Can Teams be a VLE?
Can the platform fulfil the needs for an effective environment to support teaching, learning and assessment?
On Thursday 27th June 2024 we had a discussion with two people who’s institutions have decided to use Teams as their VLE.
Alison Magee: Learning Technology Lead
TLA Quality Improvement
Trafford and Stockport College Group
Rob Wraith: Head of Learning Technology and Digital Learning
NCG
There were lots of questions and comments in the session. We’ll provide more content to answer as many as we can, through talking to those that use the platform.
Webinar Teams as a VLE – 27th June 2024 (youtube.com)
Both Alison and Rob shared their experiences of using Teams as both a VLE, but also a supportive tool for communication.
As their organisations embarked on Teams VLE use during the lockdown, the process of migrating to the platform was much quicker than it would have been in normal circumstances. The successes and challenges that came from using Teams as a VLE were discussed in the webinar. It was interesting to hear how staff and learners engage with the platform in everyday use. Some engaging better than others, but it is an ongoing project to develop better confidence and digital practices.
As Teams pages can be populated by teaching staff, consistency became a key topic to discuss. The use of templates to create firm foundations on which staff can build upon was a clear success. I often find myself discussing VLE consistency with staff and students, this isn’t a problem unique to Teams. Alison and Rob’s experience of providing page structures in Teams, for the essential elements, appears to give teaching staff the structure they need to create TLA content, yet keep it organised.
During the session we also discussed the need for understanding what a VLE’s role is. If thinking about moving to Teams as a VLE, what does your institution require from it? What reasons do you have for changing? What difference would it make to change platform? Many challenges with VLEs come from digital practices of users, rather than the platform itself.
