Impact of Virtual Learning Environment on Students: Primary and Secondary Research

This report discusses the impact of virtual learning on students. It did a primary as well as secondary research on the topic. The primary research took view of students and a range of questions were asked where majority students went with the virtual learning environment. The positive and negative effects of virtual mode of education was highlighted in the secondary research. An amalgamation of offline and online learning is recommended for students.

SKILLS AND
RESEARCH METHODS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................2
Primary research..........................................................................................................................2
Data Analysis...............................................................................................................................4
Secondary research....................................................................................................................10
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13
1

INTRODUCTION
A virtual learning environment is an internet based platform for the digital aspects of
courses of learning, generally within the educational sector. It is basically a web based software
system designed in a way to facilitate learning and teaching with the use of various tools and
activities (Herrera, 2017). There are various positive impacts of virtual learning which includes
enhancement of enthusiasm, confidence, and improved readiness to learn and fulfil necessary
requirements of the students. Students utilise a VLE can be set a task to complete in class or at
their own pace, location and time to help them appropriately in order to develop their learning
understanding (Shazali and Hashim, 2018).
This report will highlight the concept of impacts of virtual learning environment on students
with the help of primary as well as secondary research data collected from students who are
utilising the facility of virtual learning.
MAIN BODY
Topic: Impact of virtual learning environment on students
Primary research
Questionnaire
Q.1 What does the internet mean to you?
 Resource for learning or having fun
 System of great benefit to humanity
 Unknown field
 Useless and overwhelming resources
Q.2 What do you think about the use of technology in the learning process?
 It is very beneficial
 It impacts the learning process in negative manner
 Does not have any clear opinion of the impact
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Q.3 How did you feel towards the use of virtual learning environment in your classes?
 Disappointed
 Enthusiastic and extremely motivated
 Discouraged
 Others
Q.4 How do you describe your experience with the virtual learning environment in your classes?
 Positive
 Disappointing
Q.5 What benefits did you find in this process?
 It offers variety of activities
 It allows work to be differentiated
 It offers flexibility on homework deadlines
 It makes communication more effective
 It stimulates students learning
Q.6 What type of challenges did you find in the complete process of virtual learning?
 Distractions from other websites
 Computer performance
 Other
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Data Analysis
1. Maximum numbers of students do share their vote in favour of internet that it is a
resource for learning or having fun.
What does the internet mean to you? Outcome
Resource for learning or having fun 24
System of great benefit to humanity 4
Unknown field 1
Useless and overwhelming resources 1
Total 30
Meaning of internet for you
Interpretation: From the above diagram it has been illustrated that maximum number of
students i.e. 80% vote in favour that internet is a resource of learning or having fun, while 14%
students vote for the reason that internet is a system of great benefit to humanity. On the other
hand, 3% students vote that the concept of internet are unknown field for them and they are not
at all wants to get involved in this concept. Apart from this the remaining 3% students vote in
favour that they find it useless tool and overwhelming resources.
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2. Maximum number of students within the university shares their views in favour that the
technology of learning process is extremely beneficial concept for them in order to learn
various things and do take advantages from it.
What do you think about the use of
technology in the learning process?
Outcome
It is very beneficial 28
It impacts the learning process in negative
manner
1
Does not have any clear opinion of the impact 1
Total 30
Thinking of students about the use of technology in the learning process
Interpretation: From the above pictorial representation, it has been identified that major number
of students i.e. 93% of students does agree that this technology is extremely beneficial for
students. However, few numbers of students i.e. 4% does share their views in favour that it
impacts the learning procedure in negative manner. Apart from this, remaining 3% vote for the
fact that according to them they are not having clear opinion about this concept.
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3. Large number of students shares their views that according to them they feel highly
enthusiastic and motivated with the usage of virtual learning environment within their
studies.
How did you feel towards the use of
virtual learning environment in your
classes?
