Virtual Learning Environments

Virtual Learning Environments

1. Virtual Learning Environment features

   • Feature 5: Virtual learning environments are not restricted to distance education.
     • Distance and traditional education is becoming less pronounced for several reasons:
       • Many distance education students do not live far away from the physical school.
         • In primary and secondary schools, you can find the opposite balance. So far, Internet-based activities are generally added to enrich presential learning activities.
         • But students have tight time becuase they work.
         • Sometimes provides them with time flexibility.
       • Many Web-based courses combine distance and presence. Whatever technology is used, all tools have intrinsic limitations.
         • Remotely solve a few of the problems. Also you can do some things.
           • Examples: launching a new project, complex technical assistance.
         • These limitations with time they turn into real obstacles for learning.
       • Web-based education is often associated to distance education.
   • Feature 1: It is a desingned information space
     • For learning environments, the functional requirements are and have not been yet systematically studied. Here are a few examples:
       • Using information in educational interactions.
       • Multi-authoring.
       • Maintaining information
       • Indicating information source.
       • Following technical evolution.
       • Sharing information with the world.
   • Feature 4: Students are active but also the can be actors:
     • Texts and Web pages are not the only tool that students put together. also they can be computer programmes, graphical objects. etc.
     • VLE is the set of activities within which students construct and share objects. .
       • Most often these objects are Web pages
   • Feature 7: Most virtual environments overlap with physical environments
     • VLE integrate a variety of software tools, but also integrate all the physical tools that can be found in a classroom.
       • Most virtual learning environments include:
         • A variety of non-computerised learning resources: concrete manipulation tools, instruments, books.
         • A variety of interactions that are not computer-mediated: face-to-face discussions among students, lectures by the teacher.
         • A variety of activities that are not computer-based: field trips, role playing.
       • The physical is no need to draw a boundary between physical and virtual worlds, the key is to integrate them, not to separate them.
   • Feature 3: The virtual space is explicitly represented:
     • This space may have an impact on the learning process further motivational aspects.
       • There exist a variety of ways by which virtual space has an goood impact on learning interactions
     • Virtual space may help for searching
     • Virtual space influence on users behaviour
   • Feature 6. Virtual learning environments integrate heterogeneous technologies and multiple pedagogical approaches
     • A virtual learning environment integrates a variety of tools.
       • For example, the designer has not to choose between self-instruction and tutoring, but decides to use both, self-instruction as the basis and tutoring when it is necessary.
       • information, communication, collaboration, learning and management.
     • A physical learning environment generally has courses, resources, formal communication and informal communication, an administration.
     • Technical and pedagogical integration vary in complexity, significantly facilitated by web technology. From basic integration of software on a single webpage to advanced levels.
       • If the student enters an answer that the Authorware standard pattern matching techniques cannot parse, the message is passed to the mailer.
       • These examples show that technical integration supports pedagogical integration.
     • If the student press ‘help’ or if the programme itself finds out that the student needs help, it opens up the chat and automatically sends to the teacher a request for help and a summary of what the student has done.
   • Feacture 2 : Is a social space:
     • The notion of social space opens some interesting possibilities that only have been explored for the last few years. For example:
       • This information may be more useful in some cases, for example if the student does not know very well what he/she is looking for.
       • Can be represented explicitly. For example, students may leave trace of their presence in a room or on a page.
       • Can be represented by drawing a graph in which students are the nodes and the thickness of the link between two nodes represents the number of e-mail messages between two students.

2. What is VLE?

   • is any educational software or web-based tool. It has some specific qualities that make it different from general educational websites or simple boring web pages.

3. VLE stands for: Virtual Learning Environment

4. Will virtual learning environmets improve education?

   • We will not enter here into the debate on what is virtual and what is not, or on where the physical is no need to draw a boundary between physical and virtual worlds, the key is to integrate them, not to separate them.

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