Virtual Classrooms

By: Ayesha Aldoghan

6/1/2014

 Many schools and businesses have rolled out virtual classrooms. Other schools and businesses are thinking about it, so what the virtual classroom is, how the virtual classroom works, and what the benefits of the virtual classroom are.

What is the virtual classroom? The virtual classroom is typically like the real classroom but with some advanced technology in the sipper space, and without face to face meeting. 

The virtual classroom work process simulates what happen in a physical classroom. A teacher explains information taking place by using microphone to talk with, board to write in by keyboard or touch board, and monitor to present some information or picture. Student ask for permission to put a comment or answer a question by clicking a bottom then he writes his comment in a space in a chat room after he got the permission. Users or students want to interact with others within a virtual classroom. They want to share their ideas at a point in the discussion when those ideas are relevant, and they want to see how other participants feel about the discussion taking place.

There are three major advantages of virtual classroom. First advantage is the cost of virtual classroom is less than physical classroom. Students save money by not having to commute to class thus saving time, gasoline, childcare, and travel expenses.  Another advantage of the virtual classroom is time. People who are motivated and/or quick learners may be permitted to move ahead at a faster rate than in a normal in-class setting. Communication via virtual classroom is also considered as a time benefit because most contact with instructors will be done via email, messages can be sent faster and at any time day or night. The last advantage is the notion of distance. That is acting as an actual aid to the teaching and learning. The technology used increased group cohesion and mutual support especially in the remote classroom.

In conclusion, the virtual classroom is an easy tool to use in work and education. It is cheaper, it is able to use at home, and it is faster. Therefore, we can expect to see more virtual classrooms in future.http://www.clarktraining.com/content/articles/HarnessingTheVC.pdf