ENGLISH ONLINE COURSES: A SWOT ANALYSIS

Teacher Isabela-Anda Dragomir, TA Brânduşa-Oana Niculescu PhD, Teacher Oana-

Alida Poşa

The Foreign Language Centre of the Land Forces Headquarters, Sibiu, Romania,
izadragomir@yahoo.com
‘Nicolae Bălcescu’ Land Forces Academy, Sibiu, Romania, branducosma@yahoo.com
The Foreign Language Centre of the Land Forces Headquarters, Sibiu, Romania,
oana_posa@yahoo.com

Abstract: In today’s modern and technology-dominated context, the need for computer-based
instruction has become increasingly employed and has gained more and more ground due to the
numerous advantages and flexible characteristics it entails. Schools, faculties and academic
environments have included this type of e-learning into their curriculum, especially in distance-
learning programs, aiming to bridge the gap between different stages of the educational process.
Access to technology has made it possible for online courses to be implemented and used successfully
in the military educational institutions as well. In the current paper, we set out to offer a pertinent
answer to the debate whether online courses are a better alternative to traditional teaching and
learning approaches, having in view both the advantages and the limitations this type of instruction
has. Our approach aims to sketch a SWOT analysis of online courses in order to prove the
effectiveness of these courses within a foreign language learning program, given the strengths and
weaknesses they have. We have also looked at the way in which educational institutions could take
advantage of the opportunities the external environment offers and exploit them to their advantage,
and last but not the least, on identifying possible threats that could be detrimental to the fruitful
implementation of online learning courses and on discussing possible solutions to overcome them, so
that the ultimate goal of the educational process could be successfully achieved.

