What’s the problem with the Business English course?
The Business English course at our CEGEPs (Cégep de Rimouski and Cégep de Thetford) has faced recurring challenges over the years. After careful reflection, we identified 3 major issues that needed to be addressed:
- lack of materials available
- wide range of student proficiency in English
- lack of opportunities for authentic practice
Lack of materials available
The biggest issue is the lack of materials suited to the CEGEP context. Most textbooks and resources come from British or American publishers and are designed for experienced professionals, not our Quebec-based students. As a result, students don’t recognize themselves and often struggle to connect with the content, which reflects international business rather than their local reality. Consequently, teachers end up spending a lot of time adapting or creating new materials to make lessons more relatable.
Adding to the challenge, a new devis for the Techniques d’administration et de gestion (TAG) program will be implemented in 2026. These upcoming changes highlight the need for materials that align with the new program objectives and competencies.
Wide range of proficiency in English
Another challenge is the wide range of student proficiency levels in the same Business English class. At Cégep de Rimouski, for example, students from various profiles (marketing, accounting, etc.) are grouped together, regardless of their English level. This leads to classes with students ranging from beginners to advanced speakers, including international students, who often have different needs from the others.
This creates frustration as weaker students struggle to keep up, while advanced students find the material too basic. With such a wide range of proficiency in one classroom, it becomes challenging to effectively meet each student’s needs.
Lack of opportunities for authentic practice
A 3rd major challenge for Business English students, especially outside urban centres, is the limited opportunity to practise English in real-world business settings. Unlike larger cities where professional environments are more accessible, it is difficult to organize authentic business simulations or interactions with local enterprises. Logistical constraints make it nearly impossible to ask businesses to participate in simulations, such as negotiating orders or dealing either with a customer or a buyer.
Identifying our needs
In light of these challenges we face with the current Business English course, we’ve identified specific needs that must be addressed in our project to create a more effective learning environment:
- providing scaffolded materials (to address all the different levels of proficiency)
- offering an all-in-one solution (resources and materials all in one place)
- producing easily accessible materials (user-friendly and without accessibility constraints)
- delivering feedback (to provide students with immediate and individualized feedback)
- engaging students (materials and activities that motivate all the students, no matter what their level is)
- establishing authentic opportunities to practice (tools that allow students to practise real-world business scenarios)

A mind map showing the reflective work behind the project Business at Your Fingertips [in French].
Our solution: blending Moodle activities with VR experiences
To meet these needs, we came up with the idea central to our project to offer ready-to-use resources designed for business-specific English using technologies and gamification. While immersive VR experiences would be part of the solution by offering an immersive way for students to practise, we realized they needed more structured support before diving into simulations. That’s where the Moodle modules come in. Together, Moodle activities with VR experiences create a balanced approach to teaching Business English.
Using Moodle
The Moodle activities are the backbone of the project, providing interactive, self-paced tasks that students can do in class or at home. All students can engage in essential grammar, vocabulary, and structure activities, regardless of their level.
Moodle also serves as the perfect platform for our project because it’s easily accessible across the college network. It makes sharing and managing interactive activities simple, allowing teachers to quickly assign quizzes, exercises, and other relevant activities.
Scaffolding with a 3-step process
Our project involves a 3-step process that enables students to activate their prior knowledge and practise specific skills before engaging in the VR experience. These steps aim to boost students’ confidence and competence in Business English and are followed by a debriefing activity to reinforce their learning experience.
Step 1: Activate
We start by assessing students’ prior knowledge and identifying elements that need to be reviewed before the training phase. Using interactive H5P modules accessible on Moodle, students are introduced to key concepts that help them prepare for the next phase.
Step 2: Train
During the training phase, students learn and practise specific business skills, like phone conversations or discussing financial statements. This step involves hands-on exercises and quizzes on the Moodle platform. By the end of this step, students will have developed the skills required to engage confidently in the immersive VR experience.
Step 3: Experience
In the final step, students are ready to experience a day at work with VR technology. They will apply their knowledge in a simulated work scenario using VR headsets, enabling them to practise business interactions as if they were in a professional setting.
If VR headsets are not available, alternative options exist. Students can experience the same 360-degree simulations on other devices, such as tablets or computers. Teachers can also use this technology for distance teaching.

A mind map showing the 3-step immersive process [in French].