VLE Vs PLE

Is the vitual learning environment now obsolete (was it ever used well??), considering how Web 2.0 & e-portofolios are gaining greater acceptance? You decide by watching the debate unfold.





On a related note we were recently treated to a demonstration of Sharepoint LMS by the company licenced to create it ( elearning force).

It's bascially Sharepoint with some added features to improve and enhance the document management system style of workflow already inbuilt into Sahrepoint. The ability to author, and share content was fairly impressive, and the navigation seemed to suit some advocates of MS tools. But is it a Moodle or Blackbored killer? Nope, but a worthy adversory nevertheless. Especially for those organisations completely new to VLEs and are MS /active directory centric. For those types it could proove a neat way of designing, delivering, managaing content to learners .

A note of caution here, using a document management system requires an organisation to evaluate & refine existing (bad/inefficient) practices and procedures well before you let Sharepoint or similar system out of it's cage.

What we also could not fathom is why Microsoft had essentially licenced this Dutch company to design,develop & roll out the LMS version of Sharepoint? Why aren't MS doing it themselves?

They also promise an eportfolio to be added onto the next release. Mind you when we were shown the existing Sharepoint "mysite" option that appeared to add a high degree of personalisation onto the document management system. This mysite could be a pseudo eportfolio tool that could answer your prayers?