The document discusses virtual learning environments (VLEs), which are software systems designed to aid teachers in managing educational courses and facilitating e-learning. It details the features and benefits of VLEs, examples of popular systems, and explores faculty usage and perceptions through a study that gathered data from multiple institutions. The study aims to identify factors motivating faculty to use course management systems (CMS) and the barriers they encounter.

1. The future of pedagogy?

2. A virtual learning
environment (VLE) is a
software system
designed to help
teachers by facilitating
the management of
educational courses for
their students,
especially by helping
teachers and learners
with course
administration.
Some examples:

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usually run on servers, to serve the course to
students via multimedia and/or web pages
usually include templates for content pages,
discussion forums, chat, quizzes and exercises such
as multiple-choice, true/false and one-word-answer
sometimes also called Learning Management
System (LMS), Course Management System (CMS),
Learning Content Management System (LCMS),
Managed Learning Environment (MLE), Learning
Support System (LSS) or Learning Platform (LP)
is a computer program that facilitates computerized
learning or e-learning.

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syllabus for the course
details of pre-requisites
and co-requisites, credit
information, and how to
get help
notice board for up-todate course information
student registration and
tracking facilities
basic teaching materials,
may be the complete
content of the course
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additional resources,
including reading
materials, and links to
outside resources in
libraries and on the
Internet
self-assessment quizzes
which can be scored
automatically
automatic grading
procedures

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communication support
including e-mail,
threaded discussions
and a chat room
differential access rights
for instructors and
students
documentation and
statistics on the course
for institutional
administration and
quality control
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facilities are capable of
being hyperlinked
together
easy authoring tools for
creating documents
including the insertion
of hyperlinks
support for numerous
courses, so students and
instructors experience a
consistent interface
when moving from one
course to another

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economize on the time
of teachers, especially
when they are also
involved in research,
extension and
administration
provide a service for
students who
increasingly look to the
internet as the natural
medium for finding
information and
resources
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ensure that quality
control requirements
are met by providing a
standard vehicle for
collecting the required
information
facilitate the integration
of distance and campusbased learning or of
learning on different
campuses

7. The following are some
of the major VLEs today:
 Dokeos
 Moodle
 Sakai
 ATutor
 Blackboard
 Claroline
 WebCT
For those wishing to
deliver e-learning there
are many free open
source and proprietary
VLEs available for use.
Most VLEs are placed on
a web server, meaning
they can be accessed by a
web browser with
Internet connection.

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Learning Management
System (LMS) software
partially owned by Microsoft
Popular software used
around the world
Licensed annually (HSU
pays approx. $8,600 each
year)
Used at HSU since 2001
Over $1 million spent each
year in the CSU on
Blackboard licenses
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“Open source” (free!)
Learning Management
System (LMS) software
Customizable by
programming staff
Flexible for the instructor
and developer
Supported by programmers
world-wide
Question:
Can free software satisfactorily meet the needs of students, faculty, and
instructional technologists for online teaching and learning?

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Facilitator's Feedback
Did Blackboard/Moodle
enhance instruction?
Received adequate technical
assistance?
Technology-based activities
developed problem-solving
skills?
Well organized instructional
materials?
Communication tools:
Interaction with classmates?
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Communication tools:
Interaction with
instructor?
Web-based resources were
effective learning tools?
Discussion Boards were
easy to use?
Student Comments
Would like another
(Blackboard/Moodle)
course?
Which do you prefer,
Moodle or Blackboard?

10. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
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To collect and analyze preimplementation data on
course management system
use among University
System faculty.
To use this data to inform
development of support,
services, and training for
faculty to use WebCT Vista.
To use this data to inform
strategies for encouraging
faculty not currently using
CMS to try it.
KEY STUDY QUESTIONS
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What is the extent of the
faculty use of CMS on each
campus and system wide?
What factors encourage
faculty to start using a CMS?
What factors determine
whether faculty increase or
decrease their use?
For what purposes are CMS
used?
What are the pedagogical
advantages of using a CMS?
What barriers prevent faculty
from using a CMS?

11. SURVEY DETAILS
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Survey administered
online.
33 of 34 institutions
participated.
Between 25-80% of faculty
at each institution
responded.
Total number of responses
= 3,228
Approximately 37% of all
USG faculty participated.
DEMOGRAPHICS
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58.0% of respondents were
tenured/tenure track faculty
16.7% of respondents were
non-tenure track
13.4% of respondents were
part-time faculty
19.6% of respondents were in
Arts/Humanities
13.1% of respondents were in
Social Sciences
10.4% of respondents were in
Math/Computer Science

12. KEY QUESTIONS
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What is the extent of the
faculty use of CMS on
each campus and
system wide?
What factors encourage
faculty to start using a
CMS?
What factors determine
whether faculty increase
or decrease their use?
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For what purposes are
CMS used?
What are the
pedagogical advantages
of using a CMS?
What barriers prevent
faculty from using a
CMS?
Conclusions
Future Studies

16. Go to http://cms.ilahas.com and
register as a new user
Send an email to pabs@ilahas.com and
request for Course Creator rights
State your school, college and/or
university in your request
Wait for a confirmation email