Vle`s In Secondary Education

1. What is the nature of ICT education? Subtitle - How can Virtual Learning Environments (VLE's) facilitate effective learning in Secondary education?

Introduction It is amazing to me how in all the hoopla and debate these days about the decline of education, we ignore the most fundamental of its causes. Our students have changed radically. Today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach. Today's students have not just changed incrementally from those of the past, nor simply changed their slang, clothes, body adornments, or styles, as has happened between generations previously. A really big discontinuity has taken place.

One might even call it a "singularity" - an event which changes things so fundamentally that there is absolutely no going back. This so-called "singularity" is the arrival and rapid dissemination of digital technology in the last decades of the 20th century. Source - Prensky, M (2001) As best captured by Prensky (2001) and Oliver (2002), the world has changed significantly in the last fifteen years. Nonetheless this is a battle that teachers strive to counter every single day, in making lesson content more accessible and student centralised to keep up with the pace of change. Almost every aspect of how society functions and progresses has been radically altered by the emerging ICT age, with the exception of education. "The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred learning settings and often this creates some tensions for some teachers and students. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century" Source - Oliver, R(2002) Personal experience alone within schools has shown that this is an incredibly accurate statement of the current nature of ICT education which correlates a recent BBC article (2009) in which the chief executive of BECTA highlighted that "more work needs to be done to support the pace of change" which ironically, despite being one of ICT's most distinctive strengths, is also one of its most noteworthy barriers, as what is considered to be state of the art today, is archaic tomorrow. Until relatively recently, the national UK picture has been one of wasted resources, and intractable commercial rivalries that have unnecessarily tied schools into services they might not otherwise have subscribed to. Choice has often been denied because certain products and services schools want have not been "compatible" with others they already subscribe to Source - Merlin, J (2010) What is really needed is a universal system that functions irrespective of operating system or device, which can be accessed by anyone, anywhere, anytime and anyplace to bridge this notorious gap for when students are in & out of school hours. Fortunately this type of system does exist on the internet and whilst there are many known types, this report will focus solely on virtual learning environments (VLE). Through this piece of research I hope to answer the following questions:- . What types of VLE's are currently being used? . What foreseeable advantages & disadvantages could emerge from this type of new technology for both educators & students? . How do VLE's cater for SEN students & for all students in out of school contexts?

2. Methodology There are many forms of research methodologies available to aid my investigation into just how expansive a topic like virtual environments can be, each of which have their own respective advantages & disadvantages (Source - PI 2 initial plan) . Interviews The main issue with interviews is how to record data, after all memory recollection is patchy at best, note taking is generally off putting for the recipient and tape recording can be quite difficult to initially setup.

. Questionnaires Whilst these seem simplistic in the creation process, it is often overlooked just how much attention to detail must be carried out in order to retrieve both suitable & relevant responses to make a cross comparison with.

. Observations Observations are overall far less obtrusive to the teachers & students; in addition they can also allow me to gather data over an extensive period of time.

I have decided to choose observations as my sole approach as the use of VLE's is the only constant which will allow me to view how different years across the entirety of ICT lessons and how even different subjects end up navigating Moodle within the ICT rooms. Ethically I must also be aware of my limitations, thus outside the obvious time constraints and conflicting university assignments, I must also take careful consideration firstly of my resources. Any materials I produce for uploading onto Moodle, I must ensure will be compatible both on site and for those accessing outside school hours. Secondly in order to make a decent comparison of how much the VLE can support shared learning, I will also look into observing some non-ICT assisted subjects using any free lessons only in prior agreement with the main teacher. Finally in the unlikely event of the network or Moodle going down, I must also ensure all resources are available on a backup storage device. 3. Literature Review "The term virtual learning environment is often objected to because of the 'virtual', as it seems to be in contrast with 'real', which implies that learning through such an environment is a poor relation to any learning that takes place in a face to face setting" Source - Weller, M (2007) According to both JISC (2005) & a case study carried out by BECTA/FERL (2005), a virtual learning environment is best described as a collection of integrated tools enabling the management of online learning, providing a delivery mechanism, student tracking, assessment and access to resources`. Essentially there are two types of VLE provision (See Appendix B) Aubrey-Smith, F.S (2007) identifies that this is not and can never be, a "one size fits all approach" as each individual VLE can provide different forms of functionality, though many subscribe to the following common features, each of which have their uses explained in practice (See Appendix G - VLE Features) "Students will, for the most part, gladly participate in the class, as long as the teacher creates an environment that inspires their imagination, directs their intellect, and fosters productive discourse on the subject material" Source - Salyer, M (2009) Salyer (2009) views are particularly interesting, for if children now live and breathe technology through various different mediums every single day of their lives (television, video games, internet, mobile phones), then shouldn't we, as educators harness that active form of thirst to cater for likewise? So far we have identified the types & tools that exist within any given VLE, yet what benefits & limitations have come about as a result of linking expert theory to current practice?

