How do you integrate learner-generated content into a professional language training environment?


Armin Hopp: In a growing number of multinational and global language training projects, we are increasingly faced with very diverse groups of students. Not only diverse in terms of language skills, but also from a professional, cultural, and social perspective. To meet this demand for locally diverse content in a global language-training service, we have developed an open blended learning method powered by an effective content learning management system.


Our Corporate Language Training environment (CLT) empowers tutors and local training institutions around the world to blend local content into a global web-based learning and teaching environment. The combination of standard learning software, skilled online tutors, and our learner's professional and cultural knowledge helps us create an ever-growing content library that really serves our learners' needs. The CLT system takes diversity into account, while maintaining the highest standards in methodology and technology.


What does "local content" mean?


Armin Hopp: The internet, I believe, is not so much about software, but about data. Ultimately, it's data that's driving web-based learning applications. So, our job is to take our students seriously and collect their professional knowledge - which is data - and turn it into quality-assured, relevant learning content for the entire community. Obviously, our students know their work domain and their cultural background much better than any language trainer we or any other institution can provide.


We believe that student knowledge is very valuable in the process of customizing language-learning content to specific industries, companies, or even departments and individual students. Therefore, using Web 2.0 technology and methods, our editorial teams and 600+ online tutors collect, store, and filter learner input from virtual classroom sessions, online homework assignments, and web-based communication within a powerful learning content management system.


Based on our experts' evaluation and the ever-growing community of tutors and learners, the system converts valuable learner input into gradually refined learning content, which in turn meets the demands of local users of the CLT online language-training services around the globe.


What's the benefit of this special form of training?


Armin Hopp: Simply put, because students contribute to our knowledge base, they are very likely to get what they expect, whenever they expect it - that means 24/7. No matter where they are, they will receive the highest technological and didactic standards in a global web-based environment. The internet and Web 2.0 technology have opened online learning environments to non-experts: today, almost everyone can be an author.


The traditional relationship between teacher and student is now an open exchange: web-based learning systems like CLT are interactive learning environments that allow for an unknown degree of customization, together with 24/7 availabilty any place in the world.


Is this kind of learning relevant for all target groups?


Armin Hopp: Today, as George Siemens put it, "informal learning is a significant aspect of our learning experience. Formal education no longer comprises the majority of our learning. Learning now occurs in a variety of ways - through communities of practice, personal networks, and through the completion of work-related tasks." Therefore, using collaboration tools and Web 2.0 technology, all potential target groups stand to gain; they gain from an online language-learning system that takes informal learning processes and student input into account by turning it into standard learning content.


Does this kind of learning increase motivation?


Armin Hopp: Naturally, communication and collaboration increase learner motivation - especially in language learning. With CLT we have a proven success record. Over eighty percent of our students pass the final exam and the overall dropout rate is below five percent. We attribute this success mainly to the fact that our services take student input into account by turning it into professionally, locally, and culturally relevant learning content.


And a higher demand? What's your experience to date?


Armin Hopp: Students in corporate language-learning projects stay with us for an average of more than eighteen months - or three out of six levels within our course system. And student numbers are increasing. More and more public clients and multinational corporations use our online language-training services to improve the communication skills of language students around the world. We believe that mobile devices will further unleash the potential of collaborative language-learning environments by connecting students, tutors, and our learning environment all over the world - virtually.