Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Virtual learning environments as learning spaces
Burbules (2004) promotes the idea that virtual learning environments should be considered as 'learning spaces', thus shifting the focus from the technology to the ways in which people interact with the technology. When people are immersed into and inhabit the virtual space it changes to a virtual place. That is, there is some 'ownership'.
At a conceptual level he argues that the distinction between the ideas of 'virtual' and 'real' are overstated. That the distinction is based on the real being unnproblematic and directly perceived. That is, it is normative. The virtual is constructed as 'unreal'. This argument is based on the assumption that all perceptions are actively constructed by the person. Therefore, both 'real' and 'virtual' are constructed realities and assumption consistent with constructivist learning theories.
Using the metaphor of 'immersion' to represent the means through which virtual environments facilitate learning. There are four inter-related factors that contribute to immersion: interest, involvement, imagination, and interaction. Therefore, virtual learning activities that promote learning will be designed in such a way that they are of interest to and involve the participant, engages the particpant's imagination and provides opportunities for participants to interact 'not only perceptually or intellectually but also through embodied action and responses' (p.167)
He argues that these ideas have implications for the educational design of virtual environments (whether these be located online, as film, text or other). Designers and teachers should create an 'architecture' that facilitates learning. Learners adopt the learning space through 'mapping' the virtual space. That is construct mental models through which learning occurs.(Burbules, 2004)
Burbules, N. (2004). Rethinking the virtual. E-learning, 1(2), 162-183.
At a conceptual level he argues that the distinction between the ideas of 'virtual' and 'real' are overstated. That the distinction is based on the real being unnproblematic and directly perceived. That is, it is normative. The virtual is constructed as 'unreal'. This argument is based on the assumption that all perceptions are actively constructed by the person. Therefore, both 'real' and 'virtual' are constructed realities and assumption consistent with constructivist learning theories.
Using the metaphor of 'immersion' to represent the means through which virtual environments facilitate learning. There are four inter-related factors that contribute to immersion: interest, involvement, imagination, and interaction. Therefore, virtual learning activities that promote learning will be designed in such a way that they are of interest to and involve the participant, engages the particpant's imagination and provides opportunities for participants to interact 'not only perceptually or intellectually but also through embodied action and responses' (p.167)
He argues that these ideas have implications for the educational design of virtual environments (whether these be located online, as film, text or other). Designers and teachers should create an 'architecture' that facilitates learning. Learners adopt the learning space through 'mapping' the virtual space. That is construct mental models through which learning occurs.(Burbules, 2004)
Burbules, N. (2004). Rethinking the virtual. E-learning, 1(2), 162-183.
# posted by Ian @ 6:58 PM 
