enough to understand if the setting and activities are appropriate
to the learner’s level and age.
Another frequently quoted obstacle in online teaching is the time requirement to develop and
maintain an e-learning course. During this process, instructors need to restructure their lessons to
e-learning mode. Instructors along the way also need time to do some technical training. Since
the interaction is online, instructors require more time to communicate to students via email
which is described as the "800-pound gorilla" of e-learning (Arabasz et al, 2003). This calls for
the ESL instructors’ creativity and resourcefulness. They decide whether they will use their
existing favorite class handouts and manually produce a softcopy for their online classes,
subscribe to online program to aid their online teaching or use free websites with numerous
language exercises.
These are just some of e-learning's added demands to online instructors. This could differ upon
the software being used by an institution, course management system, learning program and
course requirement. Some online English training providers have their own tools and materials
so teachers will not have to start their online English classes from scratch.
On the other hand, teachers can be even more competent and confident when trained how to
handle online classes. Seasoned classroom teachers should also receive online training as they
will be soaring in a different setting. Technical problems may occur and interrupt the class so it
will be an advantage if a teacher is also trained to do basic troubleshooting on the software being

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used in class. Aside from learning how to use software programs that can facilitate an interactive
classes, teacher training should also include a discussion on the differences between online
teaching versus traditional teaching, course management challenges, how to organize materials
for online classes, strategies that promote participation and interaction (Ko & Rossen, 2001).
Competent teachers would know how to design a course goal and set the desired learning
outcome with the student, like what teachers do in a face-to-face class. An interactive online
class should be based on the needs and interests of the students. The technology tools to use will
also be determined by the course goals. It is also during the design stage where we can address
how to assess student learning effectively (Zhu, et. al., 2003). Competent teachers has the skills
to assess student learning. Trained online instructors also know how to adapt their teaching
materials and methods to their online environment that would not misalign to their course goals .
Quality learning experience can be achieved when the challenges of e-learning mentioned are
conquered by competent instructors.
The Learners’ role
The three arguments presented above rely mostly on the online learning providers and
instructors: quality instruction, interaction and instructors. Needless to say, learners also have
their significant role to play. To make an online learning class successful, such as an online
English class, learners should first, carefully research the provider they would invest in. The
qualitative factors presented earlier would assist in the decision making. Second, learners should
have the proper expectation on the program they are taking. Many are disillusioned that this
online program is easier to complete than a traditional face-to-face program. They underestimate
the level of commitment it will take from them. As reported, students usually struggle with the
level of autonomy and time management required to finish the online course (Brophy, 2010).
Nonetheless, online learning has truly provided countless benefits that were not possible in the
past decades.

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Conclusion
While it was reported that the higher education is dealing with the increased failure rates and
student withdrawal, these are actually rooted in several factors. This also cannot be directly
compared to an adult learning taking English courses for professional development since this
group is customarily self-motivated and self-directed unlike students in an academe.
Given all the arguments presented above, we can conclude that learning English online can be as
effective as in a face-to-face class provided that they have sufficient interaction, appropriate
technology to simulate a face-to-face class and quality instruction, which are all rather dependent
on the competence of the language facilitator.
Some people may continue to be skeptical about the quality of online learning, but we cannot
also deny that modern technology in education is here to stay. With all the advantages presented,
learning English online cannot be viewed as substandard, but developing. At some points, online
learning has advantages over traditional classroom learning. Although online distance learning
has shortcomings as it is still developing, one must admit that it has proven to be practical, cost-
effective, convenient, time-efficient and vigorously growing over the years (Barfield and
Katsura, 1996; Bourne et al, 1997; Means, et al, 2010; Allen & Seaman, 2013).
While there are reports and data presenting dropouts and failure in completion of online courses,
this cannot be fully blamed on the efficiency of the online program itself, but on several factors
affecting the overall quality. Nonetheless, these reports served as an eye-opener for online
providers to take into account what should be improved in the program. Years of research also
showed growth in online learning, development in technology which has assisted online
programs to improve standards.
As explained in the three arguments earlier, an online consumer can assess the quality of the
online learning program by analyzing its quality on the delivery of instruction, interaction and
instructor’s competence. There are many challenges in translating face-to-face to online
instruction, but there are also considerable advantages in taking online distance classes provided
that the essentials are not lost: quality instruction and interaction supported by the right
technology tools yet personally facilitated by a competent instructor who is well-trained,

18. 18
knowledgeable and flexible to conduct online classes to achieve the same desirable learning
outcome as in the face-to-face setting. It is also important to note that online learning programs,
such as online English classes, have a combination of methods that will develop a student’s
appreciation for lifelong learning, which is required of the workforce in this century.
After reviewing different studies about the advantages and disadvantages, problems and
solutions combined with testimonies from instructors and learners, one has no reason not to
consider taking online classes for higher education or professional development. Similarly,
learning English online can be as effective as learning English in a face-to-face class. Its
practicality and flexibility have encouraged adult learners with competing responsibilities to
engage in lifelong learning to improve their career and quality of life. By understanding how the
online program operates and the factors contributing to its efficiency, one can decide in selecting
the right online program to meet his or her needs.
We are in the early years of online learning and the possibilities are endless. Engaging this
century’s workforce in lifelong learning, is one of the achievements of online distance learning,
as it consequently contributes to economic growth.
Perhaps, further research should be done on the impact of online learning to adult learners to
convince them of the benefits of learning English online. Since these learners have the firsthand
experience of the online learning program, their performance after the course can serve as a
strong testimony to the quality of the online program they have taken.
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