PVT Keyword Education customer story 2021 v1.1 Efficacy

A Pearson Virtual Teacher Story

Providing a quality online English language learning solution

Pearson surveyed and interviewed three teachers to better understand the implementation and perceived benefits of Pearson Virtual Teacher (PVT) In-Home with students from Keyword Education. The teachers reported being pleased with the review classes PVT offered. Specifically, teachers reported that:

• PVT helps students develop their English language skills. In particular, their speaking, listening and reading skills. • The PVT teachers are energetic, motivational, and engage students in learning. • Native English-speaking teachers provide students the opportunity to learn native expressions, customs and culture. • Parents of EP3A and EP1A students reported being happy with the PVT classes. They found the teachers to be professional, and the classes interesting and engaging for their children.

Background of school

Keyword Education has several learning centers with multiple locations in Guangdong Province, Hubei Province, and Zhejiang Province. One of their main goals is to be a champion for English language learning in China.

To better understand their perception of and experience with PVT, we surveyed and interviewed three teachers with grade school students aged three to 10.

In the fall of 2020, due to the pandemic, Keyword Education needed to move to online instruction and as a result adopted PVT.

Product Implementation

PVT In-Home is a hybrid classroom teaching solution, known as an Online-Merge-Offline (OMO), where students take English lessons online at home with a native English-speaking teacher located in another country, in this case Australia. Students spend several hours per week at Keyword Education learning English language skills with local teachers, then spend one 40- minute class per week online reviewing those lessons with a native English-speaking teacher. The classes use a variety of different types of technology to support teachers (I.e., smartboards, tablets, computers, etc.) and at home students use computers, tablets or smartphones for support. Marina, Anna and Paul, who teach English at Keyword Education were interviewed about their experience using PVT. Marina teaches 1st and 2nd grade, students aged 6-8; and Paul teaches 1st grade, students aged 6-7. Anna teaches 3rd, 4th and 5th grade, students aged 8-11. All three teachers had the opportunity to observe at least one PVT class, with the native English-speaking teacher, over the duration of approximately two months. A typical class includes a warm-up, question and answer session, readings, and sharing ideas between teacher and students.

“They have made progress due to the opportunity to learn from a foreign teacher. Some of them have even become more confident.” “There has been improvement in their English skills, especially the listening and speaking skills. (PVT) has helped a lot.”

The native English-speaking teachers are experienced and energetic, according to the teachers at Keyword Education. They interact with students and engage them with quality English language learning. Anna finds they “motivate students” to participate in class and the “interaction is good” between students and teacher. Paul describes them as “very good at teaching” and he appreciates how experienced they are with teaching young learners. All three teachers believe students benefit from learning English with a native English-speaking teacher. In particular, Anna appreciates the way the “teachers can give students the native expressions, their way of thinking patterns and native culture” in a way a local teacher cannot. “It is really great that they can speak with the foreign teacher as they review what they have already learned in my class. It makes them more competent when they are able to do that with a foreign teacher.”

Pearson Virtual Teacher Supporting Teaching and Learning

The main goal for all three teachers is to develop their students’ English language skills such as speaking, listening and reading so they are adequately prepared to be successful in subsequent grades. All three teachers like that PVT allows students the opportunity to review these skills in the comfort of their own home. As a result, they believe their speaking, listening and reading skills have improved, which in turn has increased their confidence.

Anna knows students are actively participating in their PVT classes at home because they come to in-person class with her ready to share what they have learned. Based on these interactions with students Anna believes they are paying attention and engaged with the material and teacher. According to the Academic Head, parents of EP3A students find the native English-speaking teacher to be very professional. They report that their children like their teacher a lot and find the classes interesting. Parents of the EP1A students also report their children find the PVT classes very interesting and there is a lot of interaction between the teacher and the students.

In addition, Marina believes that learning from a native English-speaking teacher exposes them to further English skill development opportunities:

“PVT helps them consolidate the content they have already learned. I even think they can learn something new that they couldn’t learn in my class through the review with the foreign teacher.”

Conclusion

Overall, Paul, Anna and Marina have been very satisfied with their students’ use of PVT for review. It has helped their students develop their English language skills with energetic and motivating native English-speaking teachers. The opportunity to review material in the PVT classes has helped students solidify their English language learning.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Keyword Education and Paul, Anna and Marina for taking the time to speak with us regarding PVT. Their valuable insights are highly appreciated and help us to continually improve the experience of schools, teachers and students alike.

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