Design of Virtual Learning Environments: Learning Analytics and Identification of Affordances and Barriers

This paper describes a practical case study on the benefits and feasibility of a virtual laboratory as a part of chemistry laboratory exercises. Three different objectives that must fit together to create an efficient Virtual Reality (VR) learning experience were found: relevant information content, learning design, and technical feasibility. To achieve these multidisciplinary goals, a simple framework for designing VR learning materials was created. A 360-VR version of a chemistry laboratory exercise was designed and created following this framework. Data on its effectiveness was collected on a laboratory course with over 150 first-year chemical engineering students. The students completed the same laboratory exercise both as a virtual laboratory and in a real student laboratory. In the student feedback, students clearly stated that virtual laboratories cannot replace the experience in a real laboratory, and that the virtual laboratory exercises did not directly increase student motivation. Nevertheless, students showed a very positive attitude towards virtual learning materials and suggested including even more activating materials such as quizzes and interactive videos in the learning materials. Only a few students reported any downsides related to the virtual laboratory exercise. Overall, it was shown that our design principles work in practice as the students reported several real benefits when they completed a virtual laboratory exercise before the real-life laboratory exercise. These benefits included learning the correct way that the laboratory exercise proceeds and how to perform certain tasks correctly.

We describe a design for a collaborative virtual learning environment (VLE) to support massively multi-user and multi-institutional learning communities. This architecture extends Croquet to encompass a tier of distributed cache servers that allow intelligent caching and pre-fetching of objects, scene definitions, and textures. The design also provides for interactivity servers tied to specific regions in the VLE. Interactivity servers provide persistence for neighborhoods, coordinate modification and transient phenomena for locales in the virtual space, and ensure trust relations by managing user identification, authentication, and authorization via integration with existing institutional authentication infrastructure. This system supports real-time interactions that promote a self organizing, interdisciplinary knowledge sharing system within a scalable VLE in a manner that ensures accountability and trust relations.

3D multi-user virtual environments (MUVE) bring new opportunities to foreign language teaching and learning as a platform for teaching practices. Due to immersive and interactive nature of 3D MUVE, these tools have gained popularity in the field of foreign language learning and teaching. The power of virtual learning environments lies in creating immersive 3-D spaces that give users a sense of learning by doing. Moreover, the environment is interactive and is much the same as real world interaction. MUVE provides strong support for synchronous collaborations, interactions, and immersive environments for experiential and constructivist learning settings. Some key features of the virtual worlds comprise the ability to construct 3D environments that simulate real world situations, as well as the ability to have a virtual identity to create a cross-cultural self and the ability to have participants from around the world acting virtually in designated roles that convey new types of learning within this environment.

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
 

The design and evaluation of virtual learning environments for construction and surveying students is presented in this paper; by combining virtual learning environment and on-site student surveys to model and replicate practice in the architectural heritage sector. The Virtual Learning Environment is enhanced with real live survey projects whereby students collect the data to build virtual historic buildings from onsite surveys using advanced survey equipment. The survey data is modelled in HBIM; Historic Building Information Modelling (HBIM) is currently being developed as a virtual learning tool for construction and surveying students in the Dublin Institute of Technology. HBIM, is a novel solution whereby interactive parametric objects representing architectural elements are constructed from historic data, these elements, including detail behind the scan surface are accurately mapped onto a laser or image based survey. The architectural elements are scripted using a Geometric Descriptive Language GDL. In the case of this project a Virtual Learning Environment is being developed which combines advanced recording and surveying with Building Information Modelling (BIM) to simulate and analyse existing buildings.

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.

There has been a growing interest and enthusiasm for the application of virtual worlds in learning and training. This research proposes a design framework of a virtual world-based learning environment that integrates two unique features of the virtual world technology, immersion and interactivity, with an instructional strategy that promotes self-regulatory learning. We demonstrate the usefulness and assess the effectiveness of our design in the context of information security learning. In particular, the information security learning module implemented in Second Life was incorporated into an Introduction to Information Security course. Data from pre- and post-learning surveys were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the learning module. Overall, the results strongly suggest that the virtual world-based learning environment enhances information security learning, thus supporting the effectiveness of the proposed design framework. Additional results suggest that learner traits have an important influence on learning outcomes through perceived enjoyment. The study offers useful design and implementation guidelines for organizations and universities to develop a virtual world-based learning environment. It also represents an initial step towards the design and explanation theories of virtual world-based learning environments.

