Online Learning Environments

About Virtual Learning Environments

An Overview and Introduction

The Learning Environment is the first place you should look for Programme and Module information, assessment guidelines and to access and review resources associated with the different topics studied. Often you can view or download documents, read information, watch videos, as well as, read and contribute to discussions in forums.

An Online Learning Environment, Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), or Learning Management System (LMS), is a web-based tool that allows educators to share information and resources with student learners. In addition they can be used for communication, collaboration and for assessment (testing). These learning environments are used to support face-to-face (traditional classroom, termed intensive at LSHTM), blended and wholly online and distance learning.

Some examples of learning environments include:

• Moodle
• Anthology (previously Blackboard)
• Canvas
• BrightSpace

All these tools can allow the tutor to track student progress and increasingly can be used to help provide data to highlight how engaged students are with their learning.  Universities, the LSHTM and UoLW included, are required to monitor student completion and attainment for audit purposes, as one measure of course evaluation.  In these circumstances, all data is confidential and annonymised so that students are never personally identified.      

The learning environment will usually be integrated with other institutional systems that may include:

• Programme, Module and student information systems
• Lecture recording - in Panopto at LSHTM
• video streaming systems - you might see Panopto, Zoom, Collaborate ultra and Vimeo used 
• Assessment & Plagiarism detection 
• Library reading lists - you will find yours labelled Leganto on your Module pages 

• Portfolios

Tools in the Online Learning Environment

Tools in the Online Learning Environment

The tools available in different learning environments will vary. The tools that any tutor chooses to use will also vary between different Programmes and Modules. However most learning environments will have a common core set of tools that can be used to support learning, communication, and collaboration. Some examples of these tools include:

Resources 

Resources might be simple web-links, embedded videos, and PDF files as well as downloadable Word, PowerPoint or Excel files.

 Journal articles and references are now usually accessed digitally and more often nowadays textbooks are available digitally as e-books.

Assessment tools 

These tools might be assignment upload and marking tools, interactive quizzes and other activities. There may even be options for peer assessment. 

Collaboration tools 

Some learning environments may have tools that allow students to work with each other to collaboratively edit and build shared resources. For example in Moodle there is a Wiki and a Glossary tool that allow students to author shared content. You might also find activities linking to shared documents, either in Sharepoint or Google docs for collaborative work.

Forums

Forums allow students and tutors to interact asynchronously, people in different time zones are able to participate equally.   Anyone registered can ask and answer questions; post replies and comments. They are connected to email accounts so that messages are sent to everyone who subscribes to the forum, you can choose to have individual messages, or a daily digest.

Progress 

Some times Modules will indicate, or allow you to decide when you have completed a task e.g. with an automatic tick, or a box you can tick yourself. 

Preferences 

Individual users may be able to adjust, edit, and tweak the settings within the learning environment to change how information is displayed for example to change editor features and options.
For example you can choose how to receive your forum notifications, either by daily digest, grouped by subject or as individual e-mails.

You will experience and make use of some of these tools and others during your studies.

"Spend an hour just exploring the learning environment pages and another hour reading over the student handbook (yes, seriously). So many questions could easily be self-answered if these things were done." Aisha, 1st-year student

Video and Lecture Recording

Video is a part of every day life. YouTube, in particular, is a popular source of entertainment, news and education. Whether you want to learn more about Shakespeare's life, find tips on how to write a CV, or even how to build a snowman there will usually be a video about it. Video is being used increasingly in the world of work and will often be used to support employee training and corporate communications. Video is also used for marketing, sales and customer support.

Video content is likely to be used to support and supplement your learning . This might include video content produced by your tutor and other staff at the School or it might be video content sourced from elsewhere. 

Video can be a good way to support your understanding of a topic. You can always pause and replay sections if needed.

Lecture Recording

Increasingly lectures are being recorded and being made available online. The recordings may be just the audio and screen content (usually the presentation) or sometimes the video may also contain a video of the presenter and their interaction and anything they write on the whiteboard or chalkboard for example. These recordings are popular with students, because they can be a useful video and audio record of the work covered. They can also be useful for students who speak English as a second language, or any who might need to be able to listen again at their own pace.

This type of resource is often rated highly and students say things like "it's great to review more complex points I found hard to grasp first time round" or "In the run up to exams it is helpful to be able to quickly jump to sections of the course to check and recap on my understanding as I revise".

Any lecture recordings will normally be linked within the virtual learning environment.

There are many benefits of recorded teaching:

• Recorded sessions, which may include lectures, can be reviewed anytime and anywhere to reinforce your learning.
• Recordings are viewable on multiple devices.
• Any points that you would like to clarify during your live lecture will be available to you afterwards.
• You can prepare thoroughly for your subsequent lectures and assignments.

Panopto

Many universities use Panopto, which is a desktop application that records sessions in a digital format that students and others can watch in real time or later over the web, on a computer or on their mobile devices. The software can record presentation slides, audio, screen capture and potentially video for later playback to students or a particular group. The recordings can be supplemented with other course material or documents.

