<s>
A	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
(	O
VLE	O
)	O
in	O
educational	O
technology	O
is	O
a	O
web-based	B-Application
platform	O
for	O
the	O
digital	O
aspects	O
of	O
courses	O
of	O
study	O
,	O
usually	O
within	O
educational	O
institutions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
VLE	O
's	O
are	O
often	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
Learning	B-Application
Management	I-Application
Systems	I-Application
(	O
LMS	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
are	O
the	O
main	O
components	O
required	O
for	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
or	O
online	O
education	O
curriculums	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
VLE	O
learning	B-Protocol
platforms	I-Protocol
commonly	O
allow	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Support	O
for	O
communications	O
,	O
including	O
e-mail	O
,	O
threaded	O
discussions	O
,	O
chat	O
rooms	O
,	O
Twitter	B-Application
and	O
other	O
media	O
,	O
sometimes	O
with	O
the	O
instructor	O
or	O
an	O
assistant	O
acting	O
as	O
moderator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
elements	O
include	O
wikis	B-Protocol
,	O
blogs	O
,	O
RSS	O
and	O
3D	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
spaces	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Links	O
to	O
outside	O
sources	O
–	O
pathways	O
to	O
all	O
other	O
online	O
learning	O
spaces	O
are	O
linked	O
via	O
the	O
VLE	O
(	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Environment	I-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
supports	O
the	O
worldwide	O
exchange	O
of	O
information	O
between	O
a	O
user	O
and	O
the	O
learning	O
institute	O
he	O
or	O
she	O
is	O
currently	O
enrolled	O
in	O
through	O
digital	O
mediums	O
like	O
e-mail	O
,	O
chat	O
rooms	O
,	O
web	O
2.0	O
sites	O
or	O
a	O
forum	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computerized	O
learning	O
systems	O
have	O
been	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
electronic	O
educational	O
technology	O
,	O
e-learning	O
,	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
or	O
learning	B-Application
management	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
major	O
difference	O
is	O
that	O
VLE	O
and	O
LMS	B-Application
are	O
applications	O
,	O
whereas	O
the	O
Learning	B-Protocol
Platform	I-Protocol
shares	O
characteristics	O
with	O
an	O
Operating	B-General_Concept
System	I-General_Concept
where	O
different	O
educational	O
web-based	B-Application
applications	I-Application
can	O
be	O
run	O
on	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
terms	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
(	O
VLE	O
)	O
and	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
are	O
generically	O
used	O
to	O
describe	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
integrated	O
web-based	B-Application
applications	I-Application
that	O
provide	O
teachers	O
,	O
learners	O
,	O
parents	O
and	O
others	O
involved	O
in	O
education	O
with	O
information	O
,	O
tools	O
,	O
and	O
resources	O
to	O
support	O
and	O
enhance	O
educational	O
delivery	O
and	O
management	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
terms	O
are	O
broadly	O
synonymous	O
with	O
'	O
managed	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
 '	O
(	O
MLEs	O
)	O
and	O
'	O
managed	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
 '	O
(	O
MVLEs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
refers	O
to	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
tools	O
and	O
services	O
often	O
described	O
using	O
terms	O
such	O
as	O
educational	O
extranet	O
,	O
VLE	O
,	O
LMS	B-Application
,	O
ILMS	O
and	O
LCMS	O
providing	O
learning	O
and	O
content	B-Protocol
management	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
also	O
includes	O
the	O
personal	O
learning	O
environment	O
(	O
PLE	O
)	O
or	O
personal	O
online	O
learning	O
space	O
(	O
POLS	O
)	O
,	O
including	O
tools	O
and	O
systems	O
that	O
allow	O
the	O
development	O
and	O
management	O
of	O
portfolios	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
specific	O
functionality	O
associated	O
with	O
any	O
implementation	O
of	O
a	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
will	O
vary	O
depending	O
upon	O
the	O
needs	O
of	O
the	O
users	O
and	O
can	O
be	O
achieved	O
by	O
bringing	O
together	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
features	O
from	O
different	O
software	O
solutions	O
either	O
commercially	O
available	O
,	O
open	O
source	O
,	O
self-built	O
