AmbiLearn

This chapter focuses on the concept of virtual learning environment (VLE), its characteristics and potentialities. We present the results of a research work conducted with a sample of 347 undergraduates from a Portuguese public higher education institution. The research addressed the issue regarding the use of virtual learning environments within the higher education context and had the following aims: identify the VLE access frequency; assess the influence of users' computer skills on the VLE access frequency; and assess the importance and impact that students consider the VLE to have on supporting the course units they attend. In the light of the results obtained and considering the VLE used in the sample institution, we highlight that the majority of students accesses the VLE on a daily basis, no significant differences were found regarding VLE access according to users' computer skills, and the most valued aspects of the VLE were: checking exam results and receiving teachers' messages or notices.

SMAN 1 Blahbatuh is one of public schools in Bali that has complete and adequate facilities to support teaching and learning activities. The school also has experienced and supportive teachers who are experts on their field. However, during observation found that some teachers do not familiar with state-of-the-art technology for teaching and learning activities. That case leads to ineffective online lesson where the teachers are expected to use various technology in order to support the lessons. This is a challenge faced by SMAN 1 Blahbatuh in implementing online learning on this pandemic situation. To overcome this problem, training related to the implementing “Animation” Digital Literacy culture-based as an online learning media had been carried out. This training implements “Animation” Digital Literacy through Culture-Based English Teaching. In addition, a training on the use of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in online teaching was also carried out, to further maximize the use of online media in the lessons. The training was held for two days involving 11 teachers to take part into it. In this training, they were given a workshop to create 'animated' media that aims to attract students' interest in learning and improve their literacy.

This article reviews literature on the use of virtual learning environments by highlighting their potential and the challenges of introducing the same in Tanzania. It introduces the concept of virtual learning environments by demonstrating their applications to support teaching and learning. The article discusses the use of virtual learning environments in teaching information literacy courses by highlighting the success of using such tools in facilitating the teaching of information literacy courses to library users. In this review, special emphasis is placed on attempts by Tanzanian institutions of higher learning to introduce web-based teaching of information literacy and the challenges faced. The review reveals the need for Tanzanian institutions of higher learning to develop virtual learning environments to facilitate the teaching of information literacy courses to students and faculty so as to reach many of those who may not manage to attend the face-to-face information literacy sessions that are offered by librarians on a regular basis.

Readiness is an important indicator of learners' willingness to engage productively in a virtual learning environment. Low readiness is believed to be the main reason behind virtual learning failure. The purpose of this present study is to investigate the effects of online readiness on learners’ learning satisfaction and performance in a virtual second language learning environment on a sample of 203 Malaysian Non-Arabic Speaking Learners using a cross-sectional survey. This study further explored which dimension of readiness is found to be the strongest predictor of their level of satisfaction and performance. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis examined the predictive relationships between readiness, satisfaction, and performance. The results proved that online readiness was statistically a significant predictor of their learning satisfaction and performance, indicating computer and internet self-efficacy in performing activities in the virtual learning environment as the strongest predictor. By identifying the most influential predictors, this groundbreaking study recognizes which key elements of the virtual learning environment language learners would need more to relish learning and achieve their goals. This study offers critical insights that have not been previously explored by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the factors influencing learning satisfaction and performance. The findings, therefore, highlight the paramount importance of assessing the readiness of online learners and their learning environment, providing valuable guidance for higher education institutions seeking to enhance the success of VLLE. In addition, this study sets a precedent for future research in the field. It underscores the need for ongoing efforts to improve virtual language learning environments to serve students’ needs better.

Containerization: Practical infrastructure and accessibility efficiency for the Virtual Learning Environment 
 Context and motivation:
 Containers are transforming modern application infrastructure, providing advantages for accessibility and allow many instances of existing legacy applications to be run at the same time on the latest operating systems. This can implement an ideal virtual learning environment which offers a dynamic learning space where instructors upload activities and resources to enhance learning. The goal is to provide a structured learning environment suited to both the student and the instructor, where materials are easily accessed, and that many files can be transferred at one time. The system should cope with the demands of many students occupying the same virtual learning space, providing each student with individual learning experiences. There are challenges when instructors attempt to adapt the learning environment to meet the learning objectives. Technology barriers to the education provider, primarily in the form of high cost of technology infrastructure requirements need to be overcome before widespread adoption of a virtual learning environment is seen. The potential to overcome these barriers through the application of containerisation provides the motivation behind this presentation (Katz & Council of Independent, 2016; Puvaneswary & Siew Hwa, 2019).
 
 What will be demonstrated in this presentation?
 The use of containers provides the ability to supply many instances of the same application running on a single machine. Each instance is isolated, along with any associated dependencies, allowing efficient utilisation of system resources, such as processing and memory. The presentation will demonstrate how many instances of the same application can be activated and the resource advantages gained. The presentation will show a system that has been used to provide a complex structured virtual learning environment to level 7 students and discuss how the system was utilised to provide a positive, individualised learning experience to the students. Security and confidentiality is maintained within each containerized instance. The presentation will show how the system can be configured to be self-healing, respond to scheduling, and to automatically restart single instances as required.
 
