DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (VLE) CASE STUDY OF UNICAF UNIVERSITY

ABSTRACT

In the last few years, education training has seen advances in computerized technologies involving computer aided learning that vows to radically change the methods and techniques of education and learning in the educational sector. The World Wide Web has been a key player in major roles in information storage and dissemination in the educational community. The Conventional classroom teaching method involves the conveyance of course materials by the tutor in a particular spot at a defined time. This method imposes a constraint of time and place on both the lecturer and the students. A lot of human factor arising from the traditional classroom method, the instructor may not always be able to take the students, or to put in ideal efforts towards preparing and delivering student course materials. There may also be irregularities in the learning style due to repetitive nature of teaching/learning. The research objective is to develop a virtual classroom system for UNICAF University to enhance Virtual learning environment and also distance learning. The system was designed and developed using HTML, PHP and MySQL as server side programming and database respectively for data storage. The Virtual Learning system will be a web-based virtual classroom providing an interactive model for e-learning in which the course material is presented using multimedia and hypermedia.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1      BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

With the expanding utilization of the internet and computers, the Internet advances in telecommunication and a vital channel for sharing information at a fast pace.  E-Learning has been generally perceived as an important tool for modern day education and learning (Firouz Anaraki, 2004). The traditional method of teaching in tertiary institutions has remained dominant in schools in some developing countries. With the significant development of e-learning, instructors and students normally explore new ways of constructing, and gaining knowledge. The current technology being intensely researched as an educational stage is the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW which speaks as a platform for information storage and sharing and is a means that can be accessed in minimum time, and this is very important to the growth of the educational community. The fact is that the change from digital divide society to a global village information society causes the traditional methods of learning to be unable to cover the instructional needs of 21^st century societies. The globe is confronted with a gradual transition from a static economy to a new information driven economy. Population growth and increasing admission request into schools in each region of the world brought greater constraints on the resources of several schools. For example, there is an issue of deficient number of human and material assets to provide for higher institutions with a large population. The number of students’ age citizen in most countries in the world has grown tremendously to the extent that only a little rate can be offered admission. Another convenient learning environment needs to be created which will provide independence, flexibility, adaptability and ease learning and easy communication between centers of learning and information, and encourage easy access for all residents of an information based society. Conventional classroom teaching and learning involves the delivery of course work by the lectures in a particular place at a specific time, most time referred to as the lecture hall. Subsequently, it imposes a lot of time on both the instructor and the student. Due to human factors, the lecturer may not be generally able to put the ideal exertion or efforts towards planning and delivering course materials. Direct association with the student is difficult because of the enormous number of students requiring attention. The solution to this circumstance seems to be the learning methods that depend on present technologies advancements such as the Internet and WWW joined with traditional classroom techniques. One of the ways in which this can be accomplished is using virtual study systems. A virtual classroom is a learning environment conducive for learning, which takes place over the internet. It gives an approach which brings educators and learners to share information and ideas. The virtual study hall is a special form of e-learning that finds pertinent applications in enriching the conventional learning techniques, Cervino, J. (2007) opined that e-learning can be deployed using a wide range of various technologies channels and media.

The aim objective of the project is to design and implement a virtual learning environment for UNICAF University on the World Wide Web that will enable interactive model of e-learning in which the course material is introduced and information is shared using the advancements in multimedia and hypermedia.

1.2      STATEMENT OF THR PROBLEM

The Conventional classroom teaching method involves the conveyance of course materials by the tutor in a particular spot at a defined time. This method imposes a constraint of time and place on both the lecturer and the students. A lot of human factor arising from the traditional classroom method, the instructor may not always be able to take the students, or to put in ideal efforts towards preparing and delivering student course materials. There may also be irregularities in the learning style due to repetitive nature of teaching/learning. The Virtual Learning system will be a web-based virtual classroom providing an interactive model for e-learning in which the course material is presented using multimedia and hypermedia via the internet.

1.3      AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main aim of this research is to Design and Implement a virtual learning environment system for UNICAF University, this will solve the problem of students having to visit lecture halls to take classes and help improve distance learning education among universities across the world with the following objectives:

1.  To help implement e-Learning as a widely recognized and valuable tool for learning and training in UNICAF University.

2.  Enroll more students and increase the growth of education in our countries.

3.  When fully implemented, the will be a significant growth of e-learning, tutors and students will explore new channels of gaining knowledge and information.

4.  Increasing accountability in the educational sector in Nigeria, students’ records and course materials can easily be shared seamlessly.