Sometimes, I feel sorry for my students who are experiencing VLE environments in a very primitive manner. They feel confused when they first touch the keyboard, try to register or create emails or even deal with the VLE activities. This has taught me to keep realistic goals and plan when considering these issues.

There are many students who are not well oriented to modern technologies or how to deal with the internet. Moodle or other similar platforms are completely brand new concepts for some regions of the world including the ME. In my context, I have seen students who struggle with email set up or even typing a short paragraph.

In contrary, I found some of the low-achievers or shy students became more involved and more motivated to participate. An example of this is one student who came to me today to check his written ideas before sending them to the other colleagues. This same student tended to be quiet in class and not willing to participate, especially in a writing activity. However, he was seeking help for a well-informed and thoughtfully written authentic piece. This incident, and other similar once, usually give me the support and help me regain my trust in these technology solutions which are there but are waiting for the learners who can handle them properly. A third group of few students who have already tried similar platforms in other earlier studies were comfortable dealing with the system and responding to different tasks.

In all cases, one of the most interesting facts I found when dealing with VLE activities, e.g. writing discussions and tasks is that students tend to be serious about their contributions and the content of what they write. They understand that there is a real audience of other students who may read their work. They also know that this work is not documented or ‘published’ and therefore it is out of their control. Some others may compete with their colleagues about their abilities and competences in responding to activities. Perhaps these could be possible advantages for using VLEs for learning.

In conclusion, I think training and further practice are the best solutions for teachers willing to integrate modern technologies in their teaching. Students can no longer count only on traditional learning media and techniques. Busy teachers, and students, need to find better alternatives and supplementary opportunities for independence and autonomy in learning.

Tags: autonomy, learning, motivation, vle