Free «Employee Training in Virtual Classroom Using Active Learning» Essay Paper

Literature Review

The scholars agree that virtual reality, and classroom in particular, has already become an effective pedagogical tool. Since learning is enhanced in educational facilities, most studies address the effects of e-learning using virtual reality on outcomes of students. The quantity of studies dedicated to online learning through virtual classroom within managerial issues is much fewer; however, the effectiveness of online learning in high school or university education may be extrapolated on effectiveness of virtual classrooms in general, including workplace.

According to Meggs, Greer, and Collins (2012), Second Life, which is a virtual reality educational program, has resulted in advanced learning, critical thinking, collaboration and engagement of the students using it. Like most of other articles dedicated to virtual classrooms and active learning, this study involves the freshman students, who used Second Life as a foundation to interior design course. Meggs et al. (2012) determined the following areas of effects of the course: learning strategy, educational environment, and means of summative and formative learning. Apart from positive learning outcomes, the authors reported on the advantages of virtual learning within constructivist theory: enhancement of social constructivism, enhanced interaction, immersion, imagination, and increased independence and interaction among learners. Overall, it is worth noting that the investigation of Meggs et al., that includes feedback of instructors across 15 nations, concludes that virtual reality used as classroom has a constructive potential for active learning. The use of virtual classroom through constructivist perspective was also examined by Sharma, Agada, and Ruffin (2013). The authors studied the impact of virtual model of classroom with powerful visualization techniques and found that virtual classrooms facilitate learning experience and train users' mental abilities by introducing three-dimensional space (Sharma et al., 2013). The findings of Anna Ya Ni (2013) are less favoring to online education because she claims that the mode of instruction is not important since the progress of learners depends on quantity and quality of interaction, whereas the type of perceived information must also be compatible with online learning (Ni, 2013).

 

Type of service

Type of assignment

Title of your paper *

Academic level

Pages

Timeframe

Spacing

Currency

  Order now

The Virtual Classrooms may be based on individually designed courses as well as based on popular social networking. Milosevic, Zivkovic, Arsoc, and Manasijevic (2015) presented a case where the students were surveyed on their attitudes towards Facebook as a virtual classroom. Barker and Grossman (2013) also researched the attitudes of differed students on virtual classroom learning and found that it allows boosting the motivation to learn as well as the learning outcomes. The researchers concluded that Facebook improves education and widens students' knowledge, which means that social networking might be used as both basic and additional tool to train the employees.

The literature also contains information on special programs designed for e-learning. E-pSyLon (Granda, Nuno, Suarez, & Perez, 2013) is a synchronous platform for online learning in real time that was created to provide trainings in large companies. Granda et al. (2013) examined the significance of E-pSyLon in human resource training programs, whereas the platform itself was designed to create synchronous e-training. The results of real-time e-training conducted using this platform demonstrate that it facilitates highly interactive trainings and enhances learning experience (Granda et al., 2013).

It is worth paying attention to the concept of gamification, since it is widely applied in education. The matter is that incorporation of gamification into routine duties and existing systems would increase employees' engagement. Wood and Reiners (2012) included gamification into learning management system. They reported that it allows increasing active learning and engagement (2012). Using various designs of active learning platforms, the authors found that it considerably promotes active learning. In her study on virtual learning perception by the students and the teachers, Michael (2012) found that the virtual classrooms resulted in reduction of coasts and increased flexibility, whereas the negative aspects are resistance towards online learning, increase in online facilities and student engagement. Essentially, this study also addresses the limitations of virtual classroom strategies, namely the lack of support and training for instructors.

Martin, Parker, and Deale (2012) examined the synchronous virtual classrooms based on the interactivity provided by interviewing the students on learner-content, learner-instructor, learner-interface and learner-learner interactions. The results of their research report on effectiveness of virtual classrooms to facilitate interactions between the learners and between the learners and the instructors (Martin et al., 2012). The live communication using virtual classrooms were found to influence the students' interaction and learning, which may be assessed as another evidence of virtual classrooms’ effectiveness.

