Concept of Virtual Learning

Concept of Virtual Learning Environment

"The explosion of the knowledge age has changed the context of what is learnt and how it is learnt – the concept of virtual Learning Environment is a manifestation of this knowledge revolution.”   

                                                                                                                                   Elliott Masie

                                                            or

"The objectives of virtual Learning Environments are to improve access to advanced educational experiences by allowing students and instructors to participate in remote learning communities using personal computers; and to improve the quality and effectiveness of education by using the computer to support a collaborative learning process. “  Franklin

Just as the term virtual means a simulation of the real thing, Virtual Learning Environment is a simulated Learning Environment via Internet, which provides a convenient communication environment for distance learners bit same to  traditional face-to-face Learning Environment.  A virtual Learning Environment allows learners to attend a class from anywhere in the world and aims to provides a learning experience that is similar to a real Learning Environment. When we go to college we have a schedule of lectures, which we must attend. Student must arrive on time, and when he enters the Learning Environment, he finds a teacher, fellow learners, a blackboard or whiteboard, LCD projector, optionally a television screen with videos. Likewise, a Virtual Learning Environment is a scheduled, online, teacher-led training session where teachers and learners interact together using computers linked to a network such as the Internet. A virtual Learning Environment enables to bring learners from around the world together online in highly interactive virtual classes while greatly reducing the travel, time, and expense of on-site teaching/training  programs. It can be used as a solution for live delivery and interaction that addresses the entire process of creating and managing our teaching-learning process. It facilitates instructor and student in teaching-learning events, such as a seminar, online discussion or a live training for employees in company. As in traditional Learning Environment, there are professor and fellow learners present with the student; we have many participants present in virtual Learning Environment. They can talk with each other as in the traditional Learning Environment via chat. Similarly presenter uses whiteboard, gives notes/resources, gives presentation as given in traditional one. Thus, virtual Learning Environment can be visualized as a Learning Environment where a lecture or session is conducted using Internet. Now, that we have some idea about virtual Learning Environment, we will discuss some advantages  that virtual Learning Environment offers over traditional Learning Environment.       CDAC’s Virtual Learning Environment.

Acc  to Brown “a mode of computer based education whereby the teacher interacts with students either via video-conferencing, Internet broadcast, or email” Wikipedia.com says, "A virtual Learning Environment is a learning environment created in the virtual space.

Users of Virtual Learning Environment

There are different classes of users of virtual Learning Environment based on the  roles that they play. These roles are as follows:

• Presenter (or Administrator)

• Participant

When presenter enters in virtual  Learning Environment, he has  different work to do than participant and viceversa.

Facilities provided by presenter interface to Faculty:

• Register new users  : Presenter as an administrator has to register new users that will be  attending the session.

• Create a session  : Presenter has to decide the session time, users that will be invited

for the session. While creating a session, he can specify the time and  users of the particular session.

• Cancel a user registration : If any registered user does not want to attend the session, presenter  cancels his registration.

• Conduct Online presentation : As a presenter, he conducts the session for participants. During presentation he performs various activities in the Learning Environment. He can load the presentation slide that will be displayed to  participants. 

• Share Resources: Presenter can add various resources to the session. It may be a file  or just a simple web page link that participant can download at their  end.

• Conduct Poll:  He can create a poll for participants. Also  he can chat with participants.    

• Explain concepts using Whiteboard: He can use whiteboard to explain some of the topic, which may not  be able to explain via presentations, or to solve any particular doubt  asked by the participant.

Facilities provided by participant interface to students:

• View online presentation : When a participant joins the session, they can view the presentation, which are conducted by the presenter in the virtual  Learning Environment. The presentation may include the PowerPoint presentation  slides or it may also include the snap of the whiteboard on which the  presenter can explain the concepts to the participants.

• Public/Private Chat : The participants can have a conversation with the fellow participants publicly or privately via the chat feature available in the interface, the chat allows the participant to send the instant messages to the participants who are also attending the session. Participants can also send private messages to any of the participant but he is not allowed to send private messages to the presenter but  can do so by  using the hands up facility, which is explained next.

