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Vol. 4, No. 3, 2021, pp. 187-198  

        10.12928/eltej.v4i3.4932                              http://journal2.uad.ac.id/index.php/eltej/index            eltej@pbi.uad.ac.id 

 

Optimizing the virtual classroom: A case of intensive English 

course in the Next Normal 
 

Chayaporn Kaoropthai 

Mae Fah Luang university, 333 Moo 1 Thasud, Muang, Chiang Rai 57100 , Thailand 

chayaporn.kao@mfu.ac.th 

 

A R T I C L E  I N F O 

 

ABST RACT   

 

 

Article history  

Received 28 September 2021 

Revised 17 November 2021 

Accepted 9 December 2021 

 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning has automatically 
become a normal practice of the “Next Normal”. Intensive English is a 
compact three-week course offered to get first-year students ready for 
university study. Online learning was something new for both students 
and instructors. A key challenge in online learning was how to make 
virtual classroom as lively and interactive as possible. The aim of this 
study was thus to design an instructional program which integrated 
various technological tools and applications to optimize the virtual 
classroom. The 63 first-year students from two intact sections of Intensive 
English were used as participants of the study. A technology acceptance 
model (TAM) questionnaire (Davis, 1989; Hernandez, 2021) was adapted 
to assess the effectiveness of the instructional program. The results of the 
study revealed that all of the participants achieved the overall objective 
of the course and the target CEFR’s A2 level. They found their online 
learning experience rewarding. They were satisfied with this online 
learning experience and were willing to participate in similar online 
learning in the future. Additionally, recommendations for further research 
were discussed. 

This is an open access article under the CC–BY-SA license. 

    

 

 

Keywords 

instructional design 

intensive English course 

online learning 

technology-integrated teaching 

the Next Normal 

 

 

 

 

How to Cite: Kaoropthai, C. (2021). Optimizing the virtual classroom: A case of Intensive English course in the 
Next Normal. English Language Teaching Educational Journal, 4(3), 187-198. 

1. Introduction  

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued to disrupt the whole world. The diversification of the 
disease has brought about even more calamitous consequences in most areas. In education, all schools 
and universities had to change their delivery mode of instruction to exclusive online instruction. 
Compared with the on-site real classroom, the virtual classroom generally has a lot more 

disadvantages. In the virtual classroom, it is usually more difficult to control class, to keep students 
attentive and highly motivated, and to effectively promote collaborative and active learning. All 
school teachers as well as university instructors had to adapt themselves by learning, unlearning, and 
relearning to cope with the situations. One important way to maximizing the use of the fundamental 
learning platforms such as Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, WebEx, or Zoom, is to integrate additional 
technology tools and applications to support it. The problem faced by many teachers and instructors 
is how to utilize the platform to its optimum. The aim of this study is thus to develop an effective 
instructional program for the virtual classroom in the Next Normal. The program has been designed 
based on the ASSURE instructional development model (Heinich et al.,1989; Karakis et al.,2016; 
Sezer et al.,2013) and Connected Learning model (Ito et al., 2020). 

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188 English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

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 Kaoropthai, C. (Optimizing the virtual classroom) 

1.1. Research questions 

1. To what extent can first-year students achieve the overall objective of the Intensive English 
course, based on the post-test scores and the total course score? 

2. To what extent do first-year students accept the virtual classroom that integrates the use of 
supportive technological tools, based on the TAM? 

1.2. Instructional Design  

Instructional design (ID) is a power tool that helps instructors create effective learning experiences 
for learner. It is a process of taking classroom content and making it easy for learners to understand. 
ID has been further defined as “a process of solving instructional or educational problems through 
systematic analysis based on the conditions of learning” (Azimi & Fazelian, 2013, p.256).  ID has 
now become an essential component for designing online courses as instructors need an effective way 
to facilitate learners to actively involve as much as possible in the virtual classroom. The COVID-19 
pandemic has accelerated the implementation of exclusive online learning worldwide. Many recent 
research studies (Baldwin & Ching, 2020; Jusas el al., 2021; Nurpandi et al., 2013; Sanga, 2019; Zain, 
2018) have focused on using ID models to develop effective online courses to meet the needs of 
students of the 21st century. These studies have greatly contributed to the advancements of online 
instruction theories and practices that can be applied for online course designing in the pandemic 
situation. 