 The implications for future practice
 The presentation will show how the advantages of containerization can be integrated at many levels of the virtual learning environment, providing many separate and individual instances of the same application. The number of instances can be easily adjusted as required, and resources are automatically allocated, reducing support overhead and cost of infrastructure. The implications are that each instance can provide a unique experience to each student, whilst reducing the workload of the instructor, and minimizing the cost to the education provider.
 
 
 References
 Katz, P. M., & Council of Independent, C. (2016). High-Tech or High-Touch? Online Learning and Independent Higher Education. Innovations in Teaching and Learning. Research Brief 5: Council of Independent Colleges. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.aut.ac.nz/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=ED569215&site=eds-live
 Puvaneswary, M., & Siew Hwa, Y. (2019). Navigating the Shortcomings of Virtual Learning Environments Via Social Media. International Journal of Virtual and Personal Learning Environments (IJVPLE), 9(2), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJVPLE.2019070101
 

Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. Autistic children exhibit certain characteristics in varying degrees including difficulties in verbal/non-verbal communication, social interaction and repetitive behaviors. This paper discusses the role of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in helping autistic children learn science and engineering concepts. VLEs are a type cyber learning environments created using Virtual Reality technology; as part of a learning activities, a set of VLEs to teach autistic students concepts in related to the solar system, robotics and density has been developed; assessment results underscore the potential of such VLEs to support science and engineering learning.

This paper presents the results of an interview‐based study of the use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) among dyslexic students. Interviews were carried out with 12 informants who had been formally diagnosed as dyslexic. The informants were either enrolled in a university or college programme, or had graduated less than a year before the interview. The findings reveal that dyslexic students experience a number of challenges associated with VLE use, including information overload, imperfect word processing tools, inadequate search functions, and having to relate to more than one system at a time.

Teaching in the 21st century requires the ability to know and use technological resources that allow the development of virtual learning environments that facilitate the incorporation of educational content and that the student has access to it through educational platforms, while generating environments and situations of learning that allow the development of socio-emotional skills. Socio-emotional skills are the source of differentiation of human talent within the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is characterized by continuous technological, scientific and social advancement. Within the use and management of technological tools in the context of education, whether formal or non-formal, the relevance of the use and application offered by these resources to develop the capacities, attitudes and Social and Emotional Skills that any citizen of the world needs XXI century. It is in this context that this article supports the effects of virtual learning environments (PLE) in the development of Social and Emotional Skills in university students. A correlational analysis is made between the use of LMS Platforms (Learning Management System) and the development of Socioemotional Skills of undergraduate students. The research is developed in the population of the Faculty of Accounting and Administration (FCA); attached to the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), Mexico. A quantitative, descriptive and correlational research is designed. The degree of association between the independent variables socio-emotional skills in three constructs is evaluated: intrapersonal, interpersonal and cognitive, with the dependent variable, virtual learning environments, by means of a structural equation model. For the statistical analysis, the AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) software is used, which allows the construction and validation of a structural model that identifies, specifies, estimates evaluation parameters of adjustment specification of the investigative modeling, as well as its results, integrates the multivariate techniques of Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Models (SEM). A recursive model is obtained, which shows a positive correlation direction between the exogenous variable (LMS) and the endogenous variables (Intrapersonal, Interpersonal and Cognitive). The results reflect a greater correlation in the effects of the use of virtual learning environments (PLE) in the development of interpersonal and cognitive Social and Emotional Skills.

This paper purports to share with higher education community global PBL active learning curriculum and learning environment, which have been collaboratively developed with universities in Taiwan and Kansai University (KU). The collaborated universities developed an optimal curriculum to enhance and nurture students' Future Work Skills 2020 defined by Institute for Future, such future human skills as Sense Making, Social Intelligence, Novel & Adaptive Thinking, Cross-Cultural Competencies, Computational Thinking, New Media Literacy, Transdisciplinarity, Design Mindset, Cognitive Load Management, and Virtual Collaboration. The curriculum fully employs PBL strategies in global teams, where teams for PBL are organized with students with heterogeneous cultural backgrounds in virtual learning environment. The basic concept of such curriculum is based on COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning), originally developed by State University of New York. COIL makes full usage of IT to generate virtual learning environment for students worldwide. In order to go beyond COIL concept incorporating future skills defined by IFTF, allied universities employed PBL in global AGILE teams to deepen insights from various cultural viewpoints in terms of consensus building through team discussions. Due to spatial and temporal differences, enrolled students conducted their team learning activities in virtual learning environment asynchronously, making use of IT technologies and cloud services in order to be on the same page in progress of project throughout course. Further, assessment strategies to enhance students' efficacy is key factor in course, which is also discussed with examples. This paper reports global PBL active learning curriculum and environment collaboratively developed with universities in Taiwan and Kansai University.