This review article addresses the influence of the virtual learning environment (VLE) on the academic performance of higher education students, exploring students' perceptions of this environment in the context of higher education. The aim of this study is to analyze how different dimensions of the VLE impact academic performance, based on a systematic review methodology that followed the PRISMA approach. Empirical studies published between 2013 and 2024 were included, and they were analyzed in four categories: perception of the technological environment, pedagogical factors, socio-emotional dimension, and the relationship between perception and performance. The main findings indicate that the technological quality of the VLE, pedagogical interaction, and emotional support are determining factors for academic performance. Furthermore, inequalities in access to quality technologies and challenges in integrating traditional teaching with digital methodologies were identified. Finally, it is concluded that an appropriate VLE design, considering the emotional, pedagogical, and technological needs of students, is essential to improving the learning experience and academic performance.

Supporting learning in synchronous collaborative game design in virtual worlds: A synergy between technological and pedagogical considerations

This study focuses on examining the design and implementation of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) in primary education in grades two, three, and four in Ecuador, with an emphasis on teacher training to improve their technological proficiency and foster creative and innovative teaching methods. The study identified deficiencies in teachers' access to technical resources and digital skills and proposes addressing these weaknesses through targeted training sessions. To achieve this, a quantitative strategy was employed that included assessments, seminars, and surveys with 12 teachers at the Milenium Educational Unit in Guayaquil. The results of the VLE implementation at the school show notable improvements in teachers' digital skills in the use of technological resources. However, they face challenges such as workload management, limitations of digital infrastructure, and unequal access to technology, with 38.5% not receiving training in the use of technological tools. The study concludes that to modernize educational methods and ensure equitable and dynamic learning experiences, it is essential to include virtual learning environments (VLEs) in the curriculum through ongoing teacher training and investment in technology.

Trails, rails, and over-reliance: How navigation assistance affects route-finding and spatial learning in virtual environments

The study explores the students’ engagement in learning critical reading via virtual learning environment. It employs an exploratory case study using a purposive sampling technique and taking 20 student respondents from university English study program. Questionnaire, interview and Learning Management System (LMS) observation were used to collect data on students’ engagement in learning critical reading via virtual learning environment. The result of the study falls into three dimension of students’ engagement, namely cognitive, behavior and emotional engagement. The findings show a moderate students’ engagement in those three dimensions since the students engaged collaboratively, enthusiastically involve and interest in learning critical reading via virtual learning environment, hence some were found to be slightly showed non cognitive engagement. However, in this virtual learning environment, the students did not show negative engagement in studying critical reading via virtual learning environment. This research is expected to be of benefit to lecturers, students and stakeholders to enrich knowledge and to develop critical reading skills based on the teaching of critical reading in virtual learning environment.

For the last few decades, there was tremendous interest in harnessing 3D virtual environments for education and training. Multi-user game-like environments make use of non-player characters and quest activities in tutoring and training. This approach incorporates successful active learning and incremental progress. This article presents issues encountered while adapting the multi-user online game genre for educational virtual environments. In this endeavour, non-player characters play a central role in organising and delivering educational content. Educational virtual environments call for additional kinds of extension beyond generic user content creation as delivered in some virtual worlds like Second Life. Support for these environments will emphasise the creation of new activities. A set of libraries and techniques named portable non-player character tutors and quests reduces the effort needed to develop and integrate educational non-player characters. These non-player characters are introduced in CVE, a platform for rapidly developing educational virtual environments. The portable non-player character tutors and quests framework enables formatted web-based exercises, quizzes, and educational content to be incorporated into virtual worlds, reducing the effort needed to create new content. The framework presented in this article introduces initial non-player characters that support educational quest activities to the 3D environments users.

Virtual learning environments have become an essential tool, incorporated in learning activities in educational institutions and individuals’ homes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital devices provide the platform for the learning environment, but learning sometimes becomes passive and boring. Augmented reality provides learners with the needed motivation, engagement, thereby boosting the learner’s activity within the virtual learning environment. It augments the traditional learning materials with 3D objects, animations, audio and visual elements, which offer better interactivity for a rich learning experience. This study aims to give an overview of the development of an augmented reality system to provide a virtual learning environment that delivers a more engaging and motivating lesson, story and experience. The study incorporates Scrum methodology, an agile software development practice that uses small increments called sprints to develop the virtual learning environment in several usable modules. The study also discusses the software tools, Blender and Unity 3D, to develop 3D models and the augmented reality modules for the virtual learning environment. The system uses image targets as markers to project 3D objects to augment the images from the traditional learning materials and offer a better visual experience. The development incorporates features of Educational Data Mining to optimise users’ learning styles and learning experiences. This chapter will demonstrate augmented reality technologies to implement a virtual learning environment that will offer an interactive and engaging learning experience.

Can we predict success from log data in VLEs? Classification of interactions for learning analytics and their relation with performance in VLE-supported F2F and online learning