University of Wales: VLE Impact on Student Learning Experience Report

This report investigates the impact of Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) on students' learning experiences, focusing on digital skills and research methods. The study utilizes both primary and secondary data analysis, including surveys conducted through Survey Monkey and analysis of published sources. The primary data collected from students at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David London Campus, including those with special educational needs, reveals varied perspectives on VLEs, with some students agreeing that VLEs impact learning levels. The secondary analysis highlights increased digital abilities, research skills, and the adoption of VLEs by both students and teachers. However, it also acknowledges potential negative impacts on physical well-being and sleep patterns. The report concludes that VLEs have increased students' digital skills and research abilities and have allowed for more flexible learning. The research also indicates that VLEs have assisted students in learning flexibly and they have been able to increase their knowledge and learning through this.

DIGITAL SKILLS
AND RESEARCH
METHODS

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
The impact of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on students’ learning experience.............1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Digital skills can be defined as the abilities to make use of various digital learning tools and
techniques. It means that individual has the capacity to manage the transactions online. They
make use of communication applications and networks so that information is been managed by
them adequately. Research methods are useful in the collection of data, it assists researcher in
extracting better information so that knowledge related to subject matter is increased. There are
two methods of data collection one is primary and other one is secondary. Present report will lay
emphasis on the impact of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) in which both primary and
secondary data analysis has been done in order to analyze impact of VLE on students.
MAIN BODY
The impact of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) on students’ learning experience
There is a huge impact on the virtual learning environment on the learning experience of
students. Virtual learning environments (VLEs) were introduced to progress students from
passive to active learners. It has been analysed that virtual learning has lower down the
efficiency of students as they can learn more in personal than through online channels. It has also
been analysed that because of this environment their schedule is also been miss-managed. They
are not been able to perform adequately (Carranza-Abaid, Svendsen and Jakobsen, 2020).
Primary and secondary data is been collected on the impact of virtual learning environment on
students learning experiences. It includes the following:
Primary analysis:
The primary data analysis was been done by making use of online platform such as
Survey Monkey, as during the time of novel corona virus it was difficult to collect the data
personally. There were 3 students who readily participated in the online teaching session. Data
was been collected from the impact of Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – Moodle on
students’ learning experience at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David London Campus.
The students who have special educational needs also participated in the study. From the primary
data analysis it has been evaluated that the role of learning and teaching perspectives for the
students as well as teachers has been changed. This primary data analysis will help in identifying
where students think that virtual learning environment help in enhancing their learning skills,
impact their learning level or it help in fulfilling their needs and requirements in a proper and
appropriate manner. The students have shown a great source of motivation and were really
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prepared to learn and move forward. There were various significant results which were been
obtained from the primary data analysis. The indicators include the following:
 Students have been converted from hand me down knowledge to the constructors of their
own knowledge.
 Students have learnt more than memorizing the facts and now they have been able to
solve their own problems.
 Students have the ability to analyze the topic from their own perspectives.
 Students have developed the ability to devise their own questions and also now they can
be able to find out their own answers (Herrera Mosquera, 2017).
 Students working in group online is also been increased, they have done so many
collaborative assignments together.
 By the VLE method of learning they have also been able to increase the multi culture
awareness.
 Students have been able to be fluent in their own professional fields. This has assisted
them in growing.
 Students also have better access for getting the feedback; this has increase the knowledge
and abilities of the student.
 It has also been analysed from the primary data analysis that students have also provided
the information that teachers needs to increase their creative power to make better use of
the platform. This will also help them in making students learn better.
Q1 Do you think Virtual learning environments has impacted learning level of students?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly disagree
2

ANSWER CHOICES– RESPONSES–
–
Strongly agree
33.33%
1
–
Agree
33.33%
1
–
Neither agree nor disagree
0.00%
0
–
Disagree
0.00%
0
–
Strongly disagree
33.33%
1
TOTAL 3
Interpretation: From this analysis of three student’s data, it is clear that out of 3 students 2 of
them either agree or strongly agree that that virtual learn environment impact learning level of
students. In fact, this analysis clearly explains that learning ability of students has beeim
impacted due to this virtual learning environment.
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Q2 Do you think Virtual learning environments has increased overall learning ability of
students?
 Strongly Agree
 Agree
 Disagree
 Strongly disagree
ANSWER CHOICES– RESPONSES–
–
Strongly agree
33.33%
1
–
Agree
0.00%
0
–
Neither agree nor disagree
0.00%
0
–
Disagree
33.33%
1
–
Strongly disagree
33.33%
1
TOTAL 3
Interpretation: From this analysis of three student’s data, it is clear that out of 3 students 2 of
them either disagree or strongly disagree that that virtual learn environment increases overall
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learning ability of students. In fact, this analysis clearly explains that learning ability of students
is not important because of this virtual learning environment. In fact it has been observed that
personal learning environment in classroom is much more effective and help students in
enhancing their overall learning ability.
Q3 How do you think Virtual learning environments has fulfilled needs and requirement of
students?
 Fulfilled education need of students who live in area that has no schools
 Students get proper feedback
 students can work on enhancing professional skills
 others
ANSWER CHOICES– RESPONSES–
–
Fulfilled education need of students who live in
area that has no schools
0.00%
0
–
Students get proper feedback
33.33%
1
–
students can work on enhancing professional
skills
33.33%
1
5