• Panopto

"Make sure you know how to go back and watch the recorded lectures. This is so useful for revising!" Nadja, 1st-year student

Recorded Lectures at LSHTM

The DL Programmes at LSTHM are primarily designed for asynchronous study.  That is there are very few compulsory live lectures and students are able to complete their studies without attending live sessions.  However, most modules do now run some live, synchronous sessions where students can interact directly with tutors and fellow students.  These will be recorded and links posted on the Module Moodle page, for all to view, so you can stay involved even if you can't make the live session.

Some Modules on DL Programmes have on campus sister modules.  Where lectures cover the same, similar or relevant material, recorded lectures can and often are made available to DL students.  Other modules commission short presentations or videos (threshold concept videos) to explain one or two specific points.  

Other Lectures and Seminars for example 'The Global Health Lecture Series', are also often recorded and made available.  During the Pandemic many more seminars and Lectures have been held as webinars, or hybrid events.  That is held in a seminar or lecture room but also streamed live, enabling many more people in different countries to attend.  Look out for details in the DL Newsletter - 'Vector'  which will also be posted in the DL General Zone. 

Panopto

The School makes all live recorded sessions available using Panopto.  Each Module page will have a Panopto block on the right hand side, containing links to recordings. These may also be embedded in the Study materials

Communications

Online discussion forums and conferencing systems are common features of learning environments. A lot of your interaction with tutors and fellow students may be through online communication tools.

The oldest of the online communication tools, email is still vital for communications.  As a student you will receive e-mail communications from the University of London, your Programme team, Moodle discussion forum notifications and possibly other members of LSHTM staff.  It's worth making sure these communications don't go to spam or clutter folders, as you could miss some important announcements. 

Email

As with any online communication, email has conventions and rules to follow, especially in professional and educational settings. You may be used to messaging, texting and tweeting, but email is something else entirely, as it sits just between old-fashioned letter writing and modern digital communication. 

Browse these guides aimed at students and younger people.

• 5 Rules of Email Etiquette
  
• Re: Your Recent Email to Your Professor (advice)
  
• Helping Students with Email Etiquette

"Learn the difference between the reply and reply all  functions on emails!" Ibrahim, 1st-year student

E-mail Communication as an LSHTM Student

Once you are enrolled, you will be assigned an LSHTM e-mail address (xxx@student.lshtm.ac.uk). This will be in addition to any other email accounts you might have personally. Official correspondence from LSHTM will be sent to your LSHTM e-mail address.

Students are expected to check their email inbox regularly. Programme information, news and announcements from LSHTM will either:

• be posted on Moodle and a notification will be sent to your LSHTM e-mail address;

or:

• be sent directly to your designated e-mail address.
• We also strongly recommend that you subscribe to the discussion forums for the modules you are studying, then you will receive relevant notifications.

The LSHTM VLE (Moodle) is accessible using a web browser. Mozilla Firefox or Chrome are recommended for maximum functionality. Moodle is also compatible with use on mobile devices.

If you have any problems and cannot access Moodle you can ask for help from your LSHTM Programme Support Office:

• For Clinical Trials contact: ctsupport@lshtm.ac.uk
• For Epidemiology contact: epsupport@lshtm.ac.uk
• For Global Health Policy contact: ghpsupport@lshtm.ac.uk
• For Health in Humanitarian Crises contact: HHCsupport@lshtm.ac.uk
• For Infectious Diseases contact: idsupport@lshtm.ac.uk
• For Public Health contact: phsupport@lshtm.ac.uk

Social media

In the digital age, we have more ways of communicating, collaborating and sharing than ever before. This video from the University of Derby offers a brief introduction.

Social media and online sharing tools are also used widely for learning in formal and informal ways. You will probably find yourself using many of these sites throughout your years of study.

Social media

Social media is a term used to describe websites and services where participation and interaction between friends, family and like-minded strangers is encouraged. Social media allows us to make connections, share information and stay up to date, and each site or service has it's own unique purpose or approach.

Popular sites include:

• Facebook:  a social networking site that shares information, events, pictures, videos and ultimately memories with friends and family.
• Twitter: an information-oriented site that shares users' text, links and images in short 'tweets'.
• LinkedIn: a business networking site that shares information and allows recruiters and colleagues to find those in similar lines of work.
• Snapchat: a multimedia messaging app that erases messages after a short time.
• WatsApp: a multimedia secure messaging app
• Discord: an instant messaging and social interaction platform

Social Sharing Tools

In addition to file sharing (discussed elsewhere), there are many social sharing tools that are specific to a particular medium or purpose. These are some of the most widely used:

• Instagram: an image-oriented social media app that shares pictures and short videos.
• Pinterest: an image-based bulletin board for creating and searching groups of images.
• Padlet: An interactive bulletin board for groups of people to post text and images.
• Wordpress and Blogger: the two largest blog publishing services.
• Tumblr: A microblogging and social networking website. 

