WHY do we need a VLE?

Many years ago when I was a student the thought of a virtual learning environment (VLE) was the dream of sci-fi fans,  but now I find myself as a trainee educator trying to devise and create an environment for students to utilise so to enhance their educational experience. I have seen many different versions of VLE  and many ways in which I think it doesn't work. Certain educational establishments see it as simply a dumping ground for information for the students to access as and when, but for me this kind of environment would not translate well into a class room so should not be acceptable as an online version either.

It would be unheard of to throw lots of information at students and not give them time to respond or reflect upon what they had just learnt. Not giving the students the opportunity to actively engage in the topics or concepts under investigation could be detrimental to their learning outcomes, but when it comes to online courses this is general thought of as good practise (O'learly,2015).  This may be due to the fact training is an issue and the previous generation are nervous to use new  technology or software, but with a new generation using the net for everything it seems only reasonable to expect this will be the same for education.

Every educational establishment should now be considering the use of  an interactive VLE in the lesson planning, the setting of homework, for use within assignments or assessments,  and for peer feedback at the very least. There are many advantages for the use of a VLE such as ease of access for both the educator and student, but as I have mentioned it can also become a dumping ground which has no or very little interaction between the student and the teacher. In the case of the former is it the best way to provide education for the less confident student?

Another advantage it could be said is that if offers a way for educator to provide flexible support without a set time or place in which the students are able to communicate.  Communication can open up an infinite number of channels in the format of forums, discussion threads, polls, surveys and instant feedback either as a group or individually, the teacher is also able to link to outside sources such as journals, you tube, or any other electronic sources, (bbc, 2015).  The VLE can in fact become a dynamic resource hub for the students (dynamic not dumping is the key here), the internet has a infinite storage space and this make any VLE a huge resource for students, examples of resources could be Power Points, word documents, worksheets, revision notes, study skills, homework, all of which can be shared and accessed by the students. The tools can be very powerful to engage even the most disengaged students. I have added a small video on what a VLE looks like just in case  anyone has been living in a cave for the last ten years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Confused.com

Create a Visual Learning Environment (VLE) sounds easy right? Whats a V L E

Wrong, I am actually laying in bed and night thinking over ways to do it in my head, I have books on the subject and the more I read, the more confused I feel. How to make it interactive? I have no clue, I feel very much out of my depth with it all, and I am working on a blended learning program as we speak. So ok I need to think of some ways to devise what needs to be on my VLE so I came up with some questions.

• What is the name of your course? How long does it run for?

The course is an introduction to stress management and runs for 10 weeks. It will cover a all aspects of stress and ways to combat it.  

      How many students?  The course is aimed at roughly 10-15 students, who are taking part in a blending learning program for credits for their undergraduate degree.

• Length of course : one  hour online per week with teaching resources and two hours self directed study and one hour working through the reflective exercises provided.
• What age range? All adult learners so above 18 to 90
• Skill level : No previous skill required.
• Submission dates?  Final assessment at end of course, however the weekly sessions will require that the students have completed the session previously, so each week a small  to assessment on  what they learnt so far.
• How will you asses the work? The course will be assessed using a final piece of work which will be submitted electronically, but will also be assessed week after week.  
• How interactive would the course be? The course would be very interactive, with video, audio, image sharing with each other and the course tutor. Each session would start with students discussing how they have progressed since the week before and sharing their experiences of the course so far. This can be done via Skype, or using discussion forums such as TodaysMeet. The course content will need to be engaging and interesting to keep students motivated and focused. Student led learning will be an integral part of the course, so interactivity is a crucial element. Students will want to develop the skills they feel need working on, so they will need to be able to direct their own learning to some extent.

Resources :  

Skype

Pinterest

TodaysMeet

Podcast - Overcast is rated highly

Online forums via the VLE

Video casts : You tube uploads

Pinterest is great.

Audio PP

Quizlet

Google plus as a sharing platform.

Onedrive for sharing of ideas and work completed.

the actual VLE

Now these ideas were generated through a session within the program I am studying on, but none the less they are important questions that needed to be asked. I added a few of my own for example shall I provide a online common room for the students to socialise in? should I allocate some marks for the contributions made upon the forums and online tutorials to make sure the students are actually attending week after week (and not cramming all at the last minute). How do I plan on assessing the online activity that occurs? and should I provide an abundance of work or stagger it work after week? All of which I am not sure what the answer is.... the main one I think I need to come from though is what type of  Blend am I going for? It is all very good mixing things up but if you don't get the blend right then what would be the point... How many bad tasting coffee blends have you come across? I have sampled a few, so the essence of my biggest worry is how do I know I have the right blend for the students?

My first offical job interview

WOW, I applied thinking "not a chance in hell" and I get shortlisted.....While I am proud and very pleased at being given this opportunity I am scared to death. I started prepping and I am a firm believer in the more prep you do the better chances you have, but how do I prep for something I have never had any experience off?

I start using the web, if in doubt ask google, It is very helpful and I start to collect my thoughts on things such as "what are my teaching methods "how will I ensure equality in my classroom" I am starting to panic, I will never feel confident in any of this stuff (I am certain) but all I can do is give it my best. I have to provide a lesson plan for 60 minutes and provide a 20 minute micro teach on a subject which is a little out of my league "health and safety in  a care environment" so I again researched the subject and became enlightened.

Seems I know more about the field than I thought, I mean I did work in a care environment for 10 years.  so lesson all prepped I just have to read up and learn enough to get me through, again I think it is nerves which are holding me back. I found a helpful site which has guided me in my preparation https://targetjobs.co.uk/career-sectors/teaching-and-education/330747-perform-your-best-in-your-teaching-interview and even if I don't get the position I am very grateful for having the opportunity to just attend the interview as it is all great practise.

