Virtual Campus
Encyclopedia
A virtual campus refers to the online
offerings of a college
or university
where college work is completed either partially or wholly online, often with the assistance of the teacher
, professor
, or teaching assistant
.
Many established and mainstream colleges and universities now offer many courses (or entire degree programs) either partially or wholly online. Other schools notable for their primary online presence include DeVry University
and Strayer University
. In the near future, virtual campuses will become simulated campuses rather than a physical campus that you attend. Texas Tech University has already begun the process of creating a simulated campus. Primary and secondary college students from several different countries will soon create avatars
and log on to a completely digital Tech campus. There are an estimated 4,500 such institutions with total enrollments approaching perhaps 2,000,000.
The majority of students using virtual campuses to obtain online degrees are adults students for three main reasons:
Schools use a variety of tools for conducting classes - typically called Learning Management Systems
(LMS) or Course Management Systems (CMS). CMS may also refer to CONTENT Management Systems. Some notable LMS' include Moodle
, Sakai
, Serco, Blackboard
, Sharepoint, WebCT
, Angel
, Alphastudy
, it's learning
, Desire2Learn, EdMastery, Elluminate and eCollege
. EdMastery delivers customizable assessments through a simple software interface to aid teachers in assessing students on the mastery of skills required by state or local test objectives. Blackboard and webCT command the lion's share of the commercial market, and Blackboard recently (as of Spring 2006) acquired WebCT.
Some of the aspects that go under virtual campus includes various types of learing activities such as lectures, homework, discussions, readings, assignments. Classes are usually self paced using online documents and databases that might be available to them. Tests and other assignments are available online in specific programs used for online classes such as Elluminate, Blackboard, etc. Other methods used in virtual campus are live sessions, videoconferencing, discussing and sharing various applications to name a few. Individuals are able to access the materials any time they want under the teacher’s control and are able to access anywhere online where they’re able to access internet usage. Email is a big part of the virtual campuses and is often used before, during and after sessions. This aids individuals in exchanging information and or point them to the right direction that would be useful in increasing and understanding various methods available to them via documents and online sources.
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
offerings of a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
or university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
where college work is completed either partially or wholly online, often with the assistance of the teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, or teaching assistant
Teaching assistant
A teaching assistant is an individual who assists a professor or teacher with instructional responsibilities. TAs include graduate teaching assistants , who are graduate students; undergraduate teaching assistants , who are undergraduate students; secondary school TAs, who are either high school...
.
Many established and mainstream colleges and universities now offer many courses (or entire degree programs) either partially or wholly online. Other schools notable for their primary online presence include DeVry University
DeVry University
DeVry University and DeVry Institute of Technology are divisions of DeVry Inc , a proprietary, for-profit higher education organization that is also the parent organization for Keller Graduate School of Management, Ross University, American University of the Caribbean, Apollo College, Western...
and Strayer University
Strayer University
Strayer University, formerly Strayer College of Baltimore, Maryland, is a private, for-profit educational institution. The Strayer University campuses are owned by Strayer Education, Inc. , headquartered in Herndon, Virginia....
. In the near future, virtual campuses will become simulated campuses rather than a physical campus that you attend. Texas Tech University has already begun the process of creating a simulated campus. Primary and secondary college students from several different countries will soon create avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
and log on to a completely digital Tech campus. There are an estimated 4,500 such institutions with total enrollments approaching perhaps 2,000,000.
The majority of students using virtual campuses to obtain online degrees are adults students for three main reasons:
- Flexibility - Adults with full-time jobs and families would find it impossible to attend daily at a traditional school setting. Online classes allow students to work at their own pace and work around their busy lives.
- Cost - The cost of an online degree is relatively cheaper than at a traditional college setting. Obtaining your degree online eliminates costs such as classroom costs and facility upkeep costs that traditional students are required to pay because they are using the campus. However, the cheaper cost of an online degree does not diminish the value of the degree.
- Broad Choices - Students can remain at home and have availability to degrees that may not be offered by universities or colleges nearby.
