Virtual learning environment

A virtual learning environment (VLE), or learning platform, is an e-learning education system based on the web that models conventional in-person education by providing equivalent virtual access to classes, class content, tests, homework, grades, assessments, and other external resources such as academic or museum website links. It is also a social space where students and teacher can interact through threaded discussions or chat. It typically uses Web 2.0 tools for 2-way interaction, and includes a content management system. Virtual learning environments are the basic components of contemporary distance learning, but can also be integrated with a physical learning environment[1] which may be referred to as blended learning. Virtual learning can take place synchronously or asynchronously. A virtual learning environment can also include students and teachers “meeting” online through a synchronous web-based application. Major Components Of Virtual Learning Environment[edit] Purpose[edit]

What is virtual learning environment (VLE) or managed learning environment (MLE A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a set of teaching and learning tools designed to enhance a student's learning experience by including computers and the Internet in the learning process. The principal components of a VLE package include curriculum mapping (breaking curriculum into sections that can be assigned and assessed), student tracking, online support for both teacher and student, electronic communication (e-mail, threaded discussions, chat, Web publishing), and Internet links to outside curriculum resources. In general, VLE users are assigned either a teacher ID or a student ID. The teacher sees what a students sees, but the teacher has additional user rights to create or modify curriculum content and track student performance. The terms virtual learning environment (VLE) and managed learning environment (MLE) are often interchanged.

chapter 1 Online Learning: The Pros And Cons Of K-12 Computer Courses Online learning is one of the fastest growing trends in educational uses of technology, according to a 2010 report by the U.S. Department of Education. But the rapid growth raises the question do students get as much out of online learning as they do from face-to-face lessons with a teacher? More than one million K-12 students took online courses during the 2007-08 school year. A recent article in the New York Times highlights the debate over the efficacy of online classes for K-12 students. Proponents of online classes say they are a cost-effective alternative to traditional instruction that provide students more flexibility in their learning, as well as access to a greater variety of options. However, there isn't much research on the effectiveness of these virtual courses. Some school officials offer examples of how online options help boost course offerings. Idaho is just one of many states where the battle over online learning is playing out. That's not the only complaint.

chapter 2 Effective Learning and the Virtual Learning Environment Effective Learning and the Virtual Learning Environment M J Stiles The Learning Development Centre, Staffordshire University, UK Abstract Using Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) poses important educational issues for Universities. The COSE VLE, developed under funding from the UK Joint Information Systems Committee, and now published by Longman Software Publishing, is designed to facilitate active and collaborative learning and to address the educational issues which will be discussed. The Context There is an increasing worldwide drive to use the technologies based around the WWW as a means of addressing a number of challenges which face higher (and further) education. A leading feature of this drive has the advent of systems and approaches designed to make the pattern of learning more "distributed". A plethora of names has arisen to describe the software and technologies which are being developed to provide for distributed learning. The Educational Problems Effective Learning