Stay Connected

Live Chat Order now

David, Salleh, and Iahad (2012) provided the analysis of e-learning at workplace and its potential to improve employees' performance. E-learning was announced to be one of the most significant innovations in education since the introduction of the Internet, and it may affect how and when the employees learn. The advantages of the e-learning include systematized feedback system, operation network based on computer, audio and video conferencing as well as Internet worldwide websites accompanied by computer-assisted instruction (David et al., 2012). The key advantage of this technology is that it provides life-long learning and the ability to combine education and work. Supplied by workplace technologies within e-learning, learning could be integrated into work more effectively due to the same tools at and outside the workplace. As stated in this study and confirmed in other multiply researches, the e-learning blurs the borders between work and home, making learning a bridge between the two. It is widely-recognized cost-effective tool that allows improving skills and capacities of the employees since there is a constant need to train staff due to the introduction of new technologies. Considering the fact that e-learning is frequently defined as pedagogy empowered by digital technologies, it should be stated that it incorporates the principles of classic learning and innovations to make the process more engaging. E-learning integrates web-based training, online learning, and technology-delivered instruction. Its functions may be divided into three types: computer skills, communication abilities, and increased knowledge in particular sphere (David et al., 2012). The correlation between labor productivity and use of e-learning has demonstrated that the latter is one of the crucial ways to convey important information since it transforms the employees into the learning society.

The essential characteristic of e-learning that makes it attractive for employees and employers is flexibility that gives opportunity of just-in-time learning. The study by Dalveren (2014) demonstrated that e-learning results in flexibility and improved learning outcomes compared to ordinary education. Besides, because receiving information is fulfilled in modules, e-learning creates the integration of individual needs with organizational learning instead of taking the entire courses that may contain irrelevant information. The employees are given greater control over their learning. They can design the training systems and use the technologies and equipment applied in organizational process. E-learning is also associated with the customization that provides multiply programs, access to experts, and learning delivery methods (David et al., 2012).

Though cost-effectiveness of e-learning compared to traditional learning has been emphasized by a number of researchers, it is worth paying attention to other benefits of e-learning compared to the traditional forms of it. As suggested by David et al. (2012), e-learning does not imply any traditional classroom and off-site training that make people move to different locations or provide time off work. This generally contributes to sufficient savings.

In addition, the researchers underline the new relationship between employers and employees, heavily affected by the use of technologies at workplace. In particular, employers are responsible for providing the tools for the employees, whereas the former bear responsibility on the value they add to the company. The employees emphasize on non-judgmental learning environment thanks to e-learning, as virtual classrooms are controlled by themselves while they and their employers are partners instead of master-servant relationship. Since the employers control the process, it encourages their autonomy and initiative to share information, communicate, and collaborate.

E-learning also provides very specific learning that was designed to make the employees and their companies benefit from additional education (Milhem, Abushamsieh, & Arostegui, 2014). E-learning contains numerous corporate and academic training based on a complex of courses, lesson, file management, participant administration, curriculum, report builders, certifications exams, evaluations, communication tool, monitoring, email notification, social network tools, and other elements (Milhem et al., 2014).

Conkova (2013) views the emergence of e-learning in the context of optimization of education. However, she states that including blended learning that combines e-learning with face-to-face training would be more effective than ordinary education. Though Conkova addresses the benefits of e-learning for organizational needs, she also raises the significance of different styles of business training to maximize the use of learning. In the study by Ramos and Garcia-Penalvo (2013), the results are similar to Conkova's findings; namely, the online learning has a variety of benefits, but it should be combined with face-to-face learning to maximize the benefits of mixed learning environments (Ramos & Garcia-Penalvo, 2013).

Martin and Parker (2014) investigated the use of synchronous virtual classrooms and found that it is practiced in campuses because it allows communicating with the colleagues directly and starting a discussion. The e-learning was stated to be the cost-effective solution for higher education, as confirmed in the previous studies.