Schools use a variety of tools for conducting classes - typically called Learning Management Systems
Learning management system
A learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
(LMS) or Course Management Systems (CMS). CMS may also refer to CONTENT Management Systems. Some notable LMS' include Moodle
Moodle
Moodle is a free source e-learning software platform, also known as a Course Management System, Learning Management System, or Virtual Learning Environment...
, Sakai
Sakai Project
This page is about the software project, for other meanings, see Sakai.Sakai is a community of academic institutions, commercial organizations and individuals who work together to develop a common Collaboration and Learning Environment...
, Serco, Blackboard
Blackboard Inc.
Blackboard Inc. is an enterprise software company with its corporate headquarters in Washington, D.C. and is primarily known as a developer of education software, in particular learning management systems. Blackboard was founded by CEO Michael Chasen and chairman Matthew Pittinsky in 1997 and...
, Sharepoint, WebCT
WebCT
WebCT or Blackboard Learning System, now owned by Blackboard, is an online proprietary virtual learning environment system that is sold to colleges and other institutions and used in many campuses for e-learning...
, Angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
, Alphastudy
Alphastudy
Alphastudy is a private Australian company that enables users to create their own web based learning and knowledge portals. The company's office is located in Sydney, Australia and was founded in 2008 by David Dinh.- History :The idea started in 2008...
, it's learning
It's learning
itslearning is an internet-based VLE that is made for all levels of education all around the world. The website incorporates features such as a help center, web tutorials, mobile login and many other features designed to make working collaboratively and presenting work easy.According to its own...
, Desire2Learn, EdMastery, Elluminate and eCollege
ECollege
eCollege is an on-demand, or Software as a Service , provider of eLearning software and services to secondary and post-secondary learning institutions. Founded in 1996 as Real Education, the company went public in 2002 as eCollege.com...
. EdMastery delivers customizable assessments through a simple software interface to aid teachers in assessing students on the mastery of skills required by state or local test objectives. Blackboard and webCT command the lion's share of the commercial market, and Blackboard recently (as of Spring 2006) acquired WebCT.
Some of the aspects that go under virtual campus includes various types of learing activities such as lectures, homework, discussions, readings, assignments. Classes are usually self paced using online documents and databases that might be available to them. Tests and other assignments are available online in specific programs used for online classes such as Elluminate, Blackboard, etc. Other methods used in virtual campus are live sessions, videoconferencing, discussing and sharing various applications to name a few. Individuals are able to access the materials any time they want under the teacher’s control and are able to access anywhere online where they’re able to access internet usage. Email is a big part of the virtual campuses and is often used before, during and after sessions. This aids individuals in exchanging information and or point them to the right direction that would be useful in increasing and understanding various methods available to them via documents and online sources.
See also
- virtualcampus.in
- Computer-assisted language learningComputer-assisted language learningComputer-assisted language learning is succinctly defined in a seminal work by Levy as "the search for and study of applications of the computer in language teaching and learning"...
- Diploma millDiploma millA diploma mill is an organization that awards academic degrees and diplomas with substandard or no academic study and without recognition by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree, and the organization is motivated by making a profit...
While many distance education programs provide valuable instruction, others offer degrees with little requirements. - Distance educationDistance educationDistance education or distance learning is a field of education that focuses on teaching methods and technology with the aim of delivering teaching, often on an individual basis, to students who are not physically present in a traditional educational setting such as a classroom...
- Educational technologyEducational technologyEducational technology is the study and ethical practice of facilitating learning and improving performance by creating, using and managing appropriate technological processes and resources." The term educational technology is often associated with, and encompasses, instructional theory and...
(Related: Learning management systemLearning management systemA learning management system is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, and reporting of training programs, classroom and online events, e-learning programs, and training content...
) - Online learning (aka E-Learning) (Related: E-learning glossary)
- MLearning
- Virtual educationVirtual educationVirtual education refers to instruction in a learning environment where teacher and student are separated by time or space, or both, and the teacher provides course content through the use of methods such as course management applications, multimedia resources, the internet, and videoconferencing...
- Virtual universityVirtual universityA virtual university provides higher education programs through electronic media, typically the Internet. Some are bricks-and-mortar institutions that provide online learning as part of their extended university courses while others solely offer online courses. They are regarded as a form of...