But promise you wont let my secret out...... I know I can rely on you lot..

I must be mad!

Ok so we get to choose options for an assignment on the course and I go and select E-learning, now I feel there is so much more for me learn when it comes to technology but after a few sessions I am overwhelmed with how little I actually know. Terms such as Podcast, wiki's and Vle's (visual learning environments)  have thrown me of my high horse (so to speak) I thought I was rather techno savvy, turns out I am more like a techno toddler. Now I have hyperlinked those techno words just in case you would like to know more about these things (not sure what to call them), as I now know how little I actually did know.

So I have delved into the world of creating a web space or page to develop for my future or current learners, and I must admit I find it all very exciting (overwhelming, but I love a challenge), it gives me a chance to get creative, and for those who know me I am not very creative so find any means that gives me creative licence exciting. I looked at good few different sites but the one which I clicked with straight away was Word press. I found it easy to use and set up a VLE (very basic I may add) within hours, I felt accomplished and very clever. The techno toddler graduated.

 

 

Now the issue I face is I know a little but not a lot so here the hard work starts. I am snowed under actually trying to teach, create and deliver a blended learning programs and stay on top of my work life balance, but I can already see the value of me giving up my time to develop a resource which will  in the future assist me in my teaching.

I just made a new Voki. See it here:

I just made a new Voki. See it here: my first attempt at making an animation... i must admit i like it.... but only tried one app and to be honest i am finding it difficult to embed within my V L E on WordPress.

it is not the end untill the fact lady sings!

well assignment was handed in a good while ago, but I think I will keep blog going, as I sit here on a dark grey Sunday, lesson planning and dreaming of a day when I can enjoy my spare time, I decide to keep my blog running as a kind of dairy :). Firstly I am still loving the path I am walking and very much look forward to each and every day. The second thing is I have decided I wish to teach abroad and am now looking into moving, maybe over to the middle east for while with my children and husband. Teaching  has always been a part of my existence I love to teach everyone and everywhere I go so why not make a good living out of it and travel the world with my sons.

I want to take education and teaching to whoever and wherever I can.

So I am going to keep my blog going and just document what the next year is going to be like for me. Will I or Wont I ? I will keep u posted!

ICT & Teaching Practice

So part of my new teaching journey involves putting together a portfolio of my teaching practise, and the sheer fact that I have to use ICT to put it together I feel needs a mention. Not only does the use ICT mean that the portfolio is easy to navigate through and clear to understand but the whole of my teaching practise is underpinned through using ICT. In fact I think it is key to mention at this point, that this blog shall be transferred to my tutor using an online admission tool known as turnitin, which I am also currently using to grade some of my own students work on.

 

 

The whole system is a plagiarism checker, (which is another modern day phenomena, as it is so easy to copy and paste from one web page to another) but also a good teaching tool. This system allows draft copies of assignments to be uploaded and feedback to be given electronically. This enables real time marking for the teacher and faster turn around on receiving feedback which may improve the paper for the students. The system is simple in many aspects, for example it is a simple data base which cross references every word which has been submitted by the student to check for any similarities with  anything which is online. This system also enables the deadlines of assignments to be closed after a certain time, so any late entries are easy to point out.

 

A lot of the lessons plans which will be within the portfolio I am currently complying will evidence the use of PowerPoint, this application has become my greatest companion, and the clever use of ICT within the University means during my lectures I have access  to TWO monitors, The primary monitor enables me to see notes which I have made upon the topic I am lecturing on, while the other shows only the presentation mode of the PowerPoint slides. I must admit I love this facility and it has made my first few weeks of teaching so much easier. I have even done a few Quiz type sessions in the lecture theatre with the PowerPoint showing the questions and then when I hit enter the answer pops up on the big screen. The students all of which fed back they enjoyed.

 

I am also able to then transfer the original lecture into a blended learning program for the students who are doing the single honours distance learning course. The likes of which would not be available without the use of ICT. I am also able to translate the seminar classes I am taking which are rather experiential over to the blended learning. The simple use of voice recording over the PowerPoint and time delays on the slide show enable me as the educator to provide reflective exercises which can be done anywhere, anytime.

 

One of the  modules I am teaching on have a first assignment due in a few days and they must use ICT to provide a portfolio of research they have under taken. The whole module is regarding employability skills and so it is paramount that the students are able to use ICT effectively for a good chance of being employed after they graduate. It is clear to see how the use of ICT is not just about education, but also the key skills which are needed now just to get by in life.  I found some very interesting research which had been performed regarding ICT and employability as I was interested in making my students aware of the use of doing well in the module wasn't just about getting through the degree but actually more to do with key skills.  The research which has a link to it above had many findings but one I felt was more relevant was that users which were attending their workshops on "how to use ICT" were there for vocational rather than social or recreational reasons. I was sure to point my students in the same direction.

 

The university that I am based within doesn't have online registration or record keeping procedures which use  ICT at the ground level. The paper system is still used. But I am sure this will all be changed as soon as they move to the new campus (in a few years) as most institutes now do most record keeping using ICT.  The last point I would like to make within this post is that I am able to offer students online tutorials within a time frame that suits then. Logging on to an online forum, such as Todays Meet, or even using the system they have on their own VLE (moodule) make it easy to touch base with everyone both on the full time or blended learning course, this makes the teaching experience very technological but very enjoyable.  

 

References

Goodison, T ., Green, A., Owen, D., & Rooney, S. (2004). ICT and Employability. Available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/publications/2004/goodison_et_al_2004_rr534.pdf. Last accessed 01/12/2014