Impact of Virtual Learning Environment on Academic Performance of Students

This report discusses the impact of virtual learning on academic performance of students and ways as how it makes them able to increase their knowledge and skills. It will further discuss some negative impacts of online classes as why some students do not like virtual learning and as compared to face to face learning what are missing in virtual learning.

Assessment 2 Individual
Report

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................2
Impact of virtual learning environment.......................................................................................2
Effectiveness of online classes or face to face classes.................................................................7
Some critical impacts of virtual learning.....................................................................................7
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
APPENDIX....................................................................................................................................10
Questionnaire.............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
A virtual learning environment is an online based platform that allows to both students and
professor’s digital solutions that increases learning experience (Herrera, 2017). This study is
going to discuss impact of virtual learning on academic performance of students and ways as
how it makes them able to increase their knowledge and skills. It will further discuss some
negative impacts of online classes as why some students do not like virtual learning and as
compared to face to face learning what are missing in virtual learning. It will collect both
primary and secondary data in order to know impact of virtual learning as well as some problems
that students and tutors face in virtual learning or while learning in online classes.
Impact of virtual learning environment
We all live in an environment numbers of factors affect individual’s living. Changes in
some external environmental factors affect behaviour of people and many more things, Political,
social, economic, environmental are some factors that can change anytime Climate change in
environmental factor is one of the best examples that affect behaviour of people and the way in
which people live and react (Torres Martín, Acal, El Honrani and Mingorance Estrada, 2021). In
this digital era, people rely on internet and technology for getting their work done in an effective
and easier manner. Technology has changed all sectors whether it is healthcare, education and
others. Education sector get affected the most after introduction of advanced technology as well
as after environmental changes or Covid-19. Covid-19 or pandemic that broke down in the year
of 2018 affected all of us to the great extent. IT leads an infectious disease that spread by
touching and social gathering. Students were the one who are still affected and they are not
allowed to go to schools and get education as like before they used to because of fear of getting
affected from virus or infectious disease. This changing factor changed educational sector and
advanced technology made able to all students to continue their studies by sitting at home with
the help of internet or laptop or mobile phone via videos. This online education or learning is
known as virtual learning that has changed learning experience. There are critical impacts of
virtual learning on student and for knowing students’ views on this topic, questionnaire has
conducted in order to collect primary data. This questionnaire will be given to each student or
selected students of University of Wales Trinity Saint David London Campus and then be used
for online survey. It is not possible to conduct offline or face to face survey because of covid-19.

Some questions of conducted questionnaire will help out in knowing positive as well as some
negative impacts of virtual learning on learning experience (Omar and Geer, 2018). 30 students
University of Wales Trinity Saint David London Campus have selected as a sample for gathering
primary data in order to know impact of online classes or virtual learning environment on their
learning experience.
Theme 1: How happy are you with the timing of virtual learning or online classes?
Answers Frequency
Highly satisfied 6
Satisfied 8
Highly dissatisfied 7
Dissatisfied 9
Interpretation: When students were asked about satisfaction level as if they love or
satisfied with virtual learning or online classes then different students gave different answers. In
this regard, 6 students said that they are highly satisfied with this and they love to attend online
classes because they do not have to walk up early in the morning and it saves their time. 8
students said that they are satisfied as they said that online classes are good but they are getting
bored from this and they miss their friends and other activities. 7 students were highly
dissatisfied as they said that online learning does not help them out in accomplishing their goals.
They said that it is affecting their performance as in online classes, it becomes difficult to
identify who is cheating and it is not good for students who are brilliant and genuinely want to
achieve something. 9 or majority of students also said that they are dissatisfied with virtual
learning as initially, they enjoyed but now they feel that it is affecting their overall performance.
They have to rely on research for solving their doubts if they have and teachers cannot focus on
each student with effectiveness.

Theme 2: Reason of not connecting online classes?
Answers Frequency
Timing 10
Laziness 20
Interpretation: In order to know critical and some negative impacts of virtual learning,
they were asked as why they miss online classes. From secondary data, it is known that students
do not attend classes regularly and it is affecting their learning experience and performance as
well. In this context, 10 students said that timing of online classes is one of the main reasons as
some classes are for 1 hour and some classes are for 3-4 hours. They said that it becomes
difficult to focus on online classes or seeing mobile phone or laptops for this longer hours. They
face numbers of problems if they see mobile phones and try to concentrate on learning for this
longer hours and it is the reason they miss online classes. Whereas, 20 students said that initially,
they were enjoying attending online classes but now they have become lazy as they stay at home
all the time and they know that they can do many other things while attending class. It becomes
difficult for teachers to focus on each student so, sometimes they take undue advantage of it.
Habits of sleeping late at night have made their lazy and they find difficulties to wake early in
the morning as per the online timing classes. So, it is the main reason as they do not attend online
classes regularly or miss virtual learning.
Theme 3: Difficulty you face the most while learning online?

Answers Frequency
Interrupted internet 5
Silent place 7
Interruption by other students
9
Back and eye pain 8
Interpretation: From some secondary data, it is found that after Covid-19, students are
facing numbers of challenges in this online class. So, for making changes and improvement,
students were asked about problems that they face while attending online classes. 5 students said
that interrupted internet is one of the main problems that they face. They said that area where
they live, there is a problem of internet connectivity and due to internet interruption, and they
miss some important topics, taught by tutors. 7 students said that not getting silent place in home
is the main problem as noise at their home affects them. 9 students said that interruption by other
students and timing in greeting tutors by all students and misleading tutors by some students
affect their learning experience. They said that it consumes a lot of time and they do not learn
whatever scheduled or expected by them to learn. 8 students said that it become difficult for
them to focus on mobile or laptop screen for longer hours. As like school and university classes
they do not have facilities at their home and due to this longer hour, they have to face back and
eye pain.
Theme 4: Advantages of online classes or virtual learning?

