e-Learning Faculty Showcase Presentation

Virtual Learning Spaces

  1. PACAC Learning Spaces Initiative
  2. Resources at
  3. Virtual Learning Environments

An electronic delivery system that facilitates formal and informal learning, either as a personalized system of instruction or of a collaborative nature, and management of educational courses. VLEs are maintained by individual(s) to insure integrity of information and civil discourse and meet educational goals and guidelines for learning outcomes.
Examples include: Blackboard Vista, ITV, and Elluminate.

Virtual Learning Spaces
A subset of online components or tools either within or outside of a VLE used to facilitate collaborative and participatory learning communities.
Examples include: Course delivery and management systems; residential study spaces, blogs, wikis, social networking communities, document sharing spaces, calendars, chat rooms, e-mail, podcasts, and cohort listservs.

  1. Research
  2. 2007 Horizon Report (fourth edition by Educause Learning Initiative and New Media Consortium)
  3. Identifies key trends in the practice of teaching, learning, and creativity, and ranks those it considers most important to watch.
  4. “Increasing globalization is changing the way we work, collaborate, and communicate…”
  5. Places technologies along three adoption horizons – likely timeframes for their widespread adoption on university campuses
  6. Within the next year: user-created content and social networking
  7. Two – three years: mobile phones and virtual worlds
  8. Three – five years: new scholarship and emerging forms of publication, and massively multiplayer educational gaming
  9. ECAR (EducauseCenter for Applied Research) Study of Undergraduate Students and IT, 2007 (27,846 survey respondents from 103 institutions - fourth year)
  10. Provides information on undergraduate students’ use of and preferences and expectations of IT
  11. Perception is key
  12. Majority agree that IT in courses results in more prompt feedback from “my” instructor
  13. 61% report that IT in courses improves learning
  14. Many agree they are more engaged in courses that require them to use IT
  15. General observations of survey
  16. Instructor skill with IT greatly impacts student perception of the value of IT in their courses
  17. Curriculum matters when it comes to student use and skill with technology
  18. IT in courses is about convenience
  19. Overall, students prefer a moderate amount of technology in courses - f2f is valued
  20. Students are increasingly mobile
  21. Students expect IT to be available
  22. Impact on NAU beyond Blackboard Vista
  23. Campus and Statewide Wireless initiative
  24. Paid for by Student IT Fee
  25. Cline Library – Media Transitions
  26. Working on providing video streaming on-demand for courses
  27. (go to FreePreviewCenter for samples)
  28. Virtual labs
  29. Sun Global Desktop in W.A.FrankeCollege of Business – specific to Business majors
  30. Connect to vlab.nau.edu through Remote Desktop Connection
  31. Full suite of MS Office 2007 applications
  32. GIS software
  33. SPSS
  34. HTML editors
  35. Contact Lanita Collette in ITS if interested in having software hosted on this server
  36. Contact Georgia Michalicek in ITS if your department has a virtual lab being hosted for student, staff, or faculty use for inclusion in VLS report to Provost
  37. One more resource for faculty to discover VLSs
  38. The TLT Group – Teaching, Learning, and Technology (non-profit organization)
  39. Sign up for “Friday Live” sessions with peers at