Evaluation and Comparative Studies between Four of VLEs in High Education - Research Paper Example

Evaluation and Comparative Studies between four of VLEs in High Education 3rd April, 2007 Evaluation Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) are designed in such a manner to provide effective framework in managing the educational courses especially in Higher Education by providing help to teachers and learners with the administration of course modules (The Higher Education Academy, 2006). There are several studies conducted to evaluate and compare among various useful learning tools contributing to the virtual learning environments. This paper aims at evaluating and comparing among the following four learning tools for a detailed evaluation as well as to provide a potential comparison among them. Blackboard Angel Moodle Desire2Learn 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. Desire2Learn records can be arranged to be in contact directly with other institutional records. Angel offers a unique platform for developing an advanced level of community framework in addition to course delivery. The component-based architecture has facilitated in customization of features and appearance in order to adhere for maximum portability and adaptability. All the advanced features of CMS are incorporated with chat room facilities, threaded discussion forums, mail messaging, quizzes, surveys, self-assessments, browsing and file exchange options. I focused on the requirement for a different presentation of learning tools in association with all the above mentioned functionalities and fundamental architecture for creating virtual environment for learning. Angel provides an automated methodology for facilitating an essential mode of web environment encapsulating traditional classroom on the basis of an academic medical center. Angel provides an automated user profile component accessible by students, faculty members and staffs. The system also enables the creation of personalized calendar, bookmarks, task lists. It also offers web environment to list up various courses inclusive of distance education as well as traditional mode of learning. Angel LMS also features the creation personal and public group settings. Angel incorporates the school-wide resources including classifieds, news bulletin, message boards and search engine option. The system enables automatic creation of web-server accounts facilities for each and every user enabling an automated single 'front door' URL along with one-time authentication method for the service in question. The system employs integrated intelligent agents in order to reduce time-allocation as well as to manage over repetitive tasks in general. Moodle has an extensive contribution while considering several possibilities in cross-platform environments. Moodle is an open-source technology. Moodle as a technological tool can not be considered as accounted for improving quality or effectiveness of teaching and learning in a predefined well-structured form, but in the pedagogically-informed mode of consideration, Moodle can be considered as having contribution towards achieving the goal. When it comes to the evaluation of Moddle, it has been acknowledged as a reasonable applicant for use. One interesting thing I have noticed that it consists of the basic functionality presented by WebCT, that is, together with some functional aspects and instructive tools that are not presently accessible in the commercial Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs). Its user-interface is believed to be at least as easy to use as WebCT, which is technically feasible and practicable. But, on the other hand, I have found some serviceable weak points too that would have to be dealt with when it comes to any complete institutional use of it; in the same way, the strong point of taking on an open source platform is that I would have clear technological means of access to do exactly that by means of teamwork or by outsourcing to viable support for organizations. Conclusion Throughout the evaluation process I may come into conclusion that Blackboard and Desire2Learn can be considered as the major candidates for purchase. Both of the products are well-known for their increasing popularity along with a substantial market share and a proven track record asserting their responsiveness to their user communities. They have the capability to deal explicitly with the increasingly significant issues in relation to accessibility and standards. Both of these products account for higher education especially in countries like UK and USA, primarily attributing to two major benefits - availability of training materials and support and increasing opportunity for future collaboration. I thus conclude that the identification of Moodle can be made as a conceivable part for an institution-wide use. Moodle incorporates with the core functionality in congruence with WebCT in association with various useful components and pedagogical tools that are not featured by current commercial VLEs in general. Although not so advanced and flexible like other three environments mentioned above, Moodle provides a user-friendly interface likewise WebCT. Comparison While comparing virtual environment tools such as Angel, Desire2Learn, Blackboard and Moodle, it is observed that the application Angel provides the most suitable and easy-to-use features for asynchronous tools such as real-time and streamed video and audio option using which an instructor can present the course module to the students in respective courses. This feature is not available in the other three environments. On the other