Here is a news article I wrote in 2013 and it is clear today that very few clients are reluctant to the idea of learning or getting help at a distance.

However, I still sometimes have the opportunity to sense in the parents of my clients and even in some pupils and students who contact me directly, some reluctance towards distance coaching via Skype*. Generally, the explanations given lead me to believe that they feel that it is less "serious", that the nature of the contact will not allow the same benefits in terms of quality of work and results. I know from experience that this is not the case and it will take time for mentalities to change permanently and globally, even if the confinement and teleworking have changed practices within companies in a lasting way. Fortunately, as these new means of communication are now widely used by the national education system, habits should quickly change.

Yes, students are now taking their baccalaureate exams by videoconference. Of course, these are oral exams. This is a new proof, if it were necessary, of the great tool that videoconferencing or webconferencing represents, but above all that this tool allows for absolute verbal and non-verbal communication. And when the investment is complete and the framework is not disturbed by external distractions, it is just as effective as face-to-face.

I have been accompanying students for years on all types of issues in videoconferencing and this validation, in a way, of the government on my research, my convictions and the excellent results obtained via this mode of communication in my work with students is today a real satisfaction.

In fact, it is only half a surprise and it is not really new that the French Ministry of Education wonders about the possibilities offered by such a tool, and sets up pilot projects in order to define the limits and benefits, since already in 2007, a first "experiment" had been set up by the French Ministry of Education for the learning of foreign languages and which had been "extended" in 2008 and this in particular in primary and elementary schools!

"40 pilot sites were selected in the framework of the call for projects "Videoconference to promote language learning". This system was extended to 1,000 schools at the beginning of the 2008 school year".

I am glad that this medium is finally validated by the government as a full-fledged teaching tool, but it actually goes much further since in June 2014, an open online course on teaching and learning with computer technologies started on April 30, 2014. This MOOC (understand in English: massive open online course), constitutes an example of open and distance learning in distance education. Co-produced by ENS Cachan and ENS Lyon aims to provide an overview of issues related to education and digital tools, and also to promote the implementation of training projects using these same technologies.

"The course is intended for teaching and training professionals (teachers in primary, secondary or higher education), adult educators, those in charge of educational issues in communities, resource producers, and even all those who are involved in education or training activities such as parents and students.

I hope that all this will make people think twice about starting a remote coaching process via videoconference. If you want to know more, I invite you to read my page dedicated to remote coaching.