Keywords: online courses, traditional learning, learning platforms, technology

1. Introduction
The process of language learning has
definitely been subjected to many
variations along the years. These have been
brought about by the changes that have
affected society as a whole and which have
put their print on all fields of human
activity. Since the 21st century is the
century of a fast-moving world, dominated
and controlled by technology, the changes
in the educational process have become
more and more ubiquitous. The first
immersion of technology in the classroom
was done through the use of various
applications and processes, such as
audio/video tapes, computers, CD-ROM,
or satellite TV. All these brought a breath
of fresh air to the traditional learning
process and were happily embraced by
teachers and students alike. The teaching-
learning process took a quantum leap after
the discovery of the Internet, which made
it for a new form of education to appear.
This is how e-learning made its way in
school curriculum. It basically refers to
using technology in order to access
learning materials outside the traditional
educational environment. Most often, it
refers to a course or learning program
delivered online. Thus, we can
unmistakably say that online courses are an
example of e-learning implementation
within the educational process.
A basic definition of online courses
would be that they represent access to
learning materials though the use of the
Internet [1]. A more professional
definition would describe online learning
as “a network-enabled transfer of skills and
knowledge using a computer” [2]. This
information transfer and skill development
can be done in various ways, one of them
being through the use of learning
platforms.
According to www.wikipedia.com, a
learning platform is “an e-learning
education system based on the web that
models conventional in-person education
by providing equivalent virtual access to
classes, class content, tests, homework,
grades, assessments, and other external
resources such as academic or museum
website links. It is also a social space
where students and teacher can interact
through threaded discussions or chat” [3].
In more specific terms, the English
learning platforms used in the military
educational environment have been
designed as virtual classes aimed at
reviewing and reinforcing the content
material (grammar and vocabulary) and the
skills and sub-skills practiced and
developed during the traditional in-class
courses.
Our platforms are basically online
courses in which the instructors/tutors and
students communicate via computer, the
assignments, tasks, learning activities,
homework are on screen, communication
with the tutor and the other students part of
the virtual group is achieved through
specific platform instruments (mail,
forum). All these are intercalated within an
instructional program that is based on a
specific schedule, curriculum, and
objectives designed according to students’
linguistic profile and needs. In the
following, we will analyze multiple aspects
related to these platforms as educational
tools, referring to strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats, in an attempt to
sketch a brief SWOT analysis.
2. Strengths and weaknesses
We will examine the benefits and
drawbacks from the point of view of the
learner, of the tutor and of the institution.
2.1. From the point of view of the
learner
The strengths of online courses stem
from the advantages offered by this type of
system.
From the perspective of the learner,
English learning platforms offer a wide
array of advantages: direct involvement in
the learning process, interactivity and
attractiveness of the content, variety of
interaction tools. The learner also benefits
from the opportunity to train at his/her own
pace, independently of other learners,
according to their personal availability
(time, location). Immediate tracking
provides a close monitoring of each
learner’s personal progress, opportunities
for self-assessment and timely feedback.
Online platforms also offer the advantage
of personalized instruction, since each and
every learner is in direct contact with the
tutor, is individually monitored and by
accessing the platform he/she belongs to a
learning environment where tasks and
activities are tailored according to his/her
needs and as an immediate result of the
feedback received by the tutor. The content
of the platform lessons is organized in the
form of Units, each available for a limited
period of time (approximately 2 weeks),
which offers learners an autonomous self-
management of the learning process.
From our experience, we have
encountered limitations in what regards the
learners’ response to using online
platforms.
Some learners have difficulties in
operating computer-based systems, and
managing computer files and online
learning software can sometimes seem
complex for students with beginner-level
computer skills. Consequently, there is a
certain degree of reticence displayed in
face of new technology. Moreover,
learners with low-motivation or bad study
habits may fall behind, and, in the absence
of the routine structure of the traditional
class, some learners may feel lost, isolated
or confused about course activities and
deadlines. Another limitation would be the
lack of direct contact with the tutors which
could be considered advantageous since it
eliminates the degree of subjectivity
inherent to face-to-face interaction.
2.2 From the point of view of the tutor
Tutors may find online courses
comfortable and convenient since access to
technology covers the 4As of e-learning:
Any time, Any place, Any pace, Any
way[4]. It translates into the fact that e-
learning materials can be developed and
uploaded at the most convenient time for
teaching, the course material can be
structured according to the rhythm of the
students’ own learning strategies and
methods, learning can take place in short,
consecutive segments and customized to
suit both the tutor’s and the learners’
needs [5]. The diversity of attractive and
interactive technological tools also
stimulates creativity and empowers the
tutor to go beyond the limit of the
traditional pen-and-paper methods.
Individual monitoring can offer the tutor a
better perspective on every learner’s
qualitative and quantitative dimension of
the learning process.
On the other hand, the tutor may feel
the need for a direct contact with the
learner, which does not actually happen
with online platforms. Moreover, the tutor
no longer wears the hat of facilitator,
participant, source of knowledge and is
mostly limited to being a ‘conductor’,
supervisor, manager of the learning
software. Methods of teaching are also
limited, since this type of learning
encourages written communication in the
detriment of oral interaction and focuses
on developing receptive rather than
productive skills. From the technological
point of view, one disadvantage is that
some teachers may lack knowledge and
experience in managing virtual
interactions, but we consider that this could
be overcome by training first teachers to
become tutors.
2.3 From the point of view of the
institution
Apart from the human element
involved in e-learning, there is another
element that must be taken into
consideration, and which experiences
advantages and disadvantages at a wider
scale – the institution. It is the greatest
beneficiary from the implementation of
these platforms, since an unlimited
numbers of learners can be trained with
reduced costs and logistical expenses, and
the needs of the institution can be
customized and adjusted according those
of the recipients of the services it offers.
Thus, the institution is able to open
additional avenues with which to support
teaching and learning: by providing
distance learning programs and by
blending traditional and virtual teaching
due to the combination between face-to-
face interaction and technology. Owing to
platform courses, training can also be
tailored according to pre-defined skills and
teaching goals and the feedback is precise,
immediate, automated, and therefore
accurate.
On the downside, implementing
platform courses entails financial
investments (hardware and software,
personnel training) and a change in the
management conception that should be
adapted and more oriented towards online
instruction. At the same time, the employer
has no control over the motivation,
involvement, and learners’ course
management.
3. Opportunities and threats
Online learning is booming and
becoming more and more common due to
the continuous developments and advances
in the field of technology. E-learning can
be done on laptops, tablets or even
smartphones, so it has become a mobile
and dynamic method of continuous
learning. It has wiped out geographical
borders and has become a tool that
contributes to the spread of globalization,
since web-delivered content is easily
modifiable, and translatable for different
cultural environments.
There is still a subtle competition
between traditional learning and e-
learning, so the biggest threat from this
perspective could be attributed to the fact
that some learners prefer old-fashioned
methods and are reluctant to embracing
modern technologized instruction. This
shortcoming could be overcome by
avoiding the overuse of online platforms
and relying on them exclusively, and by
effectively embedding them into the
traditional but still efficient traditional
learning, as part of broader and more
comprehensive programs.
4. Conclusions
E-learning is a critical portion of
modern instruction that ensures success for
the learner, the tutor and the institution
alike. From our brief SWOT analysis, we
can conclude that there are specific
elements to be considered when analyzing
online courses as compared to traditional
learning: maintainability, compatibility,
usability, flexibility, modularity, and
accessibility. Both types of instructions
have these characteristics and it is up to the
institution and ultimately to the teacher to
select the best suited one. We advocate the
practice of blended learning in the
discipline of English as a foreign language,
since we consider that students, tutors and
the institution altogether can greatly
benefit from a successful combination of
the two [6]. Blended learning goes beyond
technology-based instruction of the type
one-on-one computers or state-of-the-art
technology. It ultimately involves making
use of online learning platforms so as to
empower students to take control of their
own learning process, and to personalize
and individualize instruction in a way that
it affords the students’ control over the
time, place and content of the learning.
 References
[1] Angela D. Benson, Using Online Learning to Meet Workforce Demand: A Case Study of
Stakeholder Influence, in Quarterly Review of Distance Education, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp. 443-
452, 2002.
[2] www.successdegrees.com/definition-of-online-courses.html
[3] www.wikipedia.com
[4] www.mnsu.edu/cetl/teachingwithtechnology/tech_resources_pdf
[5] Keenan A. Pituch, Yao-kuei Lee, The influence of system characteristics on e-learning
use, in Computer and Education, Vol. 47, No. 2, pp. 222-244, September, 2006. Retrieved
from http://www.pgce.soton.ac.uk
[6] Charles D. Dziuban, Joel L. Hartman, Patsy D. Moskal, Blended learning, in ECAR
Research Bulletin, Vol. 2004, Issue 7, pp. 2-11, March 30, 2004.