Developing information literacy courses for students through virtual learning environments in Tanzania: Prospects and challenges

IFLA Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 034003522110182
Author(s):  
Evans F Wema
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Information Literacy ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
The Face

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.

VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR ESL COURSES

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 239-243
Author(s):  
Ana-Maria CHISEGA-NEGRILĂ
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Foreign Languages ◽  
Esl Students ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face

Abstract: As the time in which online teaching and learning was still an element of novelty has long been gone, virtual learning environments have to be studied thoroughly so that they will provide students not only with the necessary knowledge, but also with the proper tools to meet their learning objectives. The advancement in information technology and the access to an almost inordinate number of learning and teaching tools should have already been fructified and, as a result, not only teachers, but also learners should have already picked up the fruit of knowledge grown in the vast virtual environment of the Internet. However, as education has recently moved almost entirely online, some questions have arisen. Are the Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) enough to offer ESL students both motivation and knowledge? Will foreign languages benefit from this growing trend or will traditional, face-to-face interaction, prove to have been more efficient? The present article will look into some of these questions and into the benefits of VLEs in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Open Source Software Virtual Learning Environment (OSS-VLEs) in Library Science Schools

2021 ◽  
pp. 378-388
Author(s):  
Rosy Jan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software system designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses. The system can often track the learners' progress, which can be monitored by both teachers and learners. While often thought of as primarily tools for distance education, they are most often used to supplement the face-to-face classroom as well as blended learning. Plethora of research conducted on VLEs has reported positive impacts from various contexts. Keeping in view the benefits, the work has been initiated to review concept, features and issues of virtual learning environments. Some of the most used OSS VLEs are discussed. Further it determines the suitability of a VLE for higher education. The chapter also explore and identify the recent contributions to the concept by analyzing ongoing virtual learning initiatives and projects by different organizations and information centres to stimulate future Research and development trend in the field.

Open Source Software Virtual Learning Environment (OSS-VLEs) in Library Science Schools

2018 ◽  
pp. 7912-7921
Author(s):  
Rosy Jan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Development Trend ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Face

A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software system designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses. The system can often track the learners' progress, which can be monitored by both teachers and learners. While often thought of as primarily tools for distance education, they are most often used to supplement the face-to-face classroom as well as blended learning. Plethora of research conducted on VLEs has reported positive impacts from various contexts. Keeping in view the benefits, the work has been initiated to review concept, features and issues of virtual learning environments. Some of the most used OSS VLEs are discussed. Further it determines the suitability of a VLE for higher education. The chapter also explore and identify the recent contributions to the concept by analyzing ongoing virtual learning initiatives and projects by different organizations and information centres to stimulate future Research and development trend in the field.

Constructivism in Synchronous and Asynchronous Virtual Learning Environments for a Research Methods Course

2012 ◽  
pp. 1466-1480
Author(s):  
Kenneth David Strang
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Methods Course ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Face ◽  
Student Grades ◽  
Teaching Modality

Virtual learning is a popular teaching modality, and it has been reported in research that there is no significant difference in academic outcome as compared with face-to-face courses. Not all researchers agree with this assertion and some claim it is more difficult to teach math-oriented subjects online. Given that educational psychology theories are effective for teaching quantitative topics in the face-to-face modality, this study proposes and tests methods for virtual learning. Constructivism learning theory is applied using knowledge management principles to teach an online masters-level research methods course at an Australian university. Asynchronous and synchronous tools are used in the VLE, and contrasted in a controlled experiment. The hypothesis is student grades will be significantly higher when the constructivist instructional method is applied to the synchronous VLE.

The Hybrid Course; Facilitating Learning through Social Interaction Technologies

2010 ◽  
pp. 540-552
Author(s):  
Lorraine D. Jackson ◽  
Joe Grimes
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Web 2.0 ◽  
Course Design ◽  
Higher Learning ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Learning ◽  
Face To Face Instruction ◽  
Data Mashups

This chapter surveys the benefits and challenges of hybridcourses, which blend face-to-face instruction with onlinelearning, and opportunities provided by the introduction of web-based social interaction technologies. It discusses thepedagogical implications of various Web 2.0 tools; that is, asynchronous discussion boards, blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS, e-portfolios, folksonomies, educational gaming, data mashups, and simulations. The authors argue that ashybrid courses continue to evolve to meet the needs of students, instructors, and institutions of higher learning,the integration of Web 2.0 applications in a hybrid model requires thoughtful course design, clear educational objectives, and carefully planned activities.

