Virtual learning environments to revolutionise higher education

Virtual learning environments to revolutionise higher education

Virtual learning environments have become increasingly more important within the context of higher education, mainly due to the tools which compose them and to the support they give to students, teachers and institutions. With the help of artificial intelligence and machine learning VLEs will revolutionise higher education in near future.

The next generation of learning management systems – also referred to as virtual learning environments – are having the potential to enhance online learning. LMS is a category of software and web applications enabling the online delivery of course materials as well as the tracking and reporting of student participation.

Although they have been in use in higher education for some time to manage and administer online and blended courses – and as a portal for students to access syllabuses, submit assignments or check grades, some experts believe that they are limited in capacity and too narrowly focused on the administration of learning rather than the learning itself.

The main idea is a VLE that in turn is a role playing game. The role playing game is a social game in which each student becomes a player with her abilities and her tasks. In order to succeed, all the players should work to achieve a common objective/goal. The storyboard is designed in a way that there is an evolution in the role playing game and a progress in the level of learning as well. The idea of helping students in the process of learning in a different way with respect to the classical approach finds support in many psychological studies and previous work, in particular, to Howard Gardner theory.

Also, there are several techniques for adaptation resources for students in VLEs like context-awareness, collaborative learning, and adaptation by artificial intelligence technologies, such as agents and ontologies.

AI may estimate, teach, and be adapted to the different learning paces and preferences. E-learning from an AI tutor involves that learners are free to gain deep understanding. Because students have more time to reflect or relax if they need. Artificial Intelligence trainers are more knowledgeable and less error-prone. Existing tech possibilities provide advanced support to students and develop virtual learning environments to face challenges and overcome them.

The purpose of AI in e-learning is to promote software to learning, natural language, planning and so on. The new approach includes e-learning systems with two-way communication between the e-learning program and the student. The interactions are provided through user identification, words recognition, sentence analysis, and user reaction evaluation.

Immersive learning environments provide new and unique ways in which to acquire cultural knowledge and develop intercultural communication skills. Recent advances in artificial intelligence and cognitive modeling now permit rich modeling of emotions, language, tasks, and more. When built with cultural accuracy, these models – and the virtual humans who utilize them – open new avenues for teaching the cognitive and interpersonal aspects of other cultures. There are 4 main virtual cultural learning environments.

The Adaptive Thinking and Leadership system is a networked, first-person, 3D role-playing environment that focuses on teamwork, intercultural communication, and adaptive thinking. The primary focus is on improving the players’ abilities to make decisions under stress, balance lethal and nonlethal aspects of conflict, and apply communication skills. Learners play the role of a U.S. Army Special Forces Soldier, an indigenous Iraqi citizen, or an invisible evaluator.

BiLAT is a game-based immersive environment that teaches the preparation, execution, and understanding of bi-lateral meetings in a cultural context. Croquelandia is a 3D virtual environment designed specifically for learning Spanish pragmatics, defined as the various ways in which meaning is communicated and interpreted in interaction. The goal of the Tactical Language and Culture Training System is to teach functional skills in various foreign languages and cultures.

AI and machine learning would enable educational leaders at universities to unbundle all the components of the learning experience and allow them to repurpose content, educational apps and virtual learning environments in unique and compelling ways.

Author: AI.Business

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