ANSWER CHOICES– RESPONSES–
–
others
33.33%
1
TOTAL 3
Interpretation: there are various ways in which learning ability of students has been impacted due
to Virtual learning environments. Not only this, it has positively helped students in fulfilling their
needs and requirement of students. One of the responded said that VLE has helped students to
get proper feedback form their teachers in a much more elaborated and proper manner which has
further helped students to get to know area of improvement on which they need to work on. One
of the student said that students can work on enhancing their overall professional skills as they
need to work on online projects which directly helped them in enhancing their presentation
skills, digital skills etc. whereas only one student said that VLE helps in fulfilling needs and
requirement of students in other manner.
Secondary analysis:
In the secondary analysis data is been collected from the published sources, online websites,
articles and journals. It has been analysed that VLE has increased the digitalised abilities of
students. Their ability to research has been increased. This has assisted them in searching better
aspects and components related to subject matter (Nguyen, Rienties and Toetenel, 2017). It has
also been analysed that in VLE instant feedback can be obtained and by this students take
responsibilities for their own learning. This has increased their potential to learn better. They are
been motivated to correct their work. It has also been analysed that by engaging in learning
through online modes, they have also been able to save their lots of time which was wasted by
moving to the college. So this has also helped them in increasing their productivity and students
have also been able to grow. This platform has encouraged the personalised and collaborative
working. In this personalised learning is been influenced and by the virtual environment students
are been able to gain more knowledge. During the pandemic situation the virtual learning
environment is been in use and to keep students safe, this is the mostly used by method by so
many universities. This has assisted the colleges and Universities in increasing the knowledge of
students and now by making use of this platform they are been able to correct down their own
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work. Personalised learning experiences of students have been increased by making use of the
virtual platforms. It has also been analysed from the research that VLE has so many benefits and
specially it give huge benefits to those special educational needs students who lives in area
where there are no better facilities of education and to learn is provided to them. There are
number of VLE software which are available like Moodle, Learning space, Lotus. These tools
act as supportive tools in fulfilling the educational needs of students and also these tools are
useful in increasing the knowledge area and experiences of students. It also assist them in
growing and because of these VLE software students are been able to increase ability of the
students and also because of this there are been able to achieve their personal as well as
professional objectives. It has also been analysed and evaluated from the research that VLE has
assisted the students in acquiring skills which are been required for present day job purpose. This
has assisted students in increasing their learning ability and also they have been able to grow
because of it. It has also been analysed from the research that VLE has been embraced by
students as well as teachers. They feel like it has increased their comfort level and also by this
they have been able to enhance their productivity as well as operational efficiency. The students
have also provided the information that teachers needs to increase their creative power to make
better use of the platform. This will also help them in making students learn better. It has also
been analysed from the secondary data analysis Students have been able to be fluent in their own
professional fields. This has assisted them in growing. It has also been evaluated from the
research that Students also have better access for getting the feedback; this has increase the
knowledge and abilities of the student. It has also been analysed that students are also been able
to increase their knowledge and skills related to research skills. It has been evaluated from the
research that during the time of novel corona virus, it has been evaluated that most of the
Universities are making use of the VLE platform for the well being and safety of the students. It
has also been evaluated that the online activities has affected the physical well being and activity
level of students (Phungsuk,Viriyavejakul and Ratanaolarn, 2017). One of the major
consequences which have been determined by the students is that online learning has affected the
sleeping patterns of students. This has influenced their sleeping patterns and also because of the
online sessions there physical well being is affected. It has also been known from some students
that they were been able to learn personally than in comparison to online mode. So these there
were the data which was been collected by making use of the primary and secondary data
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analysis. It has also assisted researcher in knowing about the impact of virtual learning and
growing (Waheed And et.al., 2020).
CONCLUSION
From the above study it has been summarized that VLE has increased the digitalised
abilities of students. Their ability to research has been increased. This has assisted them in
searching better aspects and components related to subject matter. It has also been analysed and
the information is been collected from the students that now they have been better able to give
the feedback. This has assisted them in enhancing their research abilities as well as skills. It has
also been analysed that VLE has assisted students in learning flexibly and they have been able to
increase their knowledge and learning through this. It has been analysed that the students have
shown a great source of motivation and were really prepared to learn and move forward. It has
also been evaluated from the research that educational needs of special needs people has also
been fulfilled by making use of the VLE platform. This has assisted students in increasing their
learning ability and also they have been able to grow because of it. It has also been analysed
from the research that VLE has been embraced by students as well as teachers.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Waheed, H. And et.al., 2020. Predicting academic performance of students from VLE big data
using deep learning models. Computers in Human Behavior, 104, p.106189.
Nguyen, Q., Rienties, B. and Toetenel, L., 2017, March. Unravelling the dynamics of
instructional practice: A longitudinal study on learning design and VLE activities.
In Proceedings of the seventh International learning Analytics & knowledge
conference (pp. 168-177).
Herrera Mosquera, L., 2017. Impact of implementing a virtual learning environment (VLE) in
the EFL classroom. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 22(3), pp.479-498.
Carranza-Abaid, A., Svendsen, H.F. and Jakobsen, J.P., 2020. Surrogate modelling of VLE:
Integrating machine learning with thermodynamic constraints. Chemical Engineering
Science: X, 8, p.100080.
Phungsuk, R., Viriyavejakul, C. and Ratanaolarn, T., 2017. Development of a problem-based
learning model via a virtual learning environment. Kasetsart Journal of Social
Sciences, 38(3), pp.297-306.
Online
Survey link. 2020. [Online]. Avaialble though:< https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-
XQRMM8JZ7/>
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