Lurking and learning: Making learning visible in a Virtual Design Studio

This paper explores certain types of student behaviour in design courses presented through an online distance learning environment and using a virtual design studio. It demonstrates that types of behaviour often considered to be passive, and therefore negative or less valuable than obviously active behaviours, can be significant evidence of student learning. Specifically, viewing other students’ work is demonstrated to be a stronger (or equal) correlation of student success compared to any other behaviour measured in the virtual design studios studied. It is hypothesised that this activity is part of a larger set of social learning behaviours that contribute to a general social press or ‘ecology’ of studio learning. This finding has important implications for the design and implementation of virtual studios (technically and in learning design) and these are reported specifically for the interest and use of learning designers

Which way is up? Space and place in virtual learning environments for design

The role of ‘place’ in design education is essential in providing a structured learning experience that can be trusted and which allows dynamic social connections to emerge in the development of reflective practice. With increasing demand for distance and online learning resources, this paper considers how such a sense of place can be arrived at using ‘virtual architecture’. Analogies with physical architectural space – for example ‘homes’, ‘forums’, ‘studios’, ‘libraries’ can be useful, but in many ways the opportunities for design learning in virtual architecture go far beyond what is possible with physical architecture. We describe how the virtual architecture of an Open University course in Design Thinking has consciously tried to create place rather than space, in crafting an environment with intrinsic learning opportunities, and the benefits this has brought to students studying the course

Second Life as a Learning and Teaching Environment for Digital Games Education

Previous studies show that online virtual worlds can contribute to the social aspects of distance learning, improve student engagement, and enhance students’ experience as a whole [4]; [3]. This paper reviews previous research of using online virtual worlds in teaching and learning, compares Second Life with traditional classroom sessions and the Blackboard, and discusses the benefits and problems of using virtual environments in the post-sixteen education and how they affect students’ learning. It also reports a study of using Second Life as an educational environment for teaching games design at undergraduate level, and investigates the impacts and implications of online virtual environments on learning and teaching processes and their application to digital games education. The sample was 27 first year students of the Computer Games Modelling and Animation course. Students’ views on using Second Life for learning and teaching were collected through a feedback questionnaire. The results suggest that virtual learning environments like Second Life can be exploited as a motivational learning tool. However, problems such as identify issues and lacking of role markers may change student behaviour in virtual classroom. We discuss this phenomenon and suggest ways to avoid it in the preparation stage

Students' perceptions of a virtual team assessment item (VTAI): An Australian case study

In today's global business environment, business graduates are often required to work as members of virtual teams. This paper presents the findings of an electronic survey of distance education students' perceptions concerning a virtual team assessment item (VTAI) using asynchronous discussion. The VTAI was set for an undergraduate marketing course at an Australian university. The findings revealed that while the distance education students did not necessarily enjoy the VTAI and found the assessment task to be both frustrating and time-consuming, they agreed that the task was beneficial to their learning and should be included in future course offerings

Implementing an Android Tool for Visually Impaired Students of E-Learning

This article aims to describe the process of learning and development of an educational tool designed for mobile devices (smartphones) with Android technology. In summary, the application was developed based on the virtual learning environment Moodle and aims to develop a learning environment that supports the visually impaired students of e-learning, allowing them to ask questions, discuss and share ideas through forums and use chat rooms in real time. The fundamental purpose of this application is to cooperate with scientific knowledge in the sense that this is a representation of technological advance on the accessibility tools in distance education mode and provide comfort, flexibility and accessibility for the visually impaired students, realizing that education should always be inclusive

Developing the Guided Learner Journey

The University of Hertfordshire was one of the first UK universities to embrace the use of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and embed it as part of our learning strategy to personalise and enhance the student experience. Our in-house built platform, Studynet, which has been in continuous use and ongoing development since 2001, has facilitated a continuum of student engagement from blended approaches to studying via online or distance learning modes. In 2014 we embarked on a two year, in-depth consultation process with students and staff to identify the vision for our future online environment. Through the process we co-developed a set of pedagogic principles and aspirations for our new VLE which resulted in our vision of a ‘Guided Learner Journey’ (GLJ). To enable our vision we purchased Canvas (a virtual learning environment) and Talis (a reading management software) and through our close working relationship, and the innovative approach of Canvas, we have embedded the softwares within Studynet to enable the implementation of the GLJ. In our presentation we will share our consultation and prototyping process as well as well as training programme we have developed to ensure the smooth implementation of our vision.Non peer reviewe