"Keep up-to-date with new technology and practice, practice and practice before starting University so you can concentrate on doing your course." Alex, 1st-year studen

Conferencing

Web Conferencing is a way of bringing two or more people in different locations together at the same time. Web conferencing apps usually include a range of features useful for meetings and online seminars:

• audio
• video
• whiteboard/drawing space
• desktop/application sharing
• polling
• chat

Web conferencing is increasingly used in higher education, especially for postgraduate and distance learning courses.

Zoom

Over the past few years Zoom meetings have become very popular, with many seminars and lecture series now presented via zoom.  It's also free to use, with a simple download, and can be used for 1 to 1 discussions, or webinars allowing hundreds to watch and participate using typed chat options.  If a teaching session is held on Zoom it will be accessed through a link on Moodle, these are usually recorded and made available to watch, again through Moodle. Many of the seminars held at The School are also available via Zoom as well as in person in the building (termed Hybrid).  The larger lecture series such as the Global Health Lecture Series will also be recorded and made available to watch later.  

Discord

Many social groups, including Universities, have used discord servers for everything from online text chat to sharing media and video conferencing. You should have been invited to join the LSHTM discord server. 

Adobe Connect

Adobe Connect is yet another popular system, which, like Blackboard Collaborate, your institution might use for online seminars and collaboration.

Teams

Microsoft Teams is used by many institutions and work places, the added advantage is the facility to work collaboratively in the same space.

"Meeting online can be great for working on group projects" Viktor, 2nd-year student

Discussion Forums

Discussion forums (also known as online forums, discussion boards and online discussions) have been around since the early days of the internet and have changed little over the years. The general principle behind them is to provide a place for people at a distance and at different times to come together to talk about a common subject.

Discussion forums have also featured in online learning from the beginning because they offer a great way to:

• create a place for working through ideas without having to be in the same place at the same time 
• continue discussions that started in live sessions (virtual or face to face)
• allow students to prepare for upcoming sessions
• provide a space for students to collaborate with each other

Many discussion forums around the internet are for asking questions and providing answers (Q&A), but usually in educational settings forums are for generating deeper knowledge about a specific topic or following a question posed by a tutor.  Many students find it easier to formulate their thoughts and respond better when they have time to reflect on a topic and carefully write their answers than they do on the spur of the moment speaking up in a classroom. Online forums allow these students to excel.

Netiquette

To get the most out of discussions in online forums, certain rules for behaviour have become commonplace, and the term netiquette (a combination of "net" and "etiquette"). These rules are designed to establish trust within the group and keep the discussion pleasant and focused on the topic, such as:

• Be professional, thoughtful, truthful and sincere. The goal is to learn and not to show off, have a laugh or disrupt other students.
• Don't be afraid to join in -- sitting back and reading without contributing is called "lurking".
• On the other hand, try not to dominate discussion: give other students the opportunity to join in.
• Keep on the topic: if you have something off-topic you really want to say, start another discussion thread in the same forum or elsewhere.
• Keep the discussion polite and write in language appropriate to an academic setting. 
• Respect your fellow students and do not share personal or sensitive information. 
• Keep an open mind and be willing to express and consider less popular opinions,  
• Be very careful with humour: jokes and sarcasm can seem much stronger and more hurtful on the screen than in person. 
• Try to use correct grammar and spelling, but be generous and don't call attention to anyone who makes mistakes. The ideas are what's important, but good grammar and spelling help to get those ideas across more clearly.
• Avoid using all capital (upper case) letters since this can be interpreted as shouting.
• Don't rely on Emojis to do your talking for you. Some courses will ban them completely, preferring you to express yourself in writing.

"Older students need to invest time as soon as possible to become familiar and confident with digital skills so that they do not become a barrier to learning." Matthew, 2nd-year student

Forum's at LSHTM

On the LSHTM VLE

• Each Module has a forum where you are encouraged to introduce yourself, and start to build a personal network with your fellow students and the tutors for that module.  
• Modules have academic forums. These can be really useful for developing the deeper learning necessary for Masters level study.
• Each Programme has Forums in Student zones where you can introduce yourself to fellow students. 
• Forums in the Student and General Zones where you can ask specific technical or academic support questions.

Social Contacts at LSHTM

You should have been invited by the Study team to join the LSHTM Distance Learning Students Discord group, this is a closed group which is monitored by them.  If you have not seen the invitation, you can request to join here. 

On the Student Zones each Programme has a Student rep forum, where you can contact your Student representative and Student Cafe forum.  Please note academic staff have no access to these.  You may also find that students on your Modules have organised WhatsApp groups.

In the General Zone on Moodle is a student network directory, which students can opt into, to enable contact outside of the VLE. 

The LSHTM Alumni office have set up an online network for Alumni.  You can sign-up for limited access to LSHTM Connect, whilst you study. This network gives you direct access to alumni from around the world. Through LSHTM Connect you can join a chapter group to network with people your area. You can also find a mentor or buddy and search our directory of alumni willing to help students by giving career advice and making introductions.  You can register for LSHTM Connect via www.lshtmconnect.org.

The University of London Student Experience Team have set up a Discord server, for students to interact and form student led study groups.  This is only accessible by University of London Worldwide Distance Learning students, look out for the invitation to join.  You will have to use your UoL e-mail address for security.