One of the practical problems posed by the increasing use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) and learning management systems (LMSs) is the need to create a cohesive learning community among students who access online courses. This article describes an online language course whose main aim was to develop a learning community in which participants felt confident enough to share their work with others, and to offer and receive comments on their assignments. The course was designed for students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) at a university in Korea. The main features of the course were that students were encouraged to collaborate in pair and group discussions, and to post their work in the VLE so that others could read and comment on it. Data was gathered from the students’ journals, their assignments, feedback and comments posted on the web board, and e-mails to the instructor. The results showed that, in the process of completing the course, the majority of the students reported a strong sense of ‘belonging’ to a learning community, developing a close rapport with other students by sharing their work, exchanging comments and taking part in discussions. The students felt proud of their work as well as of the process of working together with others. The results suggest that opportunities for social interaction and feedback play a crucial role in developing the emotional connection which helps to create a collaborative learning environment and support an effective learning community.

Virtual learning environment or VLE has been introduced in educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities to encourage a systematic online teaching and learning platform. The application of VLE is suggested as one of the mediators to vary the delivery process therefore teaching and learning process will be easier and more interesting. This paper aims to examine the effect of social factors, self-efficacy and technological support on the utilization of VLE in the educational process. A quantitative approach was employed and the data was collected through questionnaire administered to selected respondents. A total of 356 accounting teachers from secondary schools in Peninsular Malaysia were chosen as the samples. Reflective measurement model in Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling was utilized to measure the effect of exogenous latent variable on the endogenous latent variable. Results indicated that social factor namely (colleague, administrators and school culture) significantly effect the use of VLE among teachers. The finding can be interpreted as teachers with higher value of social factors have higher intention to use VLE in his/her teaching and learning. Further, self-efficacy and technological support (facilities quality, internet access and technical support) positively influence teachers’ to apply VLE during teaching. This paper proposes that teachers need to be given ongoing support and appropriate training to develop their skills in using digital technology. Further, the quality of technological facilities in schools need to be developed to promote effective educational processes and motivate teachers to use digital technology.

The use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) has become increasingly common in most higher education (HE) institutions. Recent developments have proposed the interoperability of software systems and content, to create component VLEs in contrast with the integrated, monolithic ones that are currently prevalent. This paper examines the student experience of two VLEs, one integrated approach and the other component. In general, students preferred the component system, although this may have been influenced by other factors such as performance. Although the study is limited to one cohort of student it makes a number of suggestions relevant to anyone deploying a VLE. These are that the component approach is a viable one from a student perspective, the broader context in which the VLE operates is important in student perception and that poor system performance may have unpredictable consequences for the learning experience.

Objective: characterizing teaching technologies used or developed in nursing dissertations and theses in Brazil. Methods: adocumentary research that had data collection sourced from directories of theses and dissertations available on the websiteof the Brazilian Nursing Association, from Volumes Nineteen (XIX) (2001) to Twenty-one (XXI) (2013). Results: of 6346studies, 18 (0.28%) used or developed teaching technologies, composed of the following categories: use of conceptualmap; use of games; development of Virtual Learning Environment; development of educational materials; developmentof Distance Education courses; and artifact development. Conclusion: national research on the development and use ofteaching technology in nursing are still insufficient, especially in the North and Northeast. Multiple benefits of the use ofteaching technologies in nursing and learning environments were highlighted, not only for students and professionals, butalso for patients.aprendizagem da enfermagem, tanto com estudantes e profissionais, quanto com os pacientes.

The Use of Virtual Learning Environments in Higher Education—Content, Community and Connectivism—Learning from Student Users

ABSTRACTOver the last few years there has been an increased emphasis on conceptualising, developing, and implementing virtual Learning initiatives across the Indian education sector. Effective and successful use of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in academic setting requires identifying and solving many important social and behavioural issues. Without identifying and addressing these issues, their use can compound the mistakes of the past and leave the learner with a passive, un-engaging experience, leading to incomplete learning and low performance. Therefore, educators are required to recognise learner’s attitude, readiness, and learning style to take advantage of VLE. This study was conducted to find interrelationship of student attitude, readiness, and learning style towards the effective use of VLE. A total of 240 students who are using any form of VLE for their learning and research volunteered for the research, and the scales were filled via the convenience sampling method. The scales of learning readiness, attitude, and learning style were administered to the participants. The relationship among the variables of the research and the research hypotheses for the model were tested using different statistical tools like correlation, t-test and regression. The research result revealed that there is a correlation among learning readiness, attitude, and learning style, and each of these factors influence the effective use of VLE.