ID models can be classified into three major categories: classroom-oriented, product-oriented, and 
system-oriented. Classroom-oriented ID models are used as a guideline to enhance the teaching and 
learning experiences in the classroom and are considered as potential models for designing 
technology-enhanced learning instruction (Lim & Chai, 2008). ASSURE model (Heinich et al., 1989) 
and Kemp’s model (Morrison et al., 2019) are examples of classroom-oriented ID models. Because 
this study aimed to develop an online Intensive English course, the ASSURE model has been adopted 
for course design. 

1.3 ASSURE Model 

ASSURE is a procedural, cyclic, and classroom-oriented ID model for designing and developing 
technology-integrated instruction (Bajacharya, 2019). The model was proposed by Heinich and 
colleagues in 1989. ASSURE is an acronym that stands for the six steps in the model as follows: 

  A Analyze learner 

  S State standards and objectives 

  S Select strategies, technology, media, and materials  

  U Utilize technology, media, and materials 

  R Require learner participation 

  E Evaluate and revise 

These six steps of the ASSURE model thus involve how to analyze learners and state objectives, 
and to select, implement, and evaluate the technology and instructional resources for employing 
technology integration during classroom instruction to accomplish the learning objectives 
(Bajracharya, 2019, Heinich et al.,1989). 

1.4. Connected Learning 

Connected learning can be defined as “learning that connects personal interests, supportive 
relationships, and academic, civic, and career opportunity” (Ito et al, 2020, p.4). The relationship 
among these three elements of connected learning is illustrated in Fig. 1. 

Connected learning is considered as “learning in an age of abundant access to information and 
social connection that embraces the diverse backgrounds and interests of all young people”. Learning 
is motivating when it is related to personal interests. Interests keep learners attentive, make 
connections, persist and engage in deeper learning. In terms of relationships, it is evident that learners 
need support from peers and mentors when they encounter difficulties or challenges. Learners’ 
accomplishments also depend on tangible connections to future real-world career and civic 



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opportunities. According to Ito et al. (2020), connected learning originates when organizations 
sponsor and legitimize the interests of diverse youth, learners are engaged in shared practices such as 
creative production, research, or friendly competition; these practices are guided by shared purpose 
such as contributions to communities, social change, or solving real problems, and learning is 
connected across settings through brokering, coordination, and openly networked platforms (p.5). 

 

 

Fig. 1.  Three spheres of learning that are integrated  in connected learning (Ito et al, 2020, p.5). 

1.5. Networked Leaning 

Networked learning (NL) can be defined as learning in which information and communications 
technology (ICT) is employed to promote connections between learners, learners and teachers, 
learners and learning resources (Ahshan, 2021; Aljaafreh, 2021; Boonmoh et al., 2021; Wang et al., 
2020). In language teaching, networked learning plays an important role in supporting learners to 
connect globally, access resources easily, and self-regulate their language processes (Boonmoh et al., 
2021; Kannan & Munday, 2018). 

Networked technologies are an essential component of networked learning. Networked 
technologies in education include various types of social working such as online games, educational 
social network platforms, and popular general social network platforms (Johnson et al., 2016). In 
addition to networked devices such as desktop computer, laptops, tablets, and smartphone; 
technological applications are also considered as networked technologies. These applications include 
Padlet, Quizizz, Plickers, etc. They are designed to captivate and engage users for a particular purpose, 
including learning new knowledge, supporting classroom engagement, reviewing class content, 
building a positive learning atmosphere and improving learners’ critical thinking skills (Boonmoh et 
al., 2021;  Icard, 2014). 

Table 1 lists some selected recent studies that examined technological tools used in English 
language teaching, complied by Boonmoh and colleagues (2021). 

