Digital Literacy and ICT
- advice and sharing best practice in using ICT across the curriculum.
Virtual Learning environment
What is a VLE?
Some of the options are shown above.
Extract from Kirkland HS online courses.
A virtual learning environment is, according to JISC's Introduction to managed learning environments, the components in which learners and tutors participate in online interactions of various kinds, including online learning.
In Fife, we are investigating if a VLE could be introduced holding curricular content, which can be integrated with the new Pearson e1 MIS system so that work assigned to children can be tracked and both formative and summative assessment results recorded in each child's personal learning plan (Tracking and MIS a Fife perspective).
VLE benefits include:
- learner support as and when the learner is able to logon
- learning out of school
- to extend home to school access
- to suit learners who can't attend school
- discussion boards available from anywhere
- self-directed learning at the learner's own pace
- self tracking and instant assessment is possible
- the content can be more interactive than traditional courses thus could motivate the user to a greater extent
VLE issues include:
- ensuring a balance between online and face-to-face delivery
- time taken to populate the VLE with sufficient content
- staff cpd to make the VLE an effective resource
- server storage space and bandwidth
- number of concurrent users using the VLE - more of an issue within school hours