Virtual Learning Environments Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Virtual Learning Environments - Research Paper Example These learning tools are taken into consideration primarily because they fulfill the standards for a Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) by virtue of their usability and functionality. However, the evaluation of these learning tools is quite different in their methodologies. Evaluation can be done by considering several key components including the easiness of utilization, extensibility, distribution, maintainability, interactivity, functionality such as E-tutoring, security issues, service management, ease of interface and simplicity of accessibility features and the extent of using such tools in Higher Education. The application server of Blackboard works on Windows and Unix platforms in association with a cross-platform browser support for Windows, Macintosh and Unix settings. One of the most important features, which I have noticed while using this learning tool is that, is of course to include the support for IMS. While considering the flexibility system, the provision of contribution by Blackboard application as a learning tool is quite up to the mark especially with its easy-to-use interface. Conversely, the interface may attribute to some debatable aspects considering its applicability in practice as I find it beneficial with a steady and dependable interface while some consider it as a restriction or constraint and having limited option to interact as such. However, the Blackboard learning tool has a significant implication in the segment of Higher Education with high-end and highly-developed components like training materials and workshop templates such as Netskills. The learning tool Desire2Learn is considered as having the potential to be used as a course-delivery device in the regime of Higher Education. An evaluation was conducted to assess the potentiality in relation to increasing popularity and use. A user of Desire2Learn does not require downloading any application; rather the company's server consists of all the required software in order to support their LMS platform with an exception of JAVA as it is used under the license. This product environment provides to create conferences for the members within a class-setting or its sub-groups. It also supports basic chat function in association with HTML based chat tool. When conferences are prepared in order to proclaim an individual course, new conferences can easily be accommodated for consecutive declarations of the course. A user has the privilege to edit or modify a thread and can control the access option for a user or user group at different levels. The threaded messages can be seen in clear and user may perform search option and may be able to find out results sorted by date, topic, and sender. There are other significant features too e.g., incorporate saving, printing, editing and deleting of postings. D2L uses a 'learning storage' approach that let the users to store objects like pages, graphics and test-item banks, etc., and it is XML standard-based. These objects can be shared across several courses or programs. A context-sensitive help aspect endows with help on each one of the most important tools. The product is in accordance with the most important standards of course-sharing globally that is counting SCORM and IMS, and assembles global standards for the right to use.