Table 1.  Recent Studies Concerning the Use of Technological Tools in ELT 

Author Technological Tools 

Khamprem & Boonmoh (2019) Padlet, Kahoot, Quiziss, Plickers 

Putri (2019) Kahoot 

Chaiyo & Nokham (2017) Kahoot, Quizizz, Google forms 

Hwang et al. (2016) Mobile game-based laerning 

Dellos (2015) Kahoot 

DeWitt et al. (2015) Padlet 

Reinders & Wattana (2015) Gameplay 

Wong et al. (2015) 2D side-scrolling video game 

 

Interests

RelationshipsOpportunities

CONNECTED 

LEARNING 



190 English Language Teaching Educational Journal   ISSN 2621-6485 

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1.6. The context 

Intensive English course is a preparatory English course to prepare the first-year students whose 
ONET (Ordinary National Education Test) English scores are lower than 45%, to get them ready for 
the study in an English-as-a-medium-of-instruction university.  The brief details of the Intensive 
English course can be seen in the Appendix (see Appendix). 

The course lasts 3 weeks: 3 hours daily, Monday to Friday, totaling 45 class hours, prior to the first 
semester regular courses. The researcher was the instructor who taught these two sections: one in the 
morning (9:00-12:00) and the other in the afternoon (13:00-16:00). 

2.  Methodology 

2.1. Participants 

The participants used in this study were a convenience sample. They were from two of the 85 
sections of the first-year students who enrolled in Intensive English, prior to the beginning of the first 
semester of academic year 2021. These students were used as participants because the researcher was 
the instructor of these two sections. The students were from various schools of the university and 
varying English proficiency backgrounds. 

Table 2.  Distribution of Participants by University’s Schools  

School  No. of Students % 

1. Cosmatic Science 2 3.17 

2. Health Science 15 23.81 

3. Information Technology 14 22.22 

2. Integrative Medicine 1 1.59 

3. Agro-Industry 2 3.17 

4. Sinology 12 19.05 

5. Management 8 12.70 

6. Law 9 14.29 

Total 63 100 

Table 3.  Distribution of Participants by English Proficiency Level 

English proficiency Level No. of Students % 

Beginner 38 60.32 

A1 15 23.81 

A2 8 12.70 

B1.2 2 3.17 

Total 63 100 

 

Information in Table 2 and Table 3 shows that a majority of the participants (No.1-5 in Table 2 = 
53.96%) were science students, while the other three groups (45.04%) were from Sinology, 
Management, and Law. Most of the participants (60.32%) were at the beginner level and the rest 
(39.68%) were at the A1 to B1.1, of the CEFR. 

2.2. Instruments 

TAM questionnaire 

A Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire (Davis 1989; Hernandez, 2021; Weng et 
al., 2018) was developed to elicit information about students’ perceived usefulness, perceived ease of 
use, student satisfaction, and intention to use. The questionnaire included 16 items, with four items 
for each component. The students were requested to complete the questionnaire on a five-point Likert 
scale, from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). 



ISSN 2621-6485 English Language Teaching Educational Journal 191 
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The TAM questionnaire has been validated through the Item Objective Congruence (IOC) Index 
procedure. Three experts were asked to determine the content validity scores. The results and 
suggestions were received and the questionnaire has been accordingly revised. 

The criterial for interpreting the mean scores are as follows: 

 1.00 to 1.50 Strongly disagree/ very low 

 1.51 to 2.50 Disagree/ low 

 2.51 to 3.50  Nether agree nor disagree/ moderate 

 3.51 to 4.50 Agree/ high 

 4.51 to 5.00  Strongly agree/ very high 

Reflective statements 

 At the end of the TAM questionnaire, participants were asked to reflect their thoughts about this 
online learning experience. A prompt of “Benefits” and “Challenges” was given to elicit data for an 
analysis. 

2.3. Pedagogical design and procedures 

The study adopted a case study approach to assess the effectiveness of optimizing the virtual 
classroom in Intensive English course to promote collaborative and active learning, enhancing 
students to successfully accomplish course objectives. In designing the instructional program, The 
ASSURE instructional model and the Connected Learning model were applied. 

The course was designed to be synchronous activity-based instruction that employed additional 
supportive technological tools and applications to facilitate collaborative and active learning. The use 
of technological tools and applications was integrated to optimally support the capability of the video 
meeting platform, Google Meet. 

The course was organized following the Pre-While-Post instructional design as shown in Table 4. 