Outcome
Disappointed 1
Enthusiastic and extremely motivated 26
Discouraged 1
Others 2
Total 30
Feeling of students towards the use of VLE in classes
Interpretation: From the above pie chart it has been interpreted that 87% of students feel
that VLE enhances enthusiasm and promotes motivation within them. However, 7%
share they feel something other while 3% vote that they feel disappointed by this concept
and remaining 3% feel that they are discouraged with this new concept.
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4. Majority of students says that they experienced positivity with the introduction of VLE
within their classes.
How do you describe your experience with
the virtual learning environment in your
classes?
Outcome
Positive 28
Disappointing 2
Total 30
Experience of students with the VLE in their classes
Interpretation: The above diagrams illustrates that 93% students feel that they feel highly
positive with the introduction of VLE within their classes while 7% feels disappointed with the
notion.
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5. The majority of students feel that the VLE allows them to work in differentiated manner.
What benefits did you find in this
process?
Outcome
It offers variety of activities 10
It allows work to be differentiated 12
It offers flexibility on homework deadlines 4
It makes communication more effective 2
It stimulates students learning 2
Total 30
Benefits of VLE
Interpretation: Above diagram illustrates that 40% of students says that this allows them
to work in differentiated field in easy manner. However, 33% agrees that it iffers variety
of activities to them. 13% students feels that VLE offers flexibility to them during their
homework sessions and 7% students sare their views that this makes communication
effective. Apart from this, remaining 7% do vote that it stimultaes their learning.
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6. Maximum number of students shares their vote in favour that computer performances are
the biggest challenge they find in VLE process.
What type of challenges did you find in
the complete process of virtual learning?
Outcome
Distractions from other websites 10
Computer performance 16
Other 4
Total 30
Challenges faced by students in complete VLE process
Interpretation: Above prepared diagram share the feelings of students that 53% students
feels that computer performance highly hinder the process of VLE while 34% students
feels distracted due to other websites. Apart from this, 13% feels that due to some other
reasons they find it challenging to use VLE process in their learing experience.
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Secondary research
Impact of virtual learning environment on students
As per Pererva and et.al., (2020), the virtual environment has been a new medium affecting
students’ way of studying. It has been a roller-coaster ride for students in past year. There have
been positive and negative effects of the same. On the positive side, as author reflects students
have learnt to use online tools for studying. They have learnt to use the online portals for getting
study material and join video conferencing with their teacher. There has been seen that visual
learning has made it interesting for the students to learn the concepts through presentation slides.
They can relate to them. Online tools have assisted in students gaining their lost time in covid.
Otherwise, their academic year could have gone wasted. As Bogusevschi, Muntean and Muntean
(2020) says, there is a question-answer session in which students can solve their doubts after the
class. This has been an opportunity for students to come up with queries which otherwise, they
would have felt shy to ask in front of everyone in the classroom. If, by chance, there is a miss of
lectures, the same can be rewind and also if there are doubts remaining, then too they can be
solved by revisiting the lectures recorded. In classes which are normal, notes are to be made but
here simply students can re-visit the lectures.
As said by Bayani, Leiton and Loaiza (2017), if students are ill, the missed-out lectures
can be visited again and there can remain a continuity in online studies which otherwise was not
present in normal lectures. In online classes, teachers emphasise on point of concepts more to
make sure this medium gets successful, this assists students in memorising more. This benefits
students who are slow-learners and thus, are able to catch up. As per Bogusevschi, Muntean and
Muntean (2020), online medium increases creativity in completion of assignments online as they
get to use tools like paint, power point which otherwise could not be done on paper. In online
medium, the session taken is smaller compared to offline and thus, it helps in interest creation of
students which makes session more interactive. Students getting aware of operations at computer
will assist them in further education and careers too as computers are present in every industry
they want to work with.
