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.

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.

scholarly journals Teaching and learning during COVID 19: Perspectives of undergraduate Oral Health students.

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manorika Ratnaweera ◽  
Rohini Khareedi
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Blended Learning ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The World ◽  
Better Than

Introduction: COVID -19 has caused disruptions in higher education across the world. Our university adapted a blended model of learning, moving between traditional campus-based sessions and online sessions. Material and Methods: The purpose of this study was to investigate the students’ perceptions of their experience of teaching and learning during the pandemic. An anonymous electronic questionnaire-based survey was sent to students. The data was subject to analysis. Results: 67 students responded to the survey.32.8% of the participants felt face to face sessions were better than online sessions and 37.3% said that face to face and online sessions offer similar benefits. 37.3% preferred live online sessions while 46.3% preferred recorded videos. 40.3% of students reported finding transitioning into practical sessions challenging. 65.7% reported having been moderately impacted by COVID-19. Adaptation to online sessions, the level of engagement, the ability to seek clarifications, preparation for assessments and the ease of transition into practical sessions were all positively correlated to the level of impact by COVID-19 with p<0.05. Conclusion: The adaptability to and acceptability of online teaching and learning sessions has been high. A significant number of participants have reported finding the transitioning into practical sessions challenging. Keywords: COVID-19, Online learning and teaching, blended learning, higher education

scholarly journals From policy to practice: One university's experience of implementing strategic change through wholly online teaching and learning

2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale Holt ◽  
Di Challis
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Lifelong Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Strategic Change ◽  
Organisational Learning ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning And Teaching

<span>One institution's attempts to implement an ambitious wholly online learning policy is examined in the Australian higher education setting. The conditions that led to a diversity of models of wholly online unit development are considered, along with teachers' design intents in establishing their online teaching and learning environments. The emphasis of the analysis is on those wholly online units created or redeveloped from existing offerings which held out the greatest possibilities for what we have categorised as 'transformatory' learning and teaching as related to the development of highly valued lifelong learning capacities in students. Organisational learning from the offering of the first major suite of wholly online units is outlined and impacts on policy reformulation described. The case study concludes with a consideration of more general lessons learnt from policy driven initiatives directed at transforming teaching and learning in higher education.</span>

scholarly journals Constructing a dialogic pedagogy in virtual learning environments: A literature review

Teachers Work ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (1 & 2) ◽  
pp. 7-13
Author(s):  
Sana Farooq ◽  
Leon Benade
Keyword(s):  
Literature Review ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Virtual Learning ◽  
Virtual Learning Environments ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Dialogic Pedagogy ◽  
Online Educators

This literature review is a condensed version of one prepared for a small-scale qualitative study of educators (Farooq, 2019) who have recently transitioned from face-to-face to online teaching at New Zealand tertiary providers of education. The study aimed to understand how online educators picked cues from the discussion platforms offered by virtual learning environments to critically reflect on their pedagogical practice, and the associated changes they made to help students achieve their learning outcomes. It critically assessed how dialogic pedagogy and critical reflection can be adapted to fit in the framework of virtual learning, and contrasted these philosophical ideas to the Western criticism of automation and de-professionalisation of universities in the wake of increased distance learning options provided by tertiary institutes. The findings were discussed within a post-intentional phenomenological framework. In what follows, significant literature that illuminates this question has been critically analysed.

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.

Collaboration in Online Communications

2011 ◽  
pp. 264-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert L. Ingram ◽  
Lesley G. Hathorn
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Communications ◽  
Clear Idea ◽  
Distance Courses

Collaboration and cooperation have become firmly established as teaching methods in face-to-face classes (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998). They are also rapidly becoming widespread in online teaching and learning in both hybrid (mixed traditional and online) course and distance courses. The methods are likely to be most effective if they are firmly grounded in how people actually work together. Some groups collaborate more successfully than others. Frequently, instructors may place students into groups in the expectation that they will collaborate without a clear idea of what collaboration is or how to recognize and encourage it. We must define what we mean by the terms, both so that we can use the techniques successfully and so that we can research them accurately.

Collaboration in Online Communications

2011 ◽  
pp. 314-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert L. Ingram ◽  
Lesley G. Hathorn
Keyword(s):  
Teaching Methods ◽  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Accurate Solution ◽  
Online Course ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Online Communications ◽  
Clear Idea ◽  
Distance Courses

Collaboration and cooperation have become firmly established as teaching methods in face-to-face classes (e.g., Johnson, Johnson, & Smith, 1998). They are also rapidly becoming widespread in online teaching and learning in both hybrid (mixed traditional and online) course and distance courses. The methods are likely to be most effective if they are firmly grounded in how people actually work together. Some groups collaborate more successfully than others. Frequently, instructors may place students into groups in the expectation that they will collaborate without a clear idea of what collaboration is or how to recognize and encourage it. We must define what we mean by the terms, both so that we can use the techniques successfully and so that we can research them accurately. In addition, we must distinguish between groups in which people act independently from those who act collaboratively. As Surowiecki (2004) has pointed out, when all the results are aggregated, a large number of people acting independently may give a more accurate solution to a problem than an expert. Interdependent groups may often produce results inferior to the results obtained by their best-performing members or may be affected by a “groupthink” mentality.

Facilitation of Online Teaching and Learning

2010 ◽  
pp. 626-642 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraint Lang
Keyword(s):  
Online Teaching ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Online Teaching And Learning ◽  
High Expectations ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Course Work ◽  
Full Time Employment

Twenty First Century Education is undergoing change not only to keep in step with the emerging technological innovations, but also to address the needs and meet the high expectations of a technically sophisticated student body. Physical manifestations of these changes may be seen in new institutional building work. Technologically, the Facebook Generation of students in our universities expect online access across the campus, not only to all manner of information and social networks, but to their course work. A growing body of the student population now remain in full time employment, enrolled via online courses. Their virtual access to teaching and learning requires a different form of tuition to that generally experienced in face to face lectures. Online teaching and learning is a facilitated process, which this chapter seeks to explain. The role of the facilitator is explained, along with the process of online learning, with reference to an established online degree course, Ultraversity.

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