Firstly let us consider what VLEs and LMS are what are they used for ?
A VLE is a “system for delivering learning materials to students via the web. These systems include assessment, student tracking, collaboration and communication tools. They can be accessed both on and off-campus, meaning that they can support students’ learning outside the lecture hall 24 hours a day, seven days a week” as stated on an online course run be the Open University Press [OUP] (2018).
The converse side of the VLE, but included in it composition, is the LMS or Course Management System (CMS), which is for the management and tracking of the learners by the teacher and the institution (OUP 2018).
This appears straightforward however, it causes complexity due to the broader range of tools available to learners, such as blogs, eportfolios, ebooks, elibrarys, weblinks, wikis, podcasts, and webinars allowing social collaboration (via web 2.0 Facebook, Linked & WhatsApp) and collation of diverse and dynamic evidenced of learning (Starkey 2012). Therefore, the teacher will also need a broader approach to rethink pedagogy, assessment and feedback in the VLEs complex dynamic interconnected environment
(Beetham & Sharpe 2013).
Review of articles and blogs on Virtual learning environments (VLE)
In researching for information about VLEs I have read two blogs the first one by McNeil (2014) and her opinion on blended learning which she iterates is driven by her institutions VLE dictator Blackboard (Bb). She suggests that it appears to dictate to teachers a learners alike on how to and what to participate in when teaching and learning are taking place on a course. This is suggested to restrict teaching and learning, so does the VLE needed a rethink or removal. If it was removed McNeil (2014) realises that this would cause chaos because of the all important administration that it performs, but also that if they didn’t use Bb then another VLE would have to replace it and would need to be significantly.
Her blog is written at a time when prior to 2014 there was a paradigm shift taking place in education due to the internet and especially web 2.0. Therefore, the embedded pedagogic practice and culture became challenged by the impact of technology and the advancement of web 2.0 technology with Facebook and other social networking websites, causing the redundancy of existing teaching practice, policies and beliefs. This McNeil (2014) suggests is compound by the VLE, but it has become so that it pervades the whole of higher education. There is a need for realignment across and within systems both technological and physical, as suggested by Starkey (2012:124) about “The complexity theory and the process of change”, which has been rapid, causing teachers to rethink and re-evaluate their own practice.
The second opinion blog by Reed (2014) is his response to the this blog post and VLEs on whatever platform the institution uses for its interface, because he states, ” the narrative debate is more about being restrictive, centralised, corporate and closed VLE. But I have many issues with these debates and as Sheila (McNeil 2014) points out, getting rid of the VLE would cause mayhem” This is reflected in the replies to McNeils (2014) post about the VLE dictator in the comments, but not whether the VLE enhanced pedagogy and learning, but the administration side of the teachers feedback being captured and the tracking of the learners as Reed (2014) suggests; how would this be achieved with the vast amount of students that are enrolled on courses? change is rapid and teachers and systems need to keep pace with technological change with their continued professional development (CPD) .
Both of these blogs mention Norman (2014) which is a more authoritative blog on the VLE and his law that:
Eventually, you come up against Norman’s Law of eLearning Tool Convergence: “Any eLearning tool, no matter how openly designed, will eventually become indistinguishable from a Learning Management System once a threshold of supported use-cases has been reached”. Norman (2014)
Norman (2014) also suggests that there is room for teachers to carry on there practiced craft and supplement this with the blended learning via the VLE.
Change is rapid as suggested by Moore’s Law, cited by Facer (2012:11), which suggests that the law of computing power doubles every two years and that this will hold true for the next twenty five years. This suggests that since these blogs and posts were logged four years ago that the systems and computers will have evolved two to the power of four and significantly have changed. Hopefully changed to evolved for a better interface and experience for teachers and enhancing the learning.
Will this be for the better? Well for the foreseeable future the VLE is going to evolve and continue to predominate as a blendeld learning force in various guises, which will support and supplement face to face (F2F) teaching and the management of learners progress.
