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.
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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.
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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”
Registration
Register Create Create Load
Users
Agenda Poll Resources Attend Presentation
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
