Making the best use of VLEs (17 May 05)

Location map

Past event summary

These workshops were designed to give participants the opportunity to explore and discuss the potential of VLEs to provide a stimulating and effective learning environment for language learners. The workshops were a mixture of demonstration, hands-on and discussion and focused mainly on the use of Blackboard to create on-line language learning activities for beginner and intermediate level students. They also covered issues such as the role of a VLE in the language learning curriculum, how to plan a VLE course and how to incorporate the on-line activities into the curriculum.

Further information

For further information please contact Chris Lyne (c.m.lyne@shu.ac.uk) or Barbara Scott (b.a.scott@shu.ac.uk).

This event was organised under the Subject Centre's Workshops to go scheme.

Event report: Making the best use of VLSs for language learning

by: Chris Lyne and Barbara Scott

The above project, carried out as part of the 'Workshops to Go' project, took place between January and June, 2005 and was delivered by Chris Lyne and Barbara Scott.

The project involved holding two workshops, one at Sheffield Hallam University and one at Southampton University, and producing a booklet containing general guidance on the use of VLEs for language learning and practical advice on how to design and deliver effective on-line learning materials. The first workshop at Sheffield Hallam University was held on 17 th May, 2005 and the second workshop at Southampton University on 6 th June, 2005. There were 21 participants in Sheffield and 23 at Southampton.

The workshops were designed to give participants the opportunity to explore and discuss the potential of VLEs to provide a stimulating and effective learning environment for language learners. They were a mixture of demonstration and discussion, with the hands-on session focussing mainly on the use of Blackboard to create on-line language learning activities for beginner and intermediate level students. The discussions centred on the role of a VLE in the language learning curriculum, on planning VLE courses and on how the on-line activities could be integrated into the teaching, learning and assessment programme of language courses.

Feedback from both workshops was very positive. In particular participants found the opportunity to discuss issues around the use of VLEs with other colleagues and the hands-on experience of creating on-line learning materials particularly useful. Detailed feedback comments can be obtained from the feedback sheets which were forwarded to the Subject Centre.

Handbook

A 37 page booklet was produced and given to all participants at the workshops and contained the following sections:

1. The functions of a VLE
2. Planning a VLE course
3. Designing a VLE course
4. Accessibility
5. Copyright
6. On-line learning materials
7. Creating on-line learning materials
8. The Gradebook
9. Workshop activities

Download handbook: Making the best use of virtual learning environments (VLEs) for language learning (rich text format, 449Kb)
produced by Christine Lyne and Barbara Scott, May 2005
© Faculty of Organisation and Management, Sheffield Hallam University