eLearning4schools.net

Since the growth and recognition that virtual collaborative environments can be developed using ICT, developers have produced many products to exploit this potential.  This variety of products and different intended uses has created confusion regarding VLEs as many terms around this subject have often been used interchangeably (Becta, 2003).During my research I have come across this confusion first hand and feel it important in this section to confirm what we mean by a VLE.  As with ‘real’ learning environments (e.g. classrooms, laboratories etc.) a VLE is designed to support and enhance student learning.

The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) has a number of working groups one of which looks at the area of VLEs, and in July 2000 recommended the term VLE should refer to:

‘the components in which learners and tutors participate in ‘online’ interactions of various kinds, including online learning’. (JISC 2000, p 3).

A VLE focuses on learning and teaching and is usually a specific piece of software (e.g. WebCT, Blackboard, Uniservity etc).

JISC (2000, p5) also suggests the components a VLE include:

• Notice board/bulletin board
• Course outline (course structure, assignments, assessment dates)
• Email facility
• Conferencing tools (including discussion groups)
• Student home page (have a personal web presence)
• Metadata (essentially allows ability to add data to resources)
• Assignments (ability for teacher to create assignments)
• Assessments
• Synchronous collaboration tools (such as interactive whiteboards, chat, video conferencing)
• Multimedia Resources (storing and creating)
• File upload area (ability for students to store their resources to a shared area)
• Calendar

Although other definitions exist the majority do agree broadly with the JISC definition whether this is academic or commercial (Britain and Liber 1999).  Specific products that are used within the school sector and are described as VLEs, describe their products in the following ways:

• An online education community (Schoolmaster.net)
• A learning community and communications environment (Learning Village, IBM)
• Moodle is a course management system (CMS) - to help educators create effective online learning communities. (moodle.org)
• Extending and enhancing learning. (Uniservity.com)

A VLE can offer an online embodiment of a school community.  It allows teachers, students, parents, even a whole community to access the school’s online classrooms to share lesson resources, ideas and information.

(If you have any queries or want any other information about the references used here please let us know).

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 1:17 pm and is filed under Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.