What is a VLE?

The Ferl Practitioners’ ProgrammeTransforming Teaching and Learning with ILT

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What is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)?

U4.3aWhat is a VLE?

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A VLE is an integrated system for delivering and/or supporting distance and flexible

learning using web technology

What is a VLE?

A VLE must provide controlled, secure, access to the curriculum

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User login and password

via a standard web browser

What is a VLE?

A VLE must provide a content management system

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• Support various file formats, ie Microsoft Office documents, web pages, pdfs etc.

• Make uploading materials uncomplicated

• Allow the easy assembly of programmes of learning

What is a VLE?

A VLE must provide assessment features

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• Variety of assessments• Tailor content in response to

tests• Ability for users to work off line

What is a VLE?

A VLE must provide a variety of communication options

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• E-mail• Discussion forums• Chat

What is a VLE?

Using the VLE’s e-mail system

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• E-mail should be accessible from any Internet-connected machine

• Messages are recorded within the VLE, rather than outside it in a separate package - useful for portfolio and assessment purposes

• The administrative overhead of setting up VLE e-mail is zero - learners have access a soon as they are given a VLE account

What is a VLE?

Using the VLE’s Discussion and Chat

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• Ability to set up closed or open discussion groups or chat

• Messages are recorded within the VLE which is useful for portfolio and assessment purposes

• Like e-mail, the overhead of setting up VLE discussions is zero - learners have access a soon as they are given a VLE account

What is a VLE?

A VLE must offer tracking of learners’ activity and achievements

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• offer comprehensive programme administration

• offer on-going tracking and monitoring of progress

• offer progress reports on both the individual learner and on groups of learners

VLEs should:

What is a VLE?

A VLE must provide links to other administrative systems, both in house and

externally

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• Communicate with the MIS• Share data with other electronic

packages such as e-portfolios or electronic records of achievement

What is a VLE?

A VLE must be customisable

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• Allow users to change the look and feel of the environment - change colours, insert a college logo, alter fonts and images to make them larger or smaller

• Allow users to create programme templates

What is a VLE?

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User

E-mail system

Discussion group system

Content-delivery system

Assessment and tracking system

Instead of many separate systems:

MIS links

which all look and feel different...

What is a VLE?

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User

E-mail

discussions

content

assessment

We have:

tracking

MIS links

secure login

An integrated package that includes all the

functions

What is a VLE?

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This integrated environment makes it easier for

practitioners, learners and managers to engage with the teaching and learning process

What is a VLE?

Advantages for practitionersAdvantages for practitioners

• Quicker to learn to use• Ease of administration• Automatic marking of assessments• Better support for learners• Easy to upload content

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Karen Bryan, Internet Development Supervisor.

“In the past staff had to send content to us to put on the intranet

and that could take weeks or months, and people didn’t use it. The main thing for me now is that

people do now use it, they put their own things on there, they do feel

ownership.”“Soon, everything

will be accessible in one place from

anywhere - that’s the future!”

What is a VLE?

Advantages for technical supportAdvantages for technical support

• Installation is made easy• Little need for technical support after installation• Training is simple• Security is ensured• User and course administration is easy

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Advantages for managersAdvantages for managers

• More cost-effective than running different systems• Provides integrated service for practitioners and learners• More efficient use of staff time• Beneficial effects on recruitment, retention and achievement

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John Proctor, Business Development Executive for Print.

“If the college hadn’t gone down this route, we would have seen a

decline in numbers. However, we’re seeing an increase in

numbers, so much so that we’re increasing the number of staff.”

“This has really caught the

imagination of the print industry!”

What is a VLE?

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Glen Woodcock, Staff Development Manager.

“One of the concerns our tutors have is

that the technology will remove them

from the classroom. That is certainly not

the case.”

“With the advent of the VLE, learners can

access it outside of the college, so the learning can take place outside

the classroom too.”

What is a VLE?

Advantages for learnersAdvantages for learners

• Easy to use• Can encourage learner autonomy• Can improve learner management of learning process• Can lead to flexibility of access to learning

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Tony Weston, ILT Development Manager

“When the VLE was first introduced, it was monitored closely. The learners really use this, they gain from it - it

was quite the reverse of what a lot of people expected! Our achievement

figures show this.”

What is a VLE?

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The disadvantages

• Can be seen as a technical fix

• System can be inflexible

• VLEs are not value free

• Requires large initial investment in time and resources to set up

• Easy to underestimate training required for staff (and learners)

What is a VLE?

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John Moulson, Director of Quality

“It’s very easy to put technology in place. It took us a year to do that.

Bringing the people on board took a lot longer!”

What is a VLE?

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…is in the simple things. A French 'Listening' class working with sound files produced by native speakers, being able to concentrate on their French and not on the mechanics of getting equipment to work, or on being in an artificial setting like the language laboratory.

Being able to run animated clips of processes like mitosis (the mechanics of cell division). Being able to provide physics learners with animation in which they can vary forces and see before their very eyes what happens to a pendulum - with the associated applied mathematics on screen beside it.

Letting learners read a history article, click on the name of an historical figure and glance at the relevant biography before returning to the original account with a clearer image of the person behind the event.

But the real joy of VLEs...

What is a VLE?