Creating Blended Learning with Virtual Learning Environment: A Comparative Study of Open Source Virtual Learning Software

Abstract

Virtual learning environment (VLE) provides students a common platform where they can get the subject-wise tutorial, course content, assignments, worksheets, notes, lectures, etc., anywhere, anytime. The slated features, unique characteristics, and availability of basic required features, consorting VLEs as the need of the today in academic sector. Besidesmaking, learning and teaching virtually real, VLEs are also equipped with tremendous, unique and never ending exhaustive features. Present paper is an endeavor to evaluate, compare, and assess the most widely used five open source VLE software tools. The VLE software studied are Chamilo, ILIAS, Forma.LMS, OpenSIS, and Opigno. It compares the features, pre-requisites, basic requirements for any organizational needs, uniqueness, and unison, etc. for each of the VLE. Based on the evaluation, observation, and comparison, the ranking in terms of excellent, very good, good, average was given to each of the five VLEs. The paper also sums up main comparisons among all the five VLEs especially in terms of the variety of the features available in them