Virtual Learning Environments

Start with the course environments

Begin with the mind map “Learning environments” for an overview of the different spaces it identifies. Its branches include student management, a knowledge environment, a practical learning environment and a collaborative learning environment. Follow each branch and note how the map groups the spaces. You can then compare that structure with the map on virtual learning environments, which also includes starting information and monitoring and evaluation.

Look at participation and support

Next, explore the map on using a virtual learning environment in higher education to support independent and collaborative learning. Its focus gives you another way to think about how people learn in these environments. The course exploration map also distinguishes individual participation and group work in a collaborative learning environment, alongside audio and writing lessons in a practice learning environment.

For another perspective, “Teacher Development-Learning environments” includes academic issues, technical issues and student management. Compare those branches with the first map to see which concerns appear in both.

Explore tools and physical conditions

The e-learning flashcard deck lists tools alongside short descriptions of how they can be used. Study the cards after looking at the maps, and connect each description with the kind of learning activity it mentions. “Analyzing Learning Environments” offers a different angle: its sensory concerns include adequate light and the absence of glare, as well as students’ visual needs.

Use the maps together

As you study, choose a branch from one map and look for a related idea in another. For example, compare collaborative learning with the course exploration map’s references to individual participation and group work. This topic sits within the E-learning and Online Education unit in Education and pedagogy, so the maps provide different starting points for studying learning environments within that unit.

Choose a map to explore, then use the flashcards to look at the listed tools.