Table 4.  Struture of the Pre-While-Post Instructional Plan 

 Pre teaching While teaching Post teaching 

Activities - Ice breaking 

- Prview previous 
lessons 

- Small talk 

- Introduce a new lesson 

- Ask questions to check 
students’ knowledge 

- Summarize and share 

what was learner 

- Practice/ Do exercise 

- Quiz 

- Exit ticket 

Tecnological Tools - Google Meet 

- Padlet 

- ClasssDojo 

- Youtube 

- Padlet 

- Liveworksheets 
- Gamilab 

- Flipping 

- Kahoot 

- Quizizz 

- Google Form 

 The course lasts 3 weeks: 3 hours daily, Monday to Friday, totaling 45 class hours. 

3. Findings and Discussion 

3.1 Findings 

The results of the study are presented in three parts: analysis of students’ accomplishments, TAM 

questionnaire results, and analysis of students’ reflective statements. Because the proficiency level 

was determined by the adaptive test score, there was no exact score available for each student. The 

results for this part are thus to report the accomplishment of students from each level based on their 

post-test score and total course scores. According to the criterial of this post-test, a score of 60 to 80 

is considered an A2 level. Additionally, to the cut-off point for an S grade in this course is 59.50. 



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Table 5.  A Summary of Students’ Accomplishments 

English Proficiency Level No. Post-test* M (100) Total course M (100) 

Beginnner 38 62.17 78.38 

A1 15 73.51 83.52 

A2 8 80.33 86.85 

B1.1 2 82.77 85.15 

Total 63 67.83 80.89 

a. *The post-test score is also a part, accounting for 25%, of the total course score. 

b.  

 Table 5 shows that all of the students passed both of the criteria. The mean scores of the post-
test reveal that although all of them have passed, the amount of their improvements appeared to be 
related to their initial levels of proficiency before the class. The mean score of the Beginner was 62.17, 
followed by the A1 (73.51), A2 (80.33), and B1.1 (82.77), respectively. The results of total course 
mean scores were also similar except for the reverse results between the A2 86.85) and the B1.1 
(85.15). The results confirmed that all of the students (100%) have achieved the overall objectives of 
the Intensive English course based on both the post-test scores and the total course scores. The results 
of TAM questionnaire in Table 6 revealed that participants rated at the “Agree” level (4.00 to 4.40) in 
all four components of the TAM. The highest ranking was “Perceived Ease of Use” (M = 4.34), 
“Perceived usefulness” (M = 4.27), and “Intention to use” (M = 4.00). 

Table 6.  Results of TAM questionnaire 

 Mean Meaning 

Perceived Usefulness 4.27 Agree 

1. It enables learners to interact with the instructor and other learner like in 

a real classroom. 
4.11 Agree 

2. It is not boring as learners can work in small groups discuss, and play 

games. 
4.42 

 
Agree 

3. It keeps all learners alert and attentive as class can be monitored by the 

instructor. 
4.21 Agree 

4. It is flexible and can be adjusted to situation. 4.34 Agree 

Perceived Ease of Use 4.40 Agree 

5. It is not complicated to enter the classroom. 4.53 
Strongly 

agree 

6. Classroom arrangement is clear and understandable. 4.48 Agree 

7. It facilitates learners to interact with the instructor and other learners. 4.24 Agree 

8. The classroom system can be adjusted by the instructor. 4.35 Agree 

Students Satisfaction 4.34 Agree 

9. It is a virtual classroom that promotes collaborative and active learning. 4.42 Agree 

10. It is pleasant and fun online learning experience. 4.35 Agree 

11. It is a virtual clarroom that enhances my academic performance. 4.26 Agree 

12. Overall, I am satisfied with this online learning experience. 4.34 Agree 

Intention to Use 4.00 Agree 

13. I like the virtual classroom that integrates the use of various supportibe 

tecjnology tools. 
4.34 Agree 

14. I intend to study to study in the virtual classroom that uses additional 

supportive technology tools. 
4.15 Agree 

15. I will attend the virtual classroom that can effectively enhance my 

academic performance. 
3.92 Agree 

16. In the future, I would like to attend the virtual classroom that employs a 

variety of technology tools to support. 
3.61 Agree 



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Considering the details of the four components of the TAM, it was found that the highest mean 
score in each component tended to be the key characteristic of the component. In “Perceived 
Usefulness”, it was Q2 “It is not boring as learners can work in small groups, discuss, and play games” 
(M = 4.42). In “Perceived Ease of Use”, it was Q5 “It is not complicated to enter the classroom” (M 
= 4.53). For “Student Satisfaction”, it was Q9 “It is online learning that promotes collaborative and 
active learning” (M = 4.42). And in the last component “Intention to use”, it was Q13 “I like online 
learning that integrates the use of various supportive technology tools” (M = 4.34). 

