Home > News > February 2004 > 23-Feb-2004

Online conference sparks debate on e-learning

An online conference focusing on Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) has been hailed as a success after receiving 1,500 postings discussing how an e-learning environment can support the learning process in further education.

The conference was organised by Becta’s Ferl service: a post-16 ICT and e-learning information service funded by the National Learning Network.

More than 250 participants from universities, colleges, commercial companies, agencies and LEAs took part in the eight-day conference, which was split into two themes: Cultural change - from learners to managers; and Implementation and staff development.

Commenting on the conference, Event Organiser, Geoff Minshull, said: "The conference triggered a lot of ideas and sparked a lot of lively debate. VLEs are becoming a crucial factor in supporting the e-learning and blended learning pedagogies across the FE sector. By bringing together people from all parts of the education sector, we were able to share experiences, learn from others, and plan for the future."

Virtual Learning Environments are increasingly becoming an important part of the education strategy for online delivery and flexible learning. The online conference 'Beyond the fringe…and into the mainstream' was designed to provide a forum for VLE managers and users to share their experiences and to explore different models of procuring, implementing and supporting VLEs.

During the conference delegates were encouraged to take part in debates as well as attend virtual workshops and read pre-submitted papers by a range of experts in the field.

Many colleges already have VLEs in place, though relatively few are using them with large numbers of students. Themes coming out of the conference included the role of staff development in mainstreaming VLEs and an awareness that communications tools within VLEs are as important as using them purely for content delivery.

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