Under the pandemic, most educational institutions have relied heavily on teaching courses online during this past year. Suddenly, faculty and students are forced to use that medium almost 100% of the time. This unique situation presents the reality that e-learning is not a panacea but the realization that it is a different delivery media. Therefore e-learning will not replace other delivery media such as face-to-face or hybrid courses. Clark & Mayers (2016) reminds us that "From the plethora of media comparison research over the past sixty years, we have learned that it's not the delivery medium, but rather the instructional methods that cause learning." (p. 13)
When we teach online, we need to understand the unique e-learning capabilities and use the current learning, cognitive and psychological theories. For teaching language online, educators need to follow ACTFL standards, SLA theories, and align their learning outcomes with the course's target language proficiency level.
Reference:
Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2016). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning. Wiley.
January 2021