The limits of the VLE

There are some things that a VLE cannot do, or cannot do as well as in face-to-face learning contexts:

• except if using a ‘chat’ facility, the VLE is not as immediate as providing feedback to students in a workshop, seminar or tutorial, and it can be difficult to manage feedback if a number of students are using a ‘chat’ facility
• the practitioner cannot see the students, and therefore loses the non-verbal communication (body language) of the students that can be so revealing as indicating whether they are learning or not
• it is far more difficult for the practitioner to convey their enthusiasm for the subject electronically, but, with the use of appropriate language, it can be done
• in many face-to-face learning situations there are moments when opportunities arise for providing questions or stories that aim to push forward the learning – these tend to arise less frequently online
• a student who needs to be carefully encouraged into participation in the learning is easier to help along in face-to-face contexts than online

Last Modified: 4 June 2010