Using visual documents in distance language learning: Questions raised by an e-learning Business English course

Abstract

This article presents a pedagogical experience in viewing comprehension in two Master of Management classes, one off-campus and the other on-campus. The objective was to get learners to view an authentic CNN video document on two chief executives at work and to make inferences about their respective management styles. The experience underlines the ease with which on-campus learners are better able to decode the visual cues together without direct teacher input and to read the necessary meaning into such cues while direct teacher mentoring seemed indispensable for the off-campus class. Some questions are raised concerning learner-autonomy and teacher-learner relations in supposedly learner-managed self-directed learning situations.