Benefits of a Virtual Learning Environment ? SEN provision JISC (2005) claims that "One of the advantages of using a VLE is that it can provide 24-hour access for students who are unable to physically attend a course or unable to work during the allotted hours the course is delivered in. It can also help to accommodate, with a small degree of planning and forethought, those with special needs". In comparison with a report by the UKCLE (2010), this effectively opens the door for a new type of personalised learning for SEN students that can be catered to provide the following: ? Available in variety of customisable formats, text sizes and languages to provide for visually impaired/ EAL students respectively ? Deaf students can be supplied with subtitles (for video) or for those with slight auditory impairments, teachers can embed pre-recorded audio files for use with headphones ? Physically impaired students or children (off school through illness) are still able to access each individual lesson's material off site. This has been noted by my head of department as a very successful on-going tool for resuming learning at one's own pace, as a majority of students tend to return to lessons fully up to speed

? Outside school hours Learning & teaching are often assumed to take place in particular slots of a timetable in particular classrooms associated with particular subjects. ICT can afford opportunities to extend the connections between learners, teachers and information beyond the formal school day and the agreed sources of information" Source - Ellis, V (2001) As noted by Gillespie et al (2007), in some fields, especially in higher education, VLE's are being used as the sole tool for delivering courses to students, although of course the concept of distance learning in higher education is nothing new. However in the compulsory schooling sector, in both primary & secondary schools, virtual learning looks set to be a significant tool in enhancing teaching & learning, but it will not replace the traditional interface of teachers and pupils in classrooms. Neither should it, after all this new type of technology goes far beyond distance learning/ e-learning methods and exists merely to augment the overall learning experience.

? Communication The UKCLE (2010) found that this is the element that marks out the VLE from other forms of e-learning and helps the student to feel part of a learning community. In addition the JISC report (2005) highlights below that one of the most significant differences between an interactive CD-ROM module and VLE delivery is the added element of communication: ? tutors communicate with individual students or a group of students ? students communicate in a virtual classroom (chat rooms/synchronous) or in online group work over a period of time (discussion boards/asynchronous) or with their tutors (e-mail) ? All participants should be able to feel that they are studying as part of a group, not working in isolation and without support. This point is backed up by a very recent web article by Picardo, J (2011) who cites Bickford, D and Wright, D (2006) "were community not important for learning, colleges and universities would have little reason to exist". However Picardo, J (2011) goes on to contradict the overall message summed up by the case studies from BECTA/Ferl (2005) & JISC (2005) :- "In my own experience, virtual learning environments quickly become repositories of institutionally approved teaching materials and effectively discourage cooperation and interaction among students, fostering instead less meaningful, transactional interaction such as the setting or handing in of student work or the communication of assessment grades. Whilst I slightly agree with some of the points raised, this type of perception in a system commonly derives from the way it was initially set up and how it is followed through by educators. As any system is technically considered useless unless it is applied correctly and purposefully. For in my school placement I have seen just the opposite occur, with students more than willing to see what everyone else has created & assuming the role of teaching by leaving constructive feedback and elements for improvement.

? Collaboration "Collaborative learning in general is defined as any kind of group learning in which there are some meaningful learning interactions between learners. We speak of virtual collaborative e-learning if these interactions take place in virtual environments" Source - Goren-Bar, D. Koubek, A. (2001) A common misconception in ICT practice is that the general layout of a room for a student is designed to keep a student solely focused on a solitary PC or a teacher, thus creating isolationism, effectively reducing collaboration. Lehtinen (2003) concurs that effects of ICT depend not only on the equipment, but also, above all, on the pedagogical implementation of technology.

