How has Virtual Learning Become Imperative in the Modern Era?

 Today, the demand for virtual education is increasing more than ever. Learners see in the virtual learning environment more opportunities to communicate with teachers than in the traditional classroom.

Importance of Virtual Learning Environment in the Digital Age

How Has Virtual Learning Environment Become Imperative in the Digital Age?

Education today has become a continuous and endless process, so it was imperative to work on transforming the means of education in order to meet expectations and maintain the continuity of the educational process.

Learning that initially depended on the face-to-face learning environment is now taking place in an environment led by computers and digital technologies.

In recent years, interest and demand have increased in countries around the world for so-called virtual learning. 

 

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a set of teaching and learning tools designed to enhance a student's learning experience using computers and the Internet in the learning process.

Education is conducted in a more independent manner from the constraints of time and space, and away from traditional education on campus.

The main components of virtual learning environments include courses and curricula which are broken down and presented in different ways.

The main components of virtual learning environments include courses and curricula which are presented in different ways. These systems track the student and provide online support to both teacher and student, via electronic communications such as e-mail, threaded discussions, chat rooms, online posting and external links to external curriculum resources.

Generally, users of virtual learning environments are assigned a login ID, either as a teacher or a student.

The teacher sees what students see, but the teacher has additional powers to create or modify curriculum content and track student performance.

 

There are many educational institutions that offer courses for education via the Internet as an alternative to regular courses, such as virtual universities that depend entirely on e-learning, in which lectures are held remotely in virtual rooms on the Internet.

 

The virtual learning method is nothing but an evolution of the distance education system that began decades ago through affiliation and the Open University.

Thousands of students graduate from this system, aspiring to improve their conditions and raise their academic qualifications while being unable to give up jobs in their countries.

As well as the steady increase in the number of the population - the beneficiaries - in contrast to the limited capacity of traditional institutions and the desire of some teachers to reduce work expenses. This method has created new forms of teachers willing to work from their homes instead of working through formal institutions of education.

Also, the emergence of rapid developments in the field of communication and information technology and the increasing interest in knowledge,  increased its consumer base and the distribution of their geographical locations, making it difficult for the traditional institution to serve them all. All these factors have drawn the basic features of virtual learning. 

 

Virtual learning does not only provide educational materials via the Internet but also the lectures in which students meet the lecturers themselves, in addition to opportunities to present assignments and tests.

 

There are many advantages of this new technology, which depend mainly on the capabilities of the student himself and his ability to research with his personal efforts instead of completely relying on teachers.

It also provides opportunities for many of them, especially for females who find it difficult to leave their homes due to their family obligations.

The virtual learning characteristics that made it one of the digital transformation units may include:

 

Virtual learning environment increases learning opportunities for all, especially the marginalized learners, the disabled, and those deprived of formal education.

 

Virtual learning does not require traditional classrooms, but rather virtual rooms that can accommodate an unlimited number of students.

 

Virtual learning is used in simulation and training by practicing experiences that are difficult for the learner to practice in reality, such as complex and dangerous experiments, complex flight training, or driving a car in crowded streets or virtual clinics for people with infectious diseases.

 

Virtual learning is characterized by its flexibility in simultaneous learning, i.e, at the same time that is taking place in reality, and asynchronous learning, i.e, recorded with an audio-visual recording machine and heard by the learner according to his circumstances, as well as in choosing the appropriate educational materials for the needs of the learner.

 

Virtual learning reduces the chances of young minds emigrating from their countries in search of new knowledge that many countries in the world lack. This technique can be linked to several universities, which increases the chances of maximum benefit from the diverse expertise that these universities have.

 

Virtual learning takes place in an interactive way between the learner and the virtual teacher, or together in a dialogue between them, and this dialogue is necessary for every self-learning.