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As said by Pererva and et.al., (2020), online classes have helped students learn in a calm
environment compared to class where there could be distractions of other students and noise of
adjoining classrooms. Students who are in college, also have benefitted in getting to learn
through internet as a medium rather than just gazing through books. There is a wider scope for
learning. Also, tests conducted online have reduced stress of exam-hall environment for students.
Online education has eliminated stress of students rushing to schools in morning for both parents
as well as students.
Emphasising on negative effects of virtual online learning, Bayani, Leiton and Loaiza
(2017) says that the traditional method of classroom session has been taken away with interactive
one-to-one session missing. There is lack of communication freely between students and
teachers. Teachers could earlier know weaknesses and strengths of the students through
interaction with them and this helped in teacher forming strategy over improvement in the child.
In online learning, it is not possible to do the same thus, affecting students. The bond which
students shared with their teacher is missing where not only learning but fun activities could also
be done. As said by Kurbakova, Volkova and Kurbakov, (2020), in offline mode of learning,
students were there in their age group while at home, they study alone thus, causing isolation
from friends circle. It is also said that doubts asked online are sometimes not clearly understood
and students also do not like to ask them again.
As said by Kurbakova, Volkova and Kurbakov (2020), students had game activities with
co-curricular activities which could increase learning attention and provide some relief from
class schedule. It is also a way of personality and physical development which virtual
environment cannot provide. Also, there has been seen cases of students getting spectacles
increased during this period, because of long online hours of study. Socialising with friends has
been reduced making the students losing their level of confidence.
As discussed by Bayani, Leiton and Loaiza (2017) , online medium also does not help in
effective monitoring of students as like in class, where students had to pay attention and thus,
efforts of teacher may go in vain for students who have less inclination towards studies. Students
also find difficulty in assignments as parents cannot help much in this medium. There has been
report of remote students not getting enough facilities for studying online. This is due to the
financial condition not being good at rural households which affects the study of children.
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Thus, it can be said that there are both merits and drawbacks of the virtual medium and
there have to be an amalgamation of online and offline medium to erase away the adverse effects
of virtual learning alone.
CONCLUSION
The report discussed the impact of virtual learning on students. It did a primary as well as
secondary research on the topic. The primary research took view of students and a range of
questions were asked where majority students went with the virtual learning environment. The
positive and negative effects of virtual mode of education was highlighted in the secondary
research. An amalgamation of offline and online learning is recommended for students.
12

REFERENCES
Books and journals
Bayani, M., Leiton, K. and Loaiza, M., 2017. Internet of things (IoT) advantages on e-learning in
the smart cities. International Journal of Development Research, 7(12), pp.17747-17753.
Bogusevschi, D., Muntean, C. and Muntean, G.M., 2020. Teaching and learning physics using
3D virtual learning environment: A case study of combined virtual reality and virtual
laboratory in secondary school. Journal of Computers in Mathematics and Science
Teaching, 39(1), pp.5-18.
Herrera, L., 2017. Impact of implementing a virtual learning environment (VLE) in the EFL
classroom. Ikala, 22(3). pp.479-498.
Kassim, H. and Hassan, W.R., 2021. The Application of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in
Malaysian Schools: Impacts and Challenges. In Stagnancy Issues and Change Initiatives
for Global Education in the Digital Age (pp. 67-89). IGI Global.
Kurbakova, S., Volkova, Z. and Kurbakov, A., 2020, July. Virtual Learning and Educational
Environment: New Opportunities and Challenges under the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In 2020 The 4th International Conference on Education and Multimedia Technology (pp.
167-171).
Pererva, V., Lavrentieva, O., Lakomova, O., Zavalniuk, O. and Tolmachev, S., 2020. The
technique of the use of Virtual Learning Environment in the process of organizing the
future teachers' terminological work by specialty.
Shazali, S.S. and Hashim, H., 2018. Challenges in using frog VLE in teaching english to ESL
learners: a review of past studies. Technology, 1(1). pp.1-4.
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