Web-Based 3D Virtual Learning Environments

2012 ◽  
pp. 95-118
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Adamo-Villani ◽  
Kari L. Clase ◽  
Robin J. Heyden ◽  
John Wiecha
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Postgraduate Medical Education ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Medical Education Program ◽  
Self Discovery ◽  
Interactive 3D ◽  
3D Virtual Learning Environments

This chapter is an overview of web-deliverable three-dimensional (3D) virtual learning environments. In Section 1 (Introduction) we define Virtual Reality (VR) Technology and Virtual Learning Environments; in Section 2 (Virtual Environments and Learning) we discuss literature findings on the benefits of using web-based VEs for self-discovery learning. In Section 3 (Developing online VE: technologies, challenges and solutions) we give an overview of the latest technologies/platforms used to develop online VEs, discuss development and delivery challenges posed by complex, information-rich web-based 3D environments, and describe possible solutions that can be adopted to overcome current limitations. In Section 4 (A review of two projects) we present two 3D web virtual learning environments that were recently developed by the authors: the Interactive 3D Tour of MSHHD and The pilot postgraduate medical education program in Second Life. A summary and conclusive remarks are included in section 5 (Summary and Conclusion).

U-Learning and Virtual Classrooms in Social Sciences Education

2020 ◽  
pp. 246-267
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Mobile Technologies ◽  
Virtual Classrooms ◽  
Learning Modalities ◽  
Educational Processes

The development of internet, wireless devices, and sensors; the expansion of the use of mobile technologies; or the development of applications have enabled different ubiquitous learning modalities. u-Learning is an expanded model from e-learning and m-Learning with features such as mobile, collaborative, interactive, omni-synchronous, and experimental that fosters interaction and breaks limitations by place and time in the teaching and learning of social sciences, geography, and history. U-Learning is considered as a learning model that integrates technology in the assessment and monitoring of educational processes of the students, a learning model where virtual classrooms and virtual learning environments are highlighted. In a social context with a lack of civic engagement and democratic participation, interactive character of virtual classrooms, including social networks, is essential because they connect teachers, students, and parents in addition to encouraging participation in virtual learning environments.

Three Stages in the Social Construction of Virtual Learning Environments

2012 ◽  
pp. 1518-1529
Author(s):  
Ken Stevens
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Small School ◽  
Learning Partnerships ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Three Stages

Schools located in rural communities are often physically small in terms of the number of students who attend them in person on a daily basis, but through the introduction of e-learning partnerships, they can become large educational institutions based on the enhanced range of teaching and learning they can provide. Small school capacities can be enhanced by e-learning and the creation of virtual learning environments. Structurally, the capacity of schools can be enhanced by internet-based inter-institutional collaboration. Pedagogically, e-learning can enable schools to share teaching and learning within virtual learning environments spanning participating sites to facilitate student engagement with ideas, people and places in new, interactive ways. Three stages are identified in the development of teaching and learning in the virtual structures that complement traditional schools.

Online Virtual Learning Environments

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicoletta Adamo-Villani ◽  
Hazar Dib
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environments ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environment ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Self Directed Learning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
Directed Learning ◽  
Interactive 3D

This article is an overview of online virtual learning environments for discovery learning. The paper defines Virtual Learning Environments and discusses literature findings on the benefits of using web-based VEs for self-directed learning. It gives an overview of the latest technologies/platforms used to develop online VEs, discusses development and delivery challenges posed by complex, information-rich web-based 3D environments, and describes possible solutions that can be adopted to overcome current limitations. The paper also presents and discusses two 3D web-deliverable virtual learning environments that were recently developed by the authors: the “Virtual Tour of the Muscatatuck State Hospital Historic District (MSHHD)” and the “VELS: Virtual Environment for Learning Surveying”. The “Interactive 3D Tour of MSHHD” is a web-based digital heritage application that uses Virtual Reality as a tool to document and preserve historic sites and educate the public about them; the “VELS” is an online virtual learning environment whose objective is to help undergraduate students learn surveying concepts and practices.

scholarly journals What’s in a Name? The Experience of the Other in Online Classrooms

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Adams
Keyword(s):  
Online Learning ◽  
Educational Research ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Phenomenological Study ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
The Other ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Classrooms

Educational research has explored the potentials and problems inherent in student anonymity and pseudonymity in virtual learning environments. But few studies have attended to onymity, that is, the use of ones own and others given names in online courses. In part, this lack of attention is due to the taken-for-granted nature of using our names in everyday, “face-to-face” classrooms as well as in online learning situations. This research explores the experiential significance of student names in online classrooms. Specifically, the paper reports on one relational thematic that surfaced in a phenomenological study investigating experiences of teaching and learning online. 

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