1. The growth of new kinds of virtual learning communities has
emerged of the rapid growth of the Internet and related new
media. Data and information are now being created at a far
faster rate than most experts can convert this information into
forms of knowledge that can be communicated effectively to
teachers, students, and the general public.
Virtual communities address this problem by providing an
environment for people to connect with and learn from others
through collaboratively participating in the construction of new
knowledge.
Using technology to build virtual learning communities may well
be one of the best means to support teacher collaboration
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2. E‐learning utilizes computers and computer networks as a
channel of communication additional and complementary to
conventional ones.
This communication channel connecting learners with
learning media,
other people (fellow learners, sources, facilitators),
data (on learning, media, people), and
processing power.
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3. Learning is a social process involving the active construction of
new knowledge and understanding through individual learning
and group and peer interaction. This means that communication
is a key learning skill.
The main use of information technologies is to create tools
supporting learning activities.
Those tools can be divided in two main categories.
The tools that are used for content transmission
And the tools that are used for the communication support.
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4. There is a multitude of e‐learning tools available today.
Generally communication technologies can provide place
independent communication and time‐independent
communication.
Synchronous communication tools are used at same
time/different place situations occur when participants are
located in (at least two) different places, and communicate via
computers using chat rooms or desktop videoconferences in
real time.
Asynchronous communication tools are used at Different
time/different place situations and refers to dispersed teams
that rarely meet face‐to‐face and carry all their work through
computer‐mediated communication systems that provide a
combination of database, email, and forum capabilities.
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5. As a physical learning environment generally integrates courses,
resources (libraries), formal
communication (boards), informal communication (cafeteria ),
administration, etc
Similarly, a virtual learning environment integrates a variety of
tools supporting multiple
functions: information, communication, collaboration, learning
and management.
The very idea of environment includes this notion of integration.
Referring to the architecture, virtual learning environments are
well structured information spaces.
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6. The approach to e‐learning has been to employ the use of
Virtual Learning Environments (VLE)
Virtual learning environments realised through software
packages that incorporates different information and
communication technologies . Mainly the vles based on
asynchronous communication but nowdays the
Asynchronous and synchronous communication work hand‐in‐
hand in most institutions classes. They are symbiotic.
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7. First we shall speak about how and with what tools synchronous communication
implemented in vle
The main tool that used for this type of communication is Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing for educational purposes is an innovative scheme using
at wide range state-of-the-art equipment.
Advantages
• Allows immediate, real‐time interaction.
• Allows all participants to see and hear each other.
• Can display pictures, graphs, maps, small objects etc or play a video tape.
• Can demonstrate a piece of equipment or technique.
• Works particularly well with small groups at each site.
• Camera and monitor control able to be managed locally or remotely.
• With desktop systems you can share computer files and work collaboratively.
• Facilitates student interaction.
Disadvantages
• Specialist equipment needed.
• Needs high level of instructor planning.
• Costly if a large number of sites are involved.
• Restricts room layout, instructor movement and student seating.
• Requires instructor to manage video and audio inputs from several sites.
• Behaviour has to be modified for large multipoint conferences.
There are two significantly different types of videoconferencing. The first is a
point‐to‐point videoconference, where a link is established between two
terminal endpoints.
The second videoconference scenario is a multipoint conference, where a
videoconference is conducted between three or more terminals.
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8. The implementation of the videoconferencing can be done
using the software solution
In this case the appropriate software is installed in a normal
computer with video and audio capture capabilities
or the hardware solution which is based on dedicated systems
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9. Some of the applications we need in order to follow or initiate
a videoconference session can be based on
Web‐conference solution which integrate low bandwidth rate
videoconference mainly among individual persons and not
lecture rooms
and the Access Grid project that can serve group to group
collaboration, more complex and demanding than person to
person collaboration
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10. A typical freeware web conference application with Moodle
integration capabilities is Openmeetings.
With this application for example the instructor can organize
virtual meetings for support and discussion activities with the
learners.
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11.
The Access Grid project focus is to enable groups of people to
interact with Grid resources and to use the Grid technology to
support group to group collaboration at a distance
Such as
•Distributed Lectures and seminars
•Remote participation in panel discussions
•Virtual site visits meetings
•Complex distributed grid based demonstrations
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12. The hardware solution is implemented using dedicated systems
with videoconference software embedded to these systems.
The benefit of this solution comparing to the software solution
is the reliability and ease of use.
The disadvantage is the relative high cost.
We can distinct the videoconference systems to set top for
offices or small lecture rooms
And the integrated systems that used for large videoconference
rooms
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13. For small audience up to 8 persons the use of the set top
conferencing is the ideal solution because of the low cost and
the ease of installation and operation. Usually these systems
can be transferred and installed on demand
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14. Room based conferencing systems are relative expensive and
requires also
Extra projectors cameras speakers and microphones.
