WHAT IS A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ?

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT ?

Does a « virtual learning environment » refer to any educational web site? No. However, as
many fashionable words, some authors use it in a very broad way, including for instance Web sites that simply include static Web pages. Is a «virtual learning environment» restricted to systems including some 3D / virtual reality technology? No. Some environments include less
sophisticated interfaces, namely text-based ones. Between these over-general and over-specific
definitions, there is a range of environments, which vary along the criteria listed below. Our goal
is not to decide which environments deserve the «virtual learning environment» label, but to
provide an understanding of their specificity.

Is a “virtual learning environment” synonymous to a «virtual campus»? No. A “virtual campus”
provides University courses, while the name «virtual learning environment» does not restrict the scope to any age or level. The former is hence a sub-category of the latter. A “virtual campus” covers a set of courses, often a whole diploma programme, while «virtual learning environment» can be used for smaller parts of a curriculum.

We argue that virtual learning environments can be identified by the following features and we
will discuss them one by one through this contribution:
• A virtual learning environment is a designed information space.
• A virtual learning environment is a social space: educational interactions occur in the
environment, turning spaces into places.
• The virtual space is explicitly represented: the representation of this information/social
space can vary from text to 3D immersive worlds.
• Students are not only active, but also actors: they co-construct the virtual space.
• Virtual learning environments are not restricted to distance education: they also enrich
classroom activities.
• Virtual learning environments integrate heterogeneous technologies and multiple
pedagogical approaches.
• Most virtual environments overlap with physical environments.

Para saber mais, a referência é:

Dillenbourg, P.; Schneider, D.; Synteta, P. Virtual Learning Environments. In: Proceedings of the 3rd Hellenic Conference "Information and Communication Technologies in Education". 2002. p. 3-18. Disponível em: http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/19/07/01/PDF/Dillernbourg-Pierre-2002a.pdf.