hand, the Blackboard environment provides the whiteboard feature with maximum numbers of functionality including mathematical symbol insertion, power-point slide show enabled, and image uploading along with support for multiple instances than that of the other two environments - Angel and Desire2Learn, while Moodle does not support the whiteboard feature. All of these four environments support real-time chat facilities. The Desire2Learn also supports two types of chat client - one is java-enabled advanced type of chat option, whereas the other is HTML formatted basic chat option. However, Moodle chat option is not highly developed; however, students are able to identify who else is online and are able to communicate with them via instant messaging. To integrate the quality of the service and to make the system more user-friendly, Angel, Blackboard and Desire2Learn employ online journal feature that enables a student to compose personal notes and share them with their instructor; however, Moodle does not support this feature as well. To increase the portability and effectiveness of using the system, the Angel, Blackboard and Desire2Learn provide students to use book-marking option so that the student can resume their work from where they left. Once again, Moodle does not support this feature. In angel a rich and high-end support for offline data storage facility, support of CD-ROM publishing as well as dynamically retrieve course material in offline facility is available and almost same is with Blackboard and Desire2Learn environment. But this facility is not available in Moodle environment (EduTools, 2006). The Moodle environment is the only environment among these four environments which is freely downloadable and its licensing is free to use under the terms of GNU General Public License. The Angel and the Moodle support 10 in-built templates, by using which institutions can create their own customized templates in association with custom images, headers and footers across the entire system. The Blackboard, Desire2Learn and Moodle environment run on redundant Tier 1 network connection with varied storage capacities. Angel, Desire2Learn and Moodle incorporate nightly backup facilities. In case of Blackboard, the connection is T3 dedicated service along with daily and weekly data backup facilities (JISC, 2002). In case of Angel learning environment, the annual cost is dependent on the number of user accounts and for Blackboard it depends on FTE students in an institution. In case of Desire2Learn environment, it depends on either number of student enrolment or FTE students in an institutions. However, for Moodle environment it is free and distributed under GNU General Public License. Comparison Table Features Angel Blackboard Desire2Learn Moodle Ease of Use Instructors can include real time video and audio facility into the course There is no video service available There is no video service available There is no video service available The environment supports whiteboard enabled support system incorporating image upload, annotation, power-point and web-based slide shows, collaborative web browsing, polling and moderation area. The environment supports whiteboard with multiple instances incorporating mathematical symbols, and image uploading and power-point slide show. It also enables whiteboard recording system for future reference. The environment supports whiteboard with multiple instances incorporating image uploading and annotation. No whiteboard facility is present The environment supports real-time chat system featuring private rooms, private messages, customized chat windows along with administrator moderation and ability to ignore particular user. The environment supports java-enabled real-time chat system featuring unlimited simultaneous group discussions and private messages. This also enables chat room where student can get live-help from instructors. The environment supports two types of chat facilities - java-enabled and HTML enabled serving advanced functioning and basic functioning respectively. The chat room incorporates built-in messaging tool. The environment support real=time chat system that includes image. The students can view other online students and their courses and are able to send them instant messaging. Online journal facility is available. Students can share and send their personal notes through online journal. Student can send their private notes to the instructor. Student can send notes using online journal No online journal facility is available Student can add bookmark to their area of reading or working. Student can add bookmark and store them in private folder as well as share them in portfolio. Student can bookmark their course content No bookmark facility is available. Offline data storage facility is available; students without internet connection may view the dynamic content in offline as well. CD-ROM is published in order to deliver dynamic data offline. CD-ROM is published for offline purpose and students are able to download the data in pre-defined format that can be either stored or printed offline. No such facility is available. Extensibility The environment provides an extensive use of XML programming in order to perform complex operations. The environment provides an online drop-in functionality along with a communicative structure to an external system (Alcorn, 2005) The environment provides an open source so that new courses and curriculum can be added without making major alternation to the core system. Reusability of learning objects as well as learning repository. Distribution The distribution is global in co-operation with