• Raise Hands: Whenever any participant will have any doubt, then he can tell that  to presenter by using the hands up facility available in the user  interface of the participant, using this feature the participant can  interact with the presenter via the private chat.

• Give Response to the polls  : The participants can answer the polls that are submitted by the presenter by using the “Submit Response” facility provided in the  interface. The poll can be of type objective or it may be of Yes/No type.  It the particular poll is public then participants can see response for  that particular poll, else it will be kept hidden from the participant. The  Only presenter is able to see the response for private poll.

• Download Resources  : The resources that are been shared by the presenter  can be  downloaded by the participants at their machine. The resources can be  the files which may include course material, e-book’s etc, or it may be also web links which presenter may want the participants should refer.

Use-case diagram for “Virtual Learning Environment”

                        Start Presentation

                                                                                                Registration

                        Register Create Create Load

                        Users     Agenda Poll    Resources                 Attend Presentation

Presenter                                                                                                                    Participant

                                                                                                Voting for Poll

                        End Presentation                                            Download resources         

Advantages of Virtual Learning Environment

Following are some of the advantages of Virtual Learning Environment over traditional Learning Environment model:

• Removal of geographical barriers :(Anywhere learning) A virtual Learning Environment allows learners and teachers to attend a single live training session from any place in the world, provided they have a computer and Internet connection.

• Sessions can be recorded:  If learners miss a traditional Learning Environment-based training session, they have very little opportunity to engage in the learning experience that took place. A virtual Learning Environment has a facility to record the session so learners or teachers can replay it afterwards. Teachers too get an opportunity to review their own or their colleagues’ performance.

• Quicker to organize : Training can be organized more quickly than traditional Learning Environment-based training. Learning Environments and projectors do not need to be reserved, materials do not need to be distributed. The sessions are easier to schedule or reschedule since attendees will not be traveling to the venue of the session.

• One to one communication:  In a virtual Learning Environment environment, learners can talk to the teacher and to each other, and although this communication is not as rich in a traditional Learning Environment, it still can help learners, since it is one to one. Due to these advantages, concept of virtual Learning Environment is getting very popular. Since it allows learners to attend sessions from anywhere in world, it is very useful for distant learners and for peoples who cannot meet face to face because of lack of time. Though it gives lots of advantages, it has some pitfalls also. Following section describes some limitations of virtual Learning Environment.     

• Completion Of  Course at your own pace

• Saves money and Time

• Beneficial for quick Learners : Students who are motivated and/or quick learners may be permitted to move ahead at a faster rate than in a normal in-class setting. 

• Communication

• No challenge of deciphering  handwriting

• Reusability of Material

• Easy process of Learning

• Child Centered or Learner cantered Education

• Supports Independent Learning

• Raise Quality Education

Limitations of Virtual Learning Environment

Following are some of the limitations of Virtual Learning Environment over Traditional Learning Environment:

• Familiarity of tools : Teachers and students need to become familiar with the tools Teachers and students are familiar with the workings of  a traditional Learning Environment, that is, they understand the concepts of hand raising, the whiteboard, assignments, and so forth. With a virtual Learning Environment, all attendees must become familiar with the way the virtual Learning Environment works before virtual Learning Environment based training starts.

• Time dependency for Live Sessions :Attending virtual Learning Environment training is restricted to  a certain scheduled time.

• Infrastructure for the participants:  PC needs to be prepared Virtual Learning Environment sessions need to be scheduled, teachers need to be invited, and participants’ PCs need to be prepared.

• Technical Limitations Technical issues such as bandwidth, speed of the connection or power failure may create problem while presentation is going on.

• Difficulty for the teachers to Structure the material for Internet Layout

• Not suitable at primary level of education

• Less Working of Communication Tools

• Lack Of competent teachers

• No provision of Physical Learning Environment

• Lack of Socialization

• Lack of infrastructure

• Difficult Interaction

• Some lessons can’t be taught