or	O
available	O
as	O
free	O
to	O
use	O
web	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
related	O
concepts	O
include	O
content	B-Protocol
management	I-Protocol
systems	I-Protocol
(	O
CMS	O
)	O
which	O
refers	O
to	O
the	O
organization	O
of	O
the	O
educational	O
or	O
other	O
content	O
,	O
not	O
the	O
overall	O
environment	O
;	O
learning	B-Application
content	I-Application
management	I-Application
system	I-Application
(	O
LCMS	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
more	O
often	O
used	O
for	O
corporate	O
training	O
systems	O
than	O
for	O
systems	O
in	O
education	O
institutions	O
;	O
managed	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
(	O
MLE	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
normally	O
refers	O
to	O
the	O
overall	O
infrastructure	O
in	O
an	O
institution	O
of	O
which	O
the	O
VLE	O
is	O
a	O
component	O
;	O
learning	B-Protocol
support	I-Protocol
system	I-Protocol
(	O
LSS	O
)	O
;	O
online	O
learning	O
center	O
(	O
OLC	O
)	O
;	O
or	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
(	O
LP	O
)	O
,	O
education	O
via	O
computer-mediated	O
communication	O
(	O
CMC	O
)	O
;	O
or	O
online	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
"	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
"	O
is	O
more	O
commonly	O
used	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
Asia	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
synonymous	O
term	O
"	O
learning	B-Application
management	I-Application
system	I-Application
"	O
is	O
the	O
more	O
common	O
usage	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
LMS	B-Application
can	O
also	O
mean	O
a	O
"	O
library	O
management	O
system	O
"	O
(	O
which	O
is	O
now	O
more	O
commonly	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
integrated	O
library	O
system	O
,	O
or	O
ILS	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Information	B-General_Concept
and	I-General_Concept
communication	I-General_Concept
technology	I-General_Concept
literacy	O
:	O
Students	O
use	O
technology	O
to	O
obtain	O
and	O
present	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Time	B-Application
management	I-Application
:	O
Students	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
meet	O
deadlines	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
supporters	O
and	O
critics	O
of	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
recognize	O
the	O
importance	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
such	O
skills	O
,	O
including	O
creativity	O
,	O
communication	O
,	O
and	O
knowledge	O
application	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
controversy	O
lies	O
in	O
whether	O
or	O
not	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
are	O
practical	O
for	O
both	O
teachers	O
and	O
students	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
can	O
create	O
a	O
challenge	O
for	O
students	O
to	O
succeed	O
in	O
a	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Environment	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
study	O
among	O
Indian	O
students	O
has	O
suggested	O
that	O
a	O
negative	O
experience	O
with	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environments	I-Protocol
can	O
leave	O
"	O
the	O
learner	O
with	O
a	O
passive	O
,	O
un-engaging	O
experience	O
,	O
leading	O
to	O
incomplete	O
learning	O
and	O
low	O
performance	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
VLE	O
leads	O
to	O
a	O
reported	O
higher	O
computer	O
self-efficacy	O
,	O
while	O
participants	O
report	O
being	O
less	O
satisfied	O
with	O
the	O
learning	O
process	O
that	O
is	O
achieved	O
in	O
the	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Environment	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Local	O
bodies	O
such	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
school	O
's	O
sector	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
the	O
DCSF	O
via	O
Becta	O
,	O
have	O
additionally	O
defined	O
a	O
learning	B-Protocol
platform	I-Protocol
"	O
conformance	O
framework	O
"	O
to	O
encourage	O
interoperability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Program	O
Standards	O
provide	O
a	O
framework	O
for	O
identifying	O
key	O
areas	O
for	O
effective	O
teaching	O
and	O
learning	O
in	O
Virtual	B-Protocol
Learning	I-Protocol
Programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Educators	O
need	O
benchmark	O
tools	O
to	O
assess	O
a	O
virtual	B-Protocol
learning	I-Protocol
environment	I-Protocol
as	O
a	O
viable	O
means	O
of	O
education	O
.	O
</s>
