Meaning & use
virtual classroom
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Meaning
nouncountable
An online environment where a teacher and students meet, communicate and share lessons in real time or on their own schedule through the internet.
Grammar: Countable: join a virtual classroom, create a virtual classroom.
Patterns
- in a virtual classroom
- join a virtual classroom
Students log in to the virtual classroom at nine each morning.
The teacher shared slides in the virtual classroom.
A virtual classroom lets learners attend from different countries.
Word forms
| plural | virtual classrooms |
|---|
Common combinations
- join a virtual classroom
- Please join the virtual classroom five minutes early.
- in the virtual classroom
- Questions can be asked in the virtual classroom chat.
- virtual classroom platform
- The school chose a new virtual classroom platform.
- set up a virtual classroom
- She set up a virtual classroom for her tutoring students.
- virtual classroom session
- The virtual classroom session lasted an hour.
Synonyms and how they differ
- online classroom
- Online classroom is nearly identical and just as common; virtual classroom may suggest more interactive tools.
- e-learning platform
- E-learning platform is broader and can include self-paced courses with no live teacher.
- remote class
- Remote class describes the lesson itself rather than the online space.
- webinar
- Webinar suggests a one-time presentation to an audience, not an ongoing class.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: virtual classroom or virtual reality?
virtual classroom vs virtual reality
Virtual reality uses headsets to simulate a 3D world; a virtual classroom is simply an online meeting and learning space.
Practice
In a virtual classroom, students usually...
Choose one answer.
A virtual classroom works through the internet. The other options describe physical classes or offline study; the second option is partly true but misses the idea of an online learning platform.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “virtual classroom”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.