VLEs and MLEs Hugh Davis
What’s in a Name? Blackboard WebCT Moodle LearnDirect VLE LMS CMS MLE
The Research Questions What is the difference between a VLE and an MLE? What is the quality of learning in on-line environments? Are there things you can’t do on-line? Are there things that are better? Do VLEs impose a particular pedagogic approach? (The latter two will only make sense after the following lecture)
Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) mapping of the curriculum into elements (or ‘chunks’) that can be assessed tracking of student activity and achievement against these elements support of online learning, including access to learning resources, assessment and guidance online tutor support peer group support general communications, including email, group discussion and web access links to other systems, both in-house and externally
Communication tools discussion boards supporting threaded discussions integrated electronic mail video conferencing white-boards on-line chat
Moodle (A quick Case Study) You can see all this in more detail in the Moodle Feature Demo Course at http://moodle.org/course/view.php?id=34 WYSIWIG editing of content Mail integration Courses can be packaged and zipped Users are Admin, teachers or students Plug-in authentication and LDAP as standard Languages and time zones supported Generic Linking! Full Maths notation
Moodle Case Study (2)
Moodle Case Study (3)
Moodle Case Study (4)
Moodle Case Study (5)
Moodle Case Study (6)
Learning Management System Most definitions say LMS ≡ VLE. But some see LMS as the hub of a VLE e.g.
Managed Learning Environments MLEs are concerned with whole institutional systems MLEs involve the interoperation of several separate systems - Student Record Systems, Library Systems, Management Information Systems, VLEs, timetabling systems and so on. Joined up systems for learners; Joined up systems for institutions; Instructional Management System (VLE); Plagiarism detection; Computer Assisted Assessment. The interface to these joined up systems is often via a Portal (e.g. SUSSED) A complete Managed Learning Environment would provide all the systems needed for a “Virtual University”
The BECTa MLE diagram
Scott Wilson’s 2005 “VLE of the future” Creative Commons Copyright Scott Wilson
Follow up Questions Are at the end of the slides for the next lecture on models of learning…..