Online face-to-face class with a synchronous system

ITS Campus, ITS News – During the COVID-19 pandemic, which requires Work from Home (WFH), the huge enthusiasm to maintain foreign language learning through the Centre for Languages and Cultures (CLC) of Institut Technology Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) never died. Even more so, Centre for Languages and Cultures ITS has successfully launched 100 e-Public Lecture Series.

Ratna Rintaningrum, Ph.D., Manager of the Centre for Languages and Cultures ITS explained that the e-Public Lecture Series is a learning program that is held generally for the users of the services offered by the Centre for Languages and Cultures (CLC) ITS, both who paid and who didn’t. “The program was conducted online and is a series, consisting of different lecture themes and audience,” she explained.

Ratna emphasized that CLC ITS services should not be halted because of the pandemic. Because it is undeniable that the needs of users for services offered by CLC ITS ​​are very highly related to the needs of foreign language skills. So when ITS announced WFH, the CLC ITS maintained its productivity and continued learning online. “This is intended to maintain the satisfaction of CLC ITS users towards our services, which is in accordance with their rights,” she further elaborated.

This woman revealed that various efforts were made to welcome online learning. The first step is to prepare technology with an applicable system that can be accessed by users. At the same time, competent Human Resources (HR) will be deployed to implement the e-Public Lecture Series program.

The final step is the selection of lessons related to foreign languages. But before the selection, Ratna continued, online preparations were carried out and guidance was delivered through chat forums. Thanks to our persistence and good cooperation, online classes were successfully completed. “Even now, it has reached more than 100 series,” she added.

Furthermore, Ratna explained that the initial form of the classroom platform was designed for asynchronous learning, which is online learning without video. Through this type of platform, participants learn the material, which has been presented during class, independently. The lesson is delivered with a variety of interesting strategies and is not boring. “This is to highly motivate students to learn,” he said.

Ratna Rintaningrum (on the top-right frame) when taking part in online learning class for users of Centre for Languages and Cultures ITS services

In addition, according to Ratna, a synchronous system or an online face-to-face (with video) is also implemented with a variety of learning protocols. The material taught online differs from when the material is taught offline, such as Listening Comprehension, Structure, and Written Expression, Reading Comprehension, and others, depending on the type of class taken by the user. “Out of the eight foreign languages ​​available, CLC ITS currently conducts three online foreign language learning courses,” Ratna identified.

According to Ratna, the response obtained from the users was quite enthusiastic. Although sometimes constrained by the internet, but they look forward to online face-to-face classes so that they do not only learn independently through the provided classroom platform. “To reach more than 100 e-Public Lecture Series targets, good team collaborations between CLC ITS ​​and various parties is needed,” she stated.

For the next step, Centre for Languages and Cultures ​​together with ITS officials and information technology experts, is preparing an online Test of English as a Foreign Language (ToEFL) using modern technology. “Our hope is that these online platforms can be used by the wider community so that ITS, especially Centre for Languages and Cultures, can continue contributing to Indonesia,” she concluded hopefully. (chi/ory/ITS Public Relations)