My experience of teaching and learning with a VLE.
As mentioned previously in my blogs my employment prior to returning to education, as a mature student, and then teacher, was working for local government as a Contracts Officer. This was an admin role and involved vast amounts of databases, with information stored on electronic data management systems (EDMS) and customer information systems (CIS), both internal and external to the local government and the department of work and pensions (DWP). There were and are requirements for stringent data management and data protection can not be underestimated, as with the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) (2018) on the Information Commissioner Office (ICO) website (2019). This is relevant to the VLE as it is basically a database and an electronic system of management.
I elude to this because, when I started a new phase in my life and decided to change my career and become a teacher in 2011, I was not overwhelmed by the VLE in all its shapes and forms. I have used Moddle, Blackboard, Pebblepad and bespoke platforms, as a student and teacher, as well as various other packages to deliver online learning and diagnostics (Beetham & Sharpe 2013) .
I am adept at using any system due to prior tacit knowledge from my employment. However, viewing this from the perspective of a teacher, with a long established career, they may see the VLE as an imposition on their teaching (McNiel 2014). Seeing it as just for administration (Reed 2104), rather than enhancing teaching, learning and progression. Which is true for the LMS side of the VLE, but where would teachers and the administration they have to compile be without these systems? (Reed 2014).
Whilst LMS administration side is one aspect of the VLE, the other is the perspective of the learners, their engagement and learning in the online virtual environment. I have taught young learners considered as digital natives and the ageing demographic, who are growing fast (Facer 2011). Both need support in engaging in blended learning and the VLE, otherwise they become disengaged wishing to use printed out handouts, physical books and learning resources, when I had uploaded resources to the VLE for their (what I saw as) convenience. However, due to some learners persistent non engagement I became aware that there were digital inequalities, due to the expense of technology and the accessibility to the internet (Facer 2011). This can be compensated by local libraries and educational establishments access, but access at home does give advantages to more affluent learners.
With my teaching practice strengthen in technology and this online environment, I did encourage learners to engage in the VLE. This was in part because this was how I communicated with the learners, posted my course materials, links and resources on the VLE for them to access. This is a gradual process for learners having progressed over a few decades, so some mature learners need time to adjust.
Over the last 30 years there has been a sense of chaos, but new knowledge and pedagogy is emerging from the complex interconnected social phenomena of web 2.0 (Facer [2011], Starkey [2012]) and the many VLEs. So, rather than shy away I will embrace all that new and emerging technologies in education, that have and will cause complex social change too (Facer 2011). This will be whether they were intended for the specific purpose of education like the VLE or web 2.0 and its unintended consequences within education. Therefore, my view is that the VLE will prevail and help not hinder teachers and learners alike in management and teaching, once the new approaches have been adopted (Starkey 2012) .
References
Beetham, H., & Sharpe, R., (2013) Rethinking Pedagogy for a Digital Age: Designing for 21st Century Learning. Oxon. Routledge. Google books
Facer, K., (2011) Learning Futures Education, Technology and Social Change. Oxon. Rotledge. Google Books .
Information Commissioners Office (ICO) 2018, Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), [Online] Available at https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/ Accessed 4-2-19.
McNeil, S., (2014) Living with the VLE dictator. [Online] Available at howsheilaseesit.blog/2014/09/15/living-with-the-vle-dictator/ Accessed 30-1-19
Norman, D., (2014), On the false binary of LMS vs. Open [Online] Avalible at darcynorman.net/2014/09/14/on-the-false-binary-of-lms-vs-open/ Accessed 31-1-19
OUP (2018) Learn about Virtual Learning Environment/Course Management System content. [Online] Available at //global.oup.com/uk/orc/learnvle/# Accessed 31-1-19
Reed, P., (2014) The VLE V What Ever… [online] Available at http://thereeddiaries.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-vle-vs-whatever.html Accessed 30-1-19
Starkey, L. (2012) Teaching and Learning in the Digital Age. Oxon. Routledge. Google Books .