Answers Frequency
Time saving 8
Timing of classes
10
Combination of structure
12
Interpretation: For knowing positive impacts or positive sides of virtual learning,
students were asked that what is the main thing that they love the most and why they prefer
online classes. In this context, 8 students said that it saves their time. They do not have to travel
for going to school or college and also they do not require getting ready for this. So, saving time
is one of the best things that they love the most about online classes. 10 students said that timing
of classes is the best thing as some classes are for only 30-60 minutes and each class of subject
they get 10-15 minutes of break. 12 students said that combination on online classes’ structure is
the thing that they love about virtual learning. As they get message on their whatsapp about
classes that are going to schedule next day. So, students can prepare themselves accordingly.
Theme 5: The main thing you miss about school
Answers Frequency
Meeting with friends 13

Face to face study 17
Interpretation: For better knowing about effectiveness of virtual learning students were
asked as what they miss about school and college when they used to go before Covid-19
pandemic. 13 students said that it they had to get chance to meet with friends and it was stress
buster for them. When they used to go to school and colleges then it helped them out in
maintaining a proper schedule. There were many more activities in which they engaged and
meeting with friends helped them out in solving doubt. Group study and discussion was the main
thing that they miss. Majority of students or 17 students said that face to face study was the best
as all students were focused by tutors and studying on white or blackboard was better than this
virtual learning. They also said that tutors used to ask some questions after completing chapter
that increased their knowledge and all this does not happen in virtual learning.
Along with primary data, some secondary data has also collected in order to know all about
virtual learning. Some articles helped out in knowing about positive as well as negative impacts
of virtual learning or online classes on performance of students.
Effectiveness of online classes or face to face classes
It is found that many people prefer face to face classes and some reason that they gave of
face to face class is: strict schedule, on time solution of doubts, proper guidance of tutors. Some
people said that they prefer online classes as it saves their time and they can study by sitting at
home and anywhere as they just need improved internet connectivity and a place where they can
access classes. On the basis of differences between face to face and online classes, it can be said
that face to face learning is better because tutors also face some problems while teaching online
(Hodges and et.al., 2020). Internet interruption and interruption by some students are some
problems that they face so, overall it can be said that face to face learning is better.
Some critical impacts of virtual learning
On the basis of some secondary data, it is found that virtual learning has critical impacts.
Some positive impacts that have known of virtual learning is: it saves time of students and tutors.
Students can gain knowledge by sitting anywhere where they can connect internet or access
online class (Papanastasiou and et.al., 2019). There are some other advantages of virtual learning
that has known such as: flexible scheduling, self discipline, lower cost and other. Whereas, there

are some negative impacts that virtual learning have as it leads back pain and eye pain. Students
have to learn all things by focusing on mobile screen and they have to prepare themselves as per
the schedule class. The main thing that can make virtual learning effective is: technology or
access to internet. If they have improved network then only they can attend online classes
otherwise, it is not possible to gain knowledge without interruption (Allcoat and von Mühlenen,
2018).
CONCLUSION
It has been summarised from the above study that virtual learning has numbers of impacts
on overall learning experience and performance of students. On the basis of secondary and
primary data, it has found that virtual learning saves time of students as they do not have to go to
school or colleges. Further, it has discussed some negative impacts or reasons as why some
students do not prefer online classes over face to face learning. Some reasons that this has
discussed include: back and eye pain due to longer hours of online screening in virtual learning,
disturbance by other students and others.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Torres Martín, C., Acal, C., El Honrani, M. and Mingorance Estrada, Á.C., 2021. Impact on the
virtual learning environment due to COVID-19. Sustainability. 13(2). p.582.
Hodges, C. and et.al., 2020. The difference between emergency remote teaching and online
learning. Educause review. 27(1). pp.1-9.
Papanastasiou, G. and et.al., 2019. Virtual and augmented reality effects on K-12, higher and
tertiary education students’ twenty-first century skills. Virtual Reality. 23(4). pp.425-
436.
Allcoat, D. and von Mühlenen, A., 2018. Learning in virtual reality: Effects on performance,
emotion and engagement. Research in Learning Technology, 26.
Herrera, L., 2017. Impact of implementing a virtual learning environment (VLE) in the EFL
classroom. Ikala. 22(3). pp.479-498.
Omar, N. and Geer, R., 2018, June. virtual learning environment (VLE): Its Impact on primary
school children's learning. In EdMedia+ Innovate Learning (pp. 1916-1922).
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).

APPENDIX
Questionnaire
1. How happy are you with the timing of virtual learning or online classes?
 Highly satisfied and happy.
 Satisfied
 Dissatisfied
 Highly dissatisfied
2. What is the reason you miss online classes?
 Exact timing of online classes
 Laziness
3. Which difficulty you face the most while learning online?
 Interrupted internet
 Silent space
 Interruption by other students
 Back and eye pain
4. What is the main thing you love about online classes or virtual learning?
 It saves time
 Timing of classes
 Combination of structure
5. What is the main thing you miss about school?
 Meeting with friends
 Face to face study