? Organisation & Assessment Perhaps one of the most overlooked attributes is that all the initial struggles for learning this new system payback with significantly reduced workloads for both educators & students. As noted by the Becta/Ferl case study (2005), VLE's can save time for tutors by reducing time required for photocopying, course material & distribution. From recent experience, I have also seen many educators reporting better organisational skills through the following:- ? Storing condensed digital lesson plans (hidden from everyone except the author) across respective student tasks, allowing quick access for proactive alteration, reflection & evaluation ? Embedding video clips, images, which considering that the majority of websites are blocked through most school system filters, guarantees full functionality upon lesson delivery ? In case a teacher is delayed at the start of the class, students are always aware of finding lesson objectives & starter material through the school VLE. It has also been noted by teachers across subjects other than ICT, that this form of preparation has come in extremely handy for when supply or cover teachers are called in ? On-board tools providing new methods of self/summative assessment through an ability to leave real time feedback in addition to automated marking, which eliminates the time lag between completion and marking

Limitations of a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) "Unsurprisingly the issues which proliferate around e-learning lead to confusion, resentment and sometimes disdain from many educators. Their job, and inclination, is to teach and research in their subject and remain up to date in their field, not to continually develop new skills in using technologies or become experts in educational theory, XML programming and educational technology standards". Source - Weller, M (2007) With every benefit identified so far, it can be quite easy to overlook any form of limitation to a common free of charge system, however as mentioned before there are far more factors involved:- o Reduction of face to face contact JISC (2005) identifies that many faculty staff are concerned that making learning resources available to students will discourage them from attending class. Whilst it is clear that this context is set against higher education, where some institutions do not enforce a zero tolerance policy on attendance, since main beliefs are that each and every student should be personally responsible for his/her own journey. In formal education, attendance is always reinforced as a mandatory principle of good early learning standards, which does not give much weight to this form of perceived limitation. Quite the contrary as research shown by Urquhart et al (2004) refers to the "added value" by attending sessions. o Lack of access to the system Jisc (2005) refers to Williams (2002) that one of the major barriers to using technology is student access. Whilst most higher education students have access to some form of loan/bursary or the ability to go into employment to help procure items (e.g. PC/Laptops) that they feel will assist them with work. This is not always going to be the case for primary/secondary students as setting work that required a PC has always been considered to be a grey area when taking into account all the external factors that may have restricted access (financial requirements for hardware, range of software required, issues sharing a personal computer across family members etc). Nonetheless constantly evolving technological abundance coupled with intense competition from providers helped drive down the size & cost of technology to progress far beyond what anyone could have predicted across all forms of evolving mediums (mobile phones, televisions etc) "In the past the development of e-learning systems was nearly only technology-centred but currently we are on the way to more human-centred concepts of using new technologies for business, learning and communication" Source - Laister, J. Kober, S (Date Unknown) So whilst the technology is available, here and now, it is ultimately down to the context in which they are applied, that defines its purpose and thus role.

4. Professional Investigation 1 PART II The current VLE is the most critical resource used throughout ICT lessons and contains everything from resources, worksheets, links, audio/video files etc. Thus the main focus was not on introducing this technology to the students, but on observing how it supports both them and the teacher. My first choice became all about which class to choose, therefore I took a look at the current schemes of work for years 7-9 (Appendix C) In choosing the class for this study I had to take several factors into account when I began taking over several of my subject mentor's classes in November 2011:- . Year 9 currently only have one ICT lesson a week . Year 8 were still finishing off the topic of E-Safety . Year 7 ICT lessons are almost back to back across the classes I decided to focus my investigation solely on 7P & 7N as their lessons were right next to each other, which would make it a lot easier to gather data for cross comparison purposes. However this being a scheme of work, there would inevitably be quite a lot of aspects that would be relatively new to them on closer inspection of the lesson layout (see Appendix E) :- My knowledge of VLE's before undertaking this professional investigation was minimal at best, thus I spent a considerable amount of time between lessons and in feedback meetings getting to know more about the current VLE through taking time out to experiment with the system. What stood out straight away was just how well structured it made each and every lesson, as soon as students entered the classroom; they always knew to check "Moodle" for the current lesson outline and objectives, thus reducing students' fears of being unsure what to do at any given point during a lesson. It is interesting to note at this point, in comparison to my findings on the literature review that all the benefits are matching the theory to the practice, however in practice the only real limitations derive not at all from the VLE, but solely down to the hardware used