Pearson Education, Thomson Learning, McGraw-Hill Higher Education, Elsevier, Bedford, Freeman & Worth Publishing Group, Houghton Mifflin College Division, Addison Wesley/Benjamin Cummings, Brooks/Cole, Course Technology, Delmar Learning, Mosby, Prentice Hall, Saunders, South-Western and Wadsworth Nation-wide distribution to MiCTA / ATAlliance members. The distribution of this application is free under the terms of GNU General Public License. Maintainability Blackboard is to some extent owned by Microsoft and Sun Microsystems and is a very popular application that is prevalent among the whole world. It incorporates more than 200 independent developers belonging to educational institutions and software sectors who play a significant role in Blackboard Developer NetworkSM as well as contributing to the development of free Blackboard Building blocks SDK. The building block catalogue comprises of more than 115 community developed applications. Desire2Learn has a strong research-oriented platform by means of providing next-generation technologies in order to provide the clients more effective mode of communication. Moodle has an extensive platform incorporates a large and active community framework both at user levels as well as developer levels. Moodle community is characterised by several global users can help each others by answering others queries, sharing views or adding and modifying components. Both the user and the developer may work at analysing and effectively ensuring the quality at a given period of time. Functionality The functional features available in this environment are discussion forum, file exchange facility, online journal, internet email, real-time chat environment, video service, whiteboard, bookmark feature, help area, search option, progress review, offline work area, group work, self-assessment, community, portfolio, authentication, course module authorization, integrated registration process, high-end hosting service, automated grading tools, instructor helpdesk, student tracking, automated testing and scoring, randomization of questions, course and curriculum management, customized look and feel option, content sharing and reuse of learning objects The functional features available in this environment are discussion forum, file exchange facility, online journal, internet email, real-time chat environment, whiteboard, bookmark feature, help area, search option, progress review, offline work area, group work, self-assessment, community, portfolio, authentication, course module authorization, integrated registration process, high-end hosting service, automated grading tools, instructor helpdesk, student tracking, automated testing and scoring, randomization of questions, course management, customized look and feel option, content sharing and reuse of learning objects The functional features available in this environment are discussion forum, file exchange facility, online journal, internet email, real-time chat environment, whiteboard, bookmark feature, help area, search option, progress review, offline work area, group work, self-assessment, community, portfolio, authentication, course module authorization, integrated registration process, high-end hosting service, automated grading tools, instructor helpdesk, student tracking, automated testing and scoring, randomization of questions, course and curriculum management, customized look and feel option, content sharing and reuse of learning objects The functional features available in this environment are discussion forum, file exchange facility, internet email, real-time chat environment, help area, search option, progress review, group work, self-assessment, portfolio, authentication, course module authorization, integrated registration process, high-end hosting service, automated grading tools, instructor helpdesk, student tracking, automated testing and scoring, randomization of questions, course management, customized look and feel option. Reference http://angellearning.com/partners/ Alcorn B (2005). Developing Blackboard Building Blocks: Getting Started. Blackboard Inc. April 12, 2005. http://72.14.235.104/searchq=cache:xljXDfJTgV8J:www.blackboard.com/docs/uc05/Blackboard_Building_Blocks_Getting_Started.ppt+extensibility+of+Blackboard&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=5&gl=in Angel Learning (2006) Angel Learning website, http://www.angellearning.com/ Secker, J and Price, G (2004) Developing the e-Literacy of academics: case studies from LSE and the Institute of Education, University of London. JeLit 1(2). http://www.meddean.luc.edu/lumen/, 6/12/03. Boyle, T (1997) Design for multimedia learning London: Prentice Hall Tait, B (1997) Constructive Internet Based Learning, Active Learning 7 (December) pp. 3-8 Blackboard, Inc. said: Blackboard website, http://www.blackboard.com/ VLEs: Beyond the Fringe and into the Mainstream: Guidance on the mainstreaming of Virtual Learning Environments, drawn from the proceedings of the 2004 online conference from Becta's Ferl service EduTools. (2006) , CMS Home, http://www.edutools.info/compare.jsppj=8&i=263,279,299,358 Joint Information Systems Committee (2002), Pedagogy and Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Evaluation and Selection, {www document} URL http://www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfmname=mle_briefings_5 The Higher Education Academy: (2006) Using the virtual learning environment. http://www.ukcle.ac.uk/resources/tlr/vles.html Wikipedia (2006), Virtual Learning Environment, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_learning_environment Moodle (n.d.) , Moodle Website http://moodle.org/ Read More