The growing adoption of modern information and communications technologies (ICT) in the dissemination of pertinent information through the Internet tools has occasioned significant improvements in both teaching and learning experiences among lecturers and students. Sneha & Nagaraja (2013) submitted that, one notable online platform for achieving enhanced quality educational outcomes are virtual learning environments (VLEs).
Wikipedia (2020) defines a virtual learning environment (VLE) as “a web-based platform for the digital aspects of courses of study, usually within educational institutions”. The 2008 UK educational policy was driven towards the adoption of VLEs to enable student have access to online classroom learning information that will improve their learning experience (Ronnie, 2011).
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These learning management systems have over time been proven to be very effective for teaching complete online courses with millions of students taking such courses at their convenience from different locations across the globe (Rahmany, Sadeghi & Chegini, 2014). Thus, Barker & Gossman (2013) explained that the principal goal of VLEs is to facilitate, stimulate and offer learning experiences that are well established outside the physical classroom engagements.
Rationale
VLEs have been widely adopted in several learning institutions at various times for enhancing learning processes. However, the exact nature of its impact has been reportedly mixed. For instance, Posey, Burgess, Eason & Jones (n.d.), Barker & Gossman (2013) and Mosquera (2017) found that, VLEs boost academic performance, meet the learning needs of all students and prepare administrators, educators, and students with current progress and performance reports.
Nevertheless, Godwin-Jones (2012) and Walker & White (2013) have argued that, VLEs are a waste of time, drains students, promotes social class variations, a worthless resource with no value addition to the teaching-learning process, an institution-oriented rather than a teacher-oriented system, which discourages many instructors. Consequently, in order to validate the actual impact (positive or negative) of VLEs on students’ learning experience, the study of this nature becomes essential.
Research Objective
Essentially, the study aimed at examining the impact of VLE on students’ learning experience at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, London Campus using both primary and secondary research approaches.
Literature Review
This current study draws from earlier studies of Dudeney & Hockly (2007), Green, Brown & Robinson (2008), Mogus, Đurđević & Šuvak (2012), Barker & Gossman (2013), among others, who offered a detailed conceptualization of virtual learning environments in relation to their impacts on the general learning environment. As earlier emphasized, VLE represents a virtual teaching/learning space such as video or Web conferencing which is designed to enable instructors and learners to interact over the Internet (Dudeney & Hockly, 2007).
Relevant information regarding class activities, instructional resources, and regular coursework are shared with the aid of VLE Moodle (Green, Brown & Robinson, 2008). Thus, students can simply login to the class online portal to access all available information relating to their course structure, complete their assignments and tests and, make online submissions accordingly (Christensson, 2008).
It is worth knowing that, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019 and the eventual enforcement of the 2020 global lockdown, a large number of institutions of learning have fully resorted to the use of VLEs with students now having access to scheduled online exams and submissions within the time frame (Soni, 2020; Ahmady, Shahbazi & Heidari, 2020). These technologies have in can in several ways assist learners to gain easy access to a bulk of educational resources irrespective of their location.
The growing application of Web 2.0 programs, chat rooms, e-mail, or online fora is gradually replacing the physical classroom meetings thus, facilitating students’ access to the desired information (Safa, 2012). These programs also stimulate regular interaction and collaborations among instructors and learners with a number of individuals now transiting to virtual schooling (Solomon & Schrum, 2010).
A number of earlier studies on the link between a VLE and students’ learning experience, have been documented with several empirical outcomes. For instance, a study by Ronnie (2011) showed that a VLE effectively boosts student Learning through the provision of real-time responses and feed-forward to students in the London borough secondary school with greater motivation to correct their work and take full responsibility for their learning. Barker & Gossman (2013) found that, the use of VLEs Moodle exerted a positive and statistically significant impact on student’s independent learning and learning outcomes in the UK.
Rahmila (2015) also found that the use of virtual learning for sharing materials, posting notes and other up-to-date information, wields positive effects on students learning outcomes in Indonesia. Study of Clarence (2017) showed that, simplicity of usage, instructor assistance, learner control, technical capability, technical support, as well as visual learning tools, significantly influence the use of a VLE in promoting skills development. Mosquera (2017) found that, students feel excited and inspired towards the application of VLEs in Colombia. They however noted that, the principal threats to application of VLEs include inefficient educational technologies, low laboratories and computers capacity in addition to delayed Internet connectivity.
Research Methodology
Research Method and Methodology
The study adopted a combination of survey and case study research methods for the collection of relevant information, while the method of data analysis includes frequency and percentage distribution as well as graphical analysis of the responses.
Quantitative, Qualitative and Combine Approach
The research approach adopted in this study include both quantitative and qualitative approach. Essentially, in the course of gathering and analyzing data, quantitative research entails the use of numbers and statistics like time spent on VLE, whereas qualitative research relies on the use of words and connotations like list of benefits and challenges of VLE.
Data: Primary and Secondary Data
The primary data used in this study are direct products of the author’s survey and case study through research instruments, while the secondary data employed in the study were generated from previous empirical studies for further discussion.
Data Collection Process
The data were collected using research instruments (questionnaire, class notes and lecturer’s narratives) in the course of the survey and case study. Quantitative data were collected using close-ended and Likert Scale questions, while the qualitative data were collected using open-ended questions which enabled the participants to express their observations regarding VLEs implementation and their learning experience.
Population, Sample and Sample Size
The population of the study comprised all the students at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, London Campus. However, a sample of 24 students was drawn from Health and Social Care department for convenience and easy accessibility.
