At E2, we believe edtech can help students unlock their potential. The inspiring story of the partnership between Fatec Ribeirão Preto college in Brazil and E2 proves not only the value of co-creation but also how powerful technology solutions can support modern-day education 

We are passionate about understanding our clients’ digital education challenges and pain points, and working with them to implement a digital learning solution that not only offers a superior learning experience but also meets the needs of teachers and support staff. 

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About Fatec

Established 53 years ago, Fatec (Faculdades de Tecnologia do Estado de São Paulo) has been a key player in Brazil’s higher education sector for decades. 

The college has 71 faculties in 65 cities in Sao Paulo, and has been instrumental in the education of technologists for all sorts of occupations at no cost to the students and their families. 

Fatec currently has more than 70,000 students. While its course offerings are extensive, English as a second language is a core curriculum unit for everyone. 

The Challenge

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented disruption to the education sector globally, Fatec Ribeirão Preto was forced to suspend face-to-face classes – affecting the whole academic community. 

Fatec English teacher Dr Anna China shared her experience with looking for solutions for the Ribeirão Preto centre:

There are a lot of ed-tech possibilities out there; however, choosing which one is the right one can be tricky. As an English teacher, I am aware that many students are focused on improving their communication skills. Tech is engaging for students, but many teachers may not feel at ease to embrace technology because they are not aware of its benefits.

The college explored distance learning options, but management kept seeing the same recurring problem: there were no resources available that could match the quality of face-to-face classes, especially for students wanting to learn practical skills.  

Digital Transformation with E2 Platform

In mid-2020 the directors of Fatec Ribeirão Preto contacted E2, seeking a digital learning solution. The requirements stipulated that the solution needed to:

• enable effective staff and student  communication 
• be scalable 
• emphasise the building of practical English skills for students. 

The development process took several months and a pilot of the program was executed with Fatec students and staff by the end of 2020.

The outcome was a digital learning solution that emphasised interactivity and enhanced knowledge transfer, providing a superior learning experience. It also provided learning continuity for students and realised learning objectives and outcomes. 

Pilot Results

The expert onboarding process carried out by E2 was critical to Fatec’s success. Within a very short period, a pilot was launched. On testing it out, the teaching staff indicated they were confident that the curriculum could be maintained and even offer improvements in comparison with face-to-face delivery. 

The digital solution implemented at Fatec offered something for teachers and students, including:

• built-in scheduling tools, enabling teachers to save time setting up and accessing classes
• top-tier English-language and English-language test preparation training content (from our E2 Test Prep and E2 English platforms), motivating students to continue their learning journey, despite the challenges of the pandemic.

Most students were highly satisfied with the experience, citing the enrichment of their personal learning journey. One student reported, ‘I’d never had the opportunity to communicate in English with a foreigner and I’m so pleased I could understand and be understood. I didn’t think I could actually do it!’

Dr China was also very impressed by the platform and its potential, stating:

I’m passionate about using the E2 Platform to teach English because I know how valuable it is for engaging students and improving their communication skills. Knowing English means more and better employment opportunities, which will change their lives.

Support you can expect from E2

On every project E2 collaborates on, our primary aim is to meet the needs of our stakeholders and help their students reach their potential. We do this by providing a multidisciplinary team that works with our clients to understand their pain points, address them, and provide a solution that is fit-for-purpose and includes comprehensive onboarding support.

Our teaching department made sure that Fatec’s teaching staff knew the educational tools back to front. Troubleshooting (an inevitable part of adopting a new platform) was almost entirely taken care of by the E2 support team, who were there every step of the way. 

To help Fatec with the digital transformation, we suggested that Fatec create a teaching assistant role – a key liaison point and digital-learning champion for teachers and the students. The teaching assistant played a pivotal role in making sure the transition was a smooth one.

We can help your business too

In 2022, Fatec Ribeirão Preto continues to use the solution developed by E2 to adjust to blended learning as the students return to their regular classes. The school now delivers digital content that complements the classroom delivered lessons and provides students with additional resources to learn autonomously. Other Fatecs, like the one located in Matao, have participated in pilot programs to test out the tool with positive reactions, as indicated by Dr China:

Currently, we’re onboarding students. The plan is to conduct a research project with control groups – teacher-guided groups and self-study groups – to verify learning progress and language acquisition.

Embracing digital transformation has become a new standard in the global education sector post-pandemic. Whether your organisation is switching to being fully remote, going back face-to-face or a hybrid model, it is undeniable that digital education can better fulfil its purpose of helping people unlock their potential. Dr China summarises the difference E2 can make here:

Most English Teaching websites focus on the students as users; however, teachers play a major role too. E2 Platform recognises the role of teachers and is designed for students’ accessibility as well. The student has a richer experience with interactive, meaningful lessons that engage their attention, leading to a positive learning experience and resulting in more effective language acquisition.

Do you think E2 Platform and your business might be a good fit? Click the button below.

The post Case study: How E2 Platform helped Fatec embrace digital innovation for ESL teaching appeared first on E2Language Blog.