Lighting and camera geometry
•studio type environment with specified placement, levels
•well tested and calibrated for good image quality
Audio geometry
•multiple microphones and speakers
•tested to provide good coverage
•designed to support audio clarity
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15. The dominant learning technology employed today is a type of
system that organizes and delivers online courses.
The course is the basic unit of organization.
Content management becomes a main issue for all
teachers involved in virtual learning environments.
The learning management system takes learning content and
organizes it in a standard way, as a course divided into modules
and lessons, supported with quizzes, tests and discussions, and
in many systems today, integrated into the institution's student
information system.
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16. This piece of software has become almost ubiquitous in the
learning environment; software such as Blackboard, and Moodle
have thousands of installations in universities and colleges and
are used by tens of thousands of instructors and students.
CMS/LMS include applications like Blackboard, Moodle, that
create a shell in which we can organize the content of the
instruction.
These CMS/LMS applications can be quite robust by integrating
with many different types of applications including
virtual worlds, simulations, assessment engines, competency
management tools, content repositories, reporting services,
discussion boards, classroom management tools, intelligent
tutoring systems, performance support systems, knowledge
management systems, document management systems
Many LMS’s are providing extensibility interfaces.
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17.
WebCT and Moodle are two Learning Management Systems
with thousands of installations in universities and colleges and
are used by tens of thousands of instructors and students, with
lots in
common, but there are some key differences which make each
one special in its
own way. We note these differences below.
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18. The Blackboard Learning System allows instructors to post
course information and course materials, readings and
assignments and provides functionality for basic discussion and
other collaborative tools (from Blackboard).
Designed for teacher directed/centered delivery of content
Especially geared for lower level courses, large classes.
Proprietary, vast user base.
Based on licensing fee.
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19. Moodle is a course management system (CMS) ‐ a free, Open
Source software package designed using sound pedagogical
principles, to help educators create effective online learning
communities. You can download and use it on any computer
you have handy (including webhosts), yet it can scale from a
single‐teacher site to a 50,000‐student University (from
moodle.org).
Moodle tools focus on:
Content delivery for course information
Intended use is group work, collaboration, communication,
sharing, activities, and critical reflection, a collaborative type of
learning.
Open Source (free)
UVic could actually participate in Moodle development
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20. EChemTest® is an electronic self‐assessment and assessment
tool developed by the European Chemistry Thematic Network
Association, and aimed at evaluating knowledge and
competences in chemistry and related disciplines. It has a wide‐
ranging impact, both formal and informal, in Europe and outside
its borders.
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21. By taking the test,
‐ The professional is assisted in his work, and is motivated in
starting a formal course.
‐ The student is self‐assessing or assessing his knowledge of
chemistry in a European frame, and is evaluating his
understanding of scientific notions in a foreign language.
‐ The ERASMUS student is acquiring a useful certification on his
ability to communicate in chemistry‐related topics in the
language of the host institution.
‐ The citizen is pursuing high‐standard life‐long learning.
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22. EChemTest® is organised in assessments, consisting of thirty
questions and having a time limit of one hour. The questions are
automatically and randomly selected from specific large question
banks, available at four different levels, equivalent to:
‐ The end of compulsory education;
‐ The beginning of university studies;
‐ The end of the core chemistry syllabus in organic, inorganic,
analytical, biological and physical chemistry, as well as in
chemical engineering;
‐ Second cycle studies in specialised areas, i.e. computational
chemistry, advanced synthetic chemistry, and chemistry applied
in cultural heritage preservation.
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23. First cycle question banks are consistent with the European core
chemistry, which further forms a requirement for the
Eurobachelor® quality label presented to academic institutions
by the European Chemistry Thematic Network Association.
Question banks are available in English, Finnish, French,
German, Greek, Italian, Latvian, Polish, Slovak, Slovene, and
Spanish.
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24. The participants take assessments using a web browser, which
connects over the Internet to the Server. Any web browser can
be used, though the most commonly used and best supported
browsers are Internet Explorer and Firefox.
Once the participants entries the URL, the log‐in page appears
on the screen.
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25. By selecting the desired examination, examinees are directed to
the secured environment of the test.
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28. At the end of the session, they submit their answers to the
server, and the final total grade appears on the screen with
feedback for each question.
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29. The Total Score appears on the screen and also a feedback is
given for each question on the test.
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30. A simple table appears on the screen, containing all the
available information, such as….
Also by clicking on the magnifying glass at the Coaching report
column, he can access all the questions and all the answers he
gave one by one.
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