The results of the TAM questionnaire thus revealed that the participants in this study found this 
online learning program useful, motivating, and practical for the situation. Overall, they were satisfied 
with this pleasant online learning experience as it promoted collaborative and active learning, and they 
expected to experience future enjoyable virtual classrooms similar this one. 

Reflective statements 

To find out more about the benefits and challenges of online learning in this virtual classroom, 
students were also asked to write reflective statements about their online learning experiences, at the 
end of the TAM questionnaire. It was guided with the term “benefits and challenges” as a prompt, and 
students could feel free to write only one word to very long sentence in response to the prompt. It was 
anticipated that these reflective statements could be considered salient responses because they would 
reflect students’ distinct perceptions. The reflective statements from all 63 students can be summarized 
as follows: 

Benefits 

The first substantial benefit, which was revealed by 27 reflective statements (42.9%), was “The 
use of various support technology tools and applications effectively promoted interactions between 
learners and instructor and other learners almost like in a real classroom”. The second benefit, “It was 
pleasant and fun experiences”, was overtly addresses by 20 students (31.7%). Thirdly, 18 students 
(28.6%) appreciated “Its ease of use”, Interestingly, the fourth benefit which was enjoyed by 16 
students (25.4%) was “The instructor was nice and kind”. Additionally, six students (9.5%) simply 
stated that “It was a very good online learning experience”. 

Challenges 

While 17 students (27.0%) reported that “They did not experience any problems”, 23 students 
(36.5%) raised an inevitable issue of “Internet unstableness”. Secondly, eight students (12.7%) 
revealed that “If possible, they would prefer a real classroom because it would be easier to get to know 
one another”. Thirdly, seven students (11.1%) had “some difficulties following the lessons”. Finally, 
three students (4.8%) used “only one device (a mobile or a tablet), resulting in insufficient capability 
to effectively participate in class”. 

3.2. Discussion 

This instructional program of exclusive online teaching for these two Intensive English sections 
(63 first-year students) has been proven to be successful. The results of both the post-test scores and 
the total course scores revealed that all of the students (100%) have achieved the overall objective of 
the course and the target A2 level.  

This success of the implementation of the instructional program is evidently supported by previous 
studies. Constructing college online learning community that was fully combined with network 
environment, learners, teachers, and learning resources, Zhang (2020) found that English learners’ 
competences were developed and their English online performances were promoted. Hernandez’s 
revealed that online learning alternative method could improve students’ academic performance and 
enhance their productivity in general. Online learning also provides students with many new 
opportunities that attract attention and increase their interest and motivation (Valeeva & Kalimullin, 
2021). 

The findings from the TAM questionnaire supported that the participants enjoyed opportunities to 
work in small groups, discuss, play games, and interact with instructor and other learners, almost like 
in a real classroom. They found it convenient and easy to enter the classroom and to communicate 



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 Kaoropthai, C. (Optimizing the virtual classroom) 

with instructor and other learners. They agreed that the integration of various appropriate supportive 
technology tools and applications helped promote collaborative and active learning. Overall, 
participants were satisfied with this pleasant online learning experience and were willing to participate 
in future online learning similar to this one. These TAM questionnaire results are consistent with 
recent preview research. Rojabi (2020) found that online learning via Microsoft Teams could 
effectively promote interaction between learners and instructor and other learners. Online class via 
Microsoft Teams optimally supported students’ learning environment. Alfadda and Mahdi (2021) 
investigated the relationship between the variables of TAM on using Zoom application in language 
learning. The results revealed that there was “a strong positive correlation between the actual use of 
Zoom and the students’ attitudes and behavioral intention” (p.883). 

