Virtual+Learning+Environments

**Deffinition:** A virtual learning environment (VLE) is a virtual classroom, used in education, where students and teachers are able to share lesson materials and other information with each other online.
 * Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)**


 * Steps to use a VLE: **
 * The students would need to have active accounts on the VLE. He would have to be invited to join the virtual classroom. This may be done to prevent unknown students or users to create their accounts. The students can receive their invitations by email.
 * After receiving their invitations, the students would have to fill in required feilds such as first name, last name, class and other necessary details to activate their accounts. Another method of account activation would be for the class teacher or coordinator to create accounts for the students and then provide them with acctivation codes. They will then be used when the students visit the VLE to log on for the first time.
 * Once the student accounts are activated, they will then be able to communicate with other students in the virtual classroom and access the study material provided by the class teacher.
 * The students can also download assignments and other materials onto their computers.


 * Examples of VLEs and Some of Their Features **
 * ** [|Moodle] ** - Assignment submission, discussion forum, files download, grading, moodle instant messaging, online calendar, online announcements, online quizzes and wikis.
 * ** [|Peasron LearningStudio] ** - Simple look modeled after popular social media sites to enble students and teachers to easily find what they need, social profiles, avatars, chat, groups, activity feed, integrated Skype functions for real-time discussions, and a mobile site to enble students and teachers to stay connected anytime, anywhere.
 * **[|Blackbaord]** - Grading, structures online learning environment to suit teh student's real-world organizational structure, efficient and engaing user experience, notifications to keep students and teachers up to date, course enrollments, collaboration using wikis, dynamic visual content.

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 * Integrating the Virtual World With Course Management **
 * **[|Sloodle]** - An emerging technology, which integrates Second Life and Moodle. It provides a chat-room that brings Moodle and Second Life chats together. It links students' avatars to their Moodle accounts. Tasks can be set in the 3D environment, and grades can be quickly reviewed using Moodle.


 * Effects of VLEs**

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 * **Reliability** - Both students and educators would have to ensure that they have a reliable connection to the Internet. Without good Internet connection, there may be unwanted disruptions when users are communicating or performing tasks online.
 * **Authenticity** - All the users need to log in using a username and password to authenticate their identities. This gives them access to the study materials.
 * **Globalisation** - The geographical position of the users is not a concern, since the VLE offers the ability to study online.