Franklin Consulting
While standard check lists like those already mentioned are useful, and the involvement of users essential it is also very important to be clear what you want the VLE for. Experience suggests that the vast majority of teachers / lecturers use it for little more than storing lecture notes / hand outs etc and course announcements. If that is to be the main purpose then it might be more appropriate to consider getting a content management system and something for announcements and letting those that wish to do something else to make use of any of the freely available hosted systems. I appreciate that there are potential issues like child protection if working with minors, but systems like ning allow you to create your own closed location.
There is now a move away from VLEs with at least two universities that I am aware of seriously considering getting rid of or downgrading the use of a VLE.
The other point I would say is that it is not the esoteric features that are important, but how easy to use the most commonly used functions are, especially by teachers and students. How good it is for sys admin and managers is less important, but is often used to sell systems to the managers and IT departments.
Hope that helps.
regards
Tom.
Tom Franklin
Franklin Consulting
9 Redclyffe Road
Withington
Manchester
M20 3JR
Yes the “institution perspective, the desired outcomes from the VLE, and the affordances that the VLE have to offer” are aspects to be taken into account. However from experience without the ‘buy in’ from students and curriculum staff you have absolutely no chance of success. The biggest challenge to using VLEs is not the technology itself but the people that use it (or don’t use it!).
I have been undertaking an extensive consultancy recently in a college that had great advantages in terms of senior management committing to (and funding) technology – but it was to no avail because the curriculum staff and students were not brought into the process. That is now being rectified and there is already emerging evidence that a culture change is beginning to take place that will get the technology already in place used.
Regards
Richard
Richard Everett
The Old Coach House
r/o 9 High Street
Old Town
Stevenage
SG1 3BG
p. 01438 215 447
m. 07766 611 826
Hi,
I strongly agree with you both, but to reach to a set of elements leads the decision of choosing a VLE you have to consider more than learners and content. You also have to consider your institution perspective, the desired outcomes from the VLE, and the affordances that the VLE have to offer along with another set of criteria.
The best thing to do is to look for the quality e-learning models on the web and set your own standards.
Regards,
Tamer Sameer Abd El-Badea Abd El-Gawad
PhD student
School of Education
Faculty of Law, Arts, and Social Sciences
University of Southampton, United Kingdom SO17 1BJ
I strongly agree with Richard, and would add, if students are <19 then also involve parents. Mainstream schooling in particular has been very bad at involving parents in decision processes which with the increasing expectations of remote access and the Home Access Programme will demand home usage of equipment.
For what it is worth while the selection criteria are important I would argue that it is possibly more important to get the 2 key stakeholders – curriculum staff and students directly involved in the selection process.
Regards
Richard
Richard Everett
The Old Coach House
r/o 9 High Street
Old Town
Stevenage
SG1 3BG
p. 01438 215 447
m. 07766 611 826
Good morning,
A colleague emailed me the following request. Can anyone help please?
I am wondering if you or a colleague/contact could assist me, I am trying to find out if there is a pre-existing e-learning Environment (e.g. VLE) selection criteria? an Industry standard set of requirements or selection criteria for a learning environment.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback/ideas.
Many thanks in advance
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