The reflective statements by students did confirm their satisfaction with this online learning 
experience. Interestingly, one fourth (25.4%) of the participants particularly addressed the benefit of 
having learned with a nice, kind, caring instructor. This reflection could help emphasize that 
instructor’s personal characteristics were one of the key contributing factors. Not unexpectedly, 
internet unstableness was reported to occasionally be a frustrating experience by 23 participants (or 
36.5%). Additionally, eight participants (or 12.7%) preferred a real face to face classroom, so that they 
could easily get to know one another. The findings are in line with previous students which found that 
internet unstableness was an inevitable problem and many students would like to go back to real 
classrooms as soon as possible for various reasons (Cranfield et al., 2021; Sevy-Biloon, 2021). 

4. Conclusion   

The results and discussion have provided evidence to show that integrating various supportive 
technological tools and applications into online teaching via Google Meet could optimally support the 
students’ learning environment in the virtual classroom. All of the participants were able to achieve 
the overall objective of the course and the target CEFR’ s A2 level. The results from the TAM 
questionnaire revealed that the participants were aware of the usefulness, satisfied, and willing to 
participate in future similar online learning. Additionally, participants’ satisfaction with this online 
learning experience has been affirmed in their final reflective statements. 

This study has some limitations that might be addressed in future studies. Firstly, Intensive English 
is a compact three-week course, which is offered before the regular semester starts. The future study 
may experiment this online instructional program on a course offered in a regular semester. Secondly, 
it might be interesting to explore on using other learning platform such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. 
Thirdly, the findings of this study were based on questionnaire and reflective statement data. Future 
studies may include interview data. Lastly, because this study used the different types of pre-test and 
post-test, the future study may use the same type of test for comparative purposes. 

Acknowledgment  

The author expresses her gratitude to the School of Liberal Arts, Mae Fah Luang University and 
the three experts who were reviewers of the TAM questionnaire. 

 

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APPENDIX 

Intensive English 

Course Description 

Foundations of contextualized English grammar, vocabulary, and structures essential to conduct 
everyday transactions involving familiar situations and topics; intensive practice of basic English 
language functions; preparation of study skills for effective pursuit of English-medium studies; and 
introduction to and encouragement of self-directed learning through the use of technological aids. 

Course Objectives 

After the completion of this course, students will be able to:  

1. achieve all 4 English skills at A2 level in accordance with the Common European Framework 
of Reference for Languages (CEFR) with the use of technological aids;  

2. speak English using appropriate and accurate vocabulary and expressions in daily life or familiar 
situations or topics;  

3. identify main ideas, specific information, facts and opinions in English reading passages and 
video or audio clips;  

4. write complete English sentences using various sentence structures with grammatical accuracy;  

5. develop self-directed learning skills. 

Course Content 

No. Topic Brief content 

1. - Ice-breaking  

- Introducing course  materials  

- Getting to know  your teacher and  classmates 

Grammar review: Present Simple 

(statement,  negation, question), Present 

Continuous, Present  Continuous for the future 

2 Life Events Sports, Leisure time, Expressions of time Past 

Simple (statement, negative, question) 

3 Clothes and Accessories Clothing  

Past Simple (regular/irregular verbs) 

4 Possibility and  Necessity Modal verbs (possibility, intention, obligation 

and  necessity), Would like, Want 

5 Air Travel Airports, on the plane  

Indirect questions  

Writing Test 1  

6 Quantity Expressing quantity, Quantifiers, Count and 

Non Count nouns 

7 Have you ever? Talking about literature  

Present Perfect (statement, negative, question) 

8 How often? Daily routines, Animals  

Adverbs (of frequency, of time) 

9 All by myself Car parts  

Reflexive pronouns, adjectives and adverbs 

10 In my opinion Expressing opinion,  

Adverb of manner, Comparison of adverbs, 

gerunds  and infinitives  

Writing Test 2 

11 Let’s go surfing! Water sports  

Present Perfect vs. Past Simple 

12 Asking for refund Shopping  

Electronic devices  

If-Clause (zero conditional) 

13 That is fascinating! Expressing how you feel, Banking   

Participles as adjectives 

14 REVIEW REVIEW  

Speaking Test  

15 READ ALOUD Performance READ ALOUD Performance 



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Assessment 

Self-study (Online Course Completion + Final Test) 50% 2 Writing test (x2) 20% 3 Show & Tell 
5% 4 Read Aloud (Group Live Performance) 15% 5 Speaking test 10% Total 100% 

Grading Scale 

S 59.50 – 100  

U 0 –59.49 

 

 


