Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments

Citation

Mason, D. (2013), "Design, Implementation and Evaluation of Virtual Learning Environments", Online Information Review, Vol. 37 No. 2, pp. 340-340. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-04-2013-0071

In this book virtual learning environments are defined as the software tools that allow students to download course‐based resources such as lecture slides and notes, access library materials, foster student interaction and submit assignments. The book uses the UK term, “VLE”, elsewhere known as Learning Management Systems, Learning Platforms or Course Management Systems. The best known of these are Blackboard and Moodle. Blackboard is commercial software; Moodle is free and open source.

The nature of the technology is important, because how it is used largely determines the pedagogy of higher education. VLEs were originally seen as administration tools that standardised access to course‐related materials and offered a cost‐effective way of distributing learning materials, messages and grades to large numbers of students. Wholesale adoption of these has led to accusations of the McDonaldisation of education, forcing all courses into a top‐down straightjacket and stifling innovation.

The papers in this collection look at what might be beyond the centralised model. In particular the trend towards personalised learning environments (PLEs) is encouraging academics to think more holistically about learning and teaching. Much of the new thinking in VLEs is driven by Web 2.0 technology, the two‐way interaction between content providers and content consumers. This offers the prospect for learning in groups remotely, peer‐to‐peer study support, student creation of content and putting the student at the centre of the learning nexus. To an extent this reflects the expectations of digitally literate students as well as the aspirations of teachers.

However, to achieve this vision there are a number of technological, institutional and social barriers to overcome. The papers in this collection show how academics and technologists are tackling these problems. The first section looks at the key concepts and what has already been learned. All of the current technologies such as cloud computing, wikis, social networking, podcasting and even Second Life have been used in education; but as these develop they bring as many problems as opportunities, and research is needed to optimise their outcomes. Section 2 develops this theme and reports on how different design choices impact the learning outcomes. Section 3 is mostly case studies aimed at implementing competing theories of pedagogy and the lessons learned from them. The final section considers the issues in trying to evaluate competing approaches.

Overall this collection of articles gives an excellent overview of the state of the art in technologically assisted learning and provides an excellent basis for further research.