What is a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)?

"A VLE is a web-based package designed to help teachers create online courses, together with facilities for teacher-learner communication and peer-to-peer communication. VLEs can be used to deliver learning materials within an institution or within a local education authority. They may even address a wider constituency, and may be used on a worldwide basis. VLEs have certain advantages in terms of ease of delivery and management of learning materials. They may, however, be restrictive in that the underlying pedagogy attempts to address a very wide range of subjects, and thus does not necessarily fit in with established practice in language learning and teaching. Moodle is the VLE that appears to be gaining in popularity among language teachers. Moodle is open source software which, as the Moodle website states: "means you are free to download it, use it, modify it and even distribute it"... VLE systems may also be referred to by the following terms: Course Management System (CMS), Learning Management System (LMS), Learning Support System (LSS), Managed Learning Environment (MLE)."

Quoted from Section 7.1. at the ICT4LT site, http://www.ict4lt.org/en/index.htm, which is regularly updated voluntarily by Graham Davies (Emeritus Professor of CALL, UK).

Platform and Website : what´s the difference anyway? By Bernard Moro (France)

[7.2.2008]