Ethics in Data Collection
During the survey, no respondent was compelled to fill in any section of the survey questionnaire under coercion, and all information given was handled with strict confidentiality. There was no observed nor perceived conflict of interest between concerned parties and all literatures have been cautiously cited with a list of references provided in the reference section. Explicitly, the data were processed and utilized solely for the objective of this study. Thus, only the researcher can access the raw data stored on a password-protected computer.
Result/Findings, Analysis and Discussion
Primary Data Analysis
Essentially, the data extracted from the research instruments were transferred to Excel spread sheet further analysis, leading to the production of frequency and percentage tables and graphical representations of the quantitative responses. The result revealed that, out of the 24 students that participated in the survey, 11 (45.8%) of them reportedly use laptops, while 2 (8.3%) use a desktop. Similarly, 6 (25%) use tablets, while 5 (20.8%) use smartphones for virtual learning. Thus, most students access the VLE using laptops, followed by tablets and smartphones.
The result also showed that, 3 (12.5%) students received average satisfaction, while 16 (66.7%) feel good about online classes with 5 (20.8) of them judging it to be excellent in the course of the study. Thus, most student have good impression about the implementation of VLEs. It was further established that, all the 24 students (100%) reportedly have the quality of their learning improved using the Moodle. Also, 4 (16.7%) of the students indicated that their lecturers are moderately helpful, 17 (70.8%) indicated that, their lecturers are very helpful, while 3 (12.5%) indicated that, their lecturers are extremely helpful when studying online. Logically, most of the lecturers are very helpful to student who use VLEs to study.
In terms of the usefulness and familiarity of the students with the application of Microsoft Teams, 1 (4.2%) of the student adjudged it to be slightly useful, while 13 (54.2%) of them deemed it to be moderately useful. 10 (41.7%) of them adjudged the program to be very useful to them during online academic activities. Thus, Microsoft Teams remains useful for virtual learning.
In terms of play times, students were asked to rank how they manage their time while learning online. The result showed that, 3 (12.5%) and 2(8.3%) of the student ranked themselves 5 and 6 respectively, while 8 (33.3%), 9 (37.5%) and 2(8.3%) of the them ranked themselves 7, 8 and 9 respectively. Thus, most students properly manage 70-80% of their play time, when learning online.
In terms of academic schedule, students were asked to rank how they manage their time while learning online. The result showed that, 2(8.3%) and 5 (20.8%) of the student ranked themselves 5 and 6 respectively, while 7 (29.2%), 8 (33.3%) and 2(8.3%) of the them ranked themselves 7, 8 and 9 respectively. Therefore, most students properly manage 70-80% of their academic schedule time, when learning online.
In terms of daily time consumption on virtual learning, it was gathered that, 4 (16.7%) of them spend 1-3 hours on virtual learning daily, while 14 (58.3%) and 6(25%) of them spend 3-5 hours and 5-7 hours daily. This suggests that most students spend 3-5 hours on virtual learning daily, while few of the spend 1-3 hours on same activities.
In terms of the overall students’ experience with the VLE Moodle platform of UWTSD, 10 (41.7%) of the students considered their learning experience somewhat better, while 14 (58.3%) considered their learning experience much better. Thus, the implementation of VLEs significantly enhance students learning experience.
The use of VLE proved to be yielding enormous benefits such as regular information about course works, access to online resource materials, proper guide on coursework among others, while the disadvantages include connection problems, poor concentration, among others, with Internet connection problem and delays dominating the list of problem noted by the participants.
Secondary Data Analysis
A study of Rogers (2004) reported that VLE boost students’ learning outcomes by 79%, while traditional teaching approaches only enhance of student learning by 28%. Also, Barker & Gossman (2013) found that 75.8% of students have easy access to VLE, while 20.6% of the students encounter difficulties when utilizing the VLE Moodle. It was further established that 53% of students have their learning outcome improved through the VLE Moodle. Rahmila (2015) found that, 50% of students engage in online learning with 92.5% having their learning experience significantly improved and 2.5% having no improvement.
Sclater, Peasgood & Mullan (2016) established that VLE accounted for 25% of the differences in students’ final grades. Paulo, Luísa & Carlos (2017) found a 60% positive relationship between students’ access to the VLE and students’ academic performance in Portugal, given 80.0% of student having very high accesses to online learning platforms. Mosquera (2017) noted that, VLE enhanced the learning experience of 75.46% of students.
Summary of Findings
The major findings of the study include: most students access the VLE using laptops and have good impression about the implementation of VLEs. Also, all the students have their learning improved using the Moodle, most of the lecturers are very helpful to student who use VLEs to study, most students appropriately manage 70-80% of their play and academic schedule time, when learning online, while most students spend 3-5 hours on virtual learning daily.
Conclusion and Recommendations
The study shows that, the use of VLE proved to be yielding enormous benefits such as regular information about course works, access to online resource materials, proper guide on coursework among others, while the disadvantages include connection problems, poor concentration, among others, with Internet connection problem and delays dominating the list of problems noted by the participants. However, when those problems are adequately addressed, the implementation of technology-based learning will significantly enhance students learning experience.
The study therefore recommend that the University of Wales Trinity Saint David should swiftly make efforts to address the problems highlighted in this study to enable both students and lecturers to tap from the enormous benefits of VLEs implementation. Also, free Internet access should be provided for the student to enhance access to the VLE Moodle.
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