New concepts for corporate e-larning: The use of virtual classes at Harvard Business School as best practices

Abstract

The Management in Perspective course at the Harvard Business School provides an example of a viable approach to online education. Instead of focusing on putting content online in a sophisticated manner, the course focuses on interaction between instructor and student. To facilitate interaction, online delivery of lecture content is made simple and direct via summary information provided via Power-point presentations. In the synchronous form of learning, interaction is immediate, not delayed and intermittent. We use online classes to supplement a classroom experience in which there are a large number of students. Students are able to participate both in the large, formal setting of the classroom and in the smaller, more intimate setting of the online meeting. The result is the creation of a learning environment, which provides students with in-depth interaction with business leaders, their instructors and each other. Although critics have often accused online instructional technology of depersonalization, our experience is exactly the opposite. We use moderate size online class sessions to provide greater personalization than the large physical classroom environment. In our opinion this form of blended learning serves nicely as a model for virtual classes in a corporate e-learning environment. Even participants without prior experience to online education get easily accustomed to this form of learning. Reactions from students indicate a high level of satisfaction with the learning experience and encouragement to continue with online learning.