If We Build It Will They Come? Creating a Virtual Classroom in Second Life

The Second Life Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) has been used as an educational resource in many different ways, ranging from simulating the traditional classroom, though interactive experiences, to practical creational activities. Supporting resources can include traditional multimedia, simulation tools and programming languages. Learning experiences may vary from the wholly extrinsic, learning about the outside world, to more intrinsic study of Second Life’s ecosystems and its built environment, or wholly in-world creative work. Within this broad scope, there is an opportunity to support many types of learning, and distance learning in particular. In this paper we propose an analytical framework for virtual learning environments in Second Life based on current practice. We describe the creation of a learning space within Second Life designed to explore how we might support distance learners using traditional environments for extrinsic learning experiences. We reflect on the utility of the framework in understanding the various forces at work in virtual learning contexts and evaluate the student experience. We conclude that despite the potential for Second Life to support distance learners with a broad set of tools and resources, technical constraints suggest that a more effective option would be to provide focused creative tasks for students in a managed laboratory environment

Delivering distance education for modern government: The F4Gov programme at the University of Chester

The Foundation for Govenment (F4Gov) programme developed for the British Civil Service is an innovative low-cost accredited programme of distance learning using a dedicated Virtual Learning Environment designed to improve individual and hence organisational performance. It is flexible in terms of design and delivery and enables individuals and organisations to devise learning which meets their needs. The emphasis upon theory and practice is designed to reflect practice as well as embed deeper learning associated with higher education. The content of the programme is designed to equip participants with the skills necessary to deliver modern government

Design of A Virtual Laboratory for Automation Control

In the past, only students who studied on campus were able to access laboratory equipment in traditional lab courses; distance learning students, enrolled in online courses, were at a disadvantage for they could learn basic lab experiment principles but could never experience hands-on learning. Modeling and simulation can be a powerful tool for generating virtual laboratories for distance learning students. This thesis describes the design and development of a virtual laboratory for automation control using mechanical, electrical, and pneumatic components for an automation and control course at Old Dominion University. This virtual laboratory application was implemented for two platforms — Windows personal computers and Android smartphones. The virtual lab serves as pre-lab session for on-campus students and a virtual lab tool for distance-learning students to gain some “hands-on” lab experience. Utilizing the virtual learning environment as a supplement to engineering-based laboratories is also beneficial for students to prepare for the physical experiment and obtain a “hands-on,” practical lab experience without the hazards present in the physical lab. Such a methodology can also be applied to experiments in different fields such chemistry, etc

A Qualitative Study on Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Virtual Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Midwest Public School District

During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools closed to in-person instruction and forced teachers and students into virtual learning environments. Schools and districts had to create new ways to deliver curriculum to their students, and most chose to switch to an online/virtual learning environment. In this learning environment, the teachers taught from a distance, and students received their instruction through synchronous and asynchronous methods. This change in content delivery was a new experience for most educators. Teachers worldwide expressed their frustrations with virtual instruction and dissatisfaction with student engagement through social media and mainstream media outlets. The study aimed to determine teachers’ perceptions of the virtual learning environment to assess Teacher Efficacy and ideas for possible improvement for that type of learning environment. Participants answered survey questions about teacher self-efficacy, collective Teacher Efficacy, school effectiveness, technology proficiency, and professional development needs through a qualitative study. These survey questions ranged from Likert-type scale and open-ended questions to allow participants multiple ways to express their feelings about teaching in a virtual environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. After analyzing the data, the results indicated that teachers were primarily confident that they could impact student achievement while stressed over the virtual learning environment. They suggested a need for time to plan for virtual learning with their colleagues and focused professional development on the most important digital tools required for virtual instruction