Create Virtual Classroom Environment for Online Study Groups

Studying in groups has always been a fun where on one hand it helps in dealing with monotony of regular studies and procrastinations on another hand it benefits students with fast learning, fresh perspectives on a problematic topic and acuminate intellect. In this high tech era where half of the population prefer performing most of the task online such as shopping, banking, ticket booking etc students also try to make hay while the sun shines by replacing books with eBooks and real-life classrooms by real time classrooms.

University- formulated Virtual classrooms, student-organized online study groups and learning

management systems are few of the numerous technologies that made synchronous distance-

learning education convenient and cost efficient. Universities enrich their syllabus and

coursework, enhance flexibility and relevancy of their programs and attract the best students and

faculties to their campuses. Students augment their learning experience, explore the reading

materials by experts, Web-based Q&A interactions deepen the knowledge of enhanced

curriculum, immersion environments and regulated live classes ease the understanding of

complex concepts. Students can share complaints and critiques of the course with their peers and

teachers asynchronously or synchronously. Thus better participation, better communication,

better information and assistance which will certainly lead to better education and learning.

Students create many Facebook, Yahoo and Google groups; invite members and share the study

material. But many online experts claim additional negative impacts of using social networking

sites as revision platform. Potential distractions, vulnerability to psychological issues, lack of

immediate response and record tracking, limitation of student assessment and feedback in these

social networking sites can stray students form focus and might result into bad grades.

There are many learning management system and learning platform available on internet which

provide an intuitive, ready to deploy interface which require no training, multi-language and

multi- course discussion board for more interactive and participative online study groups.

Students from different demographics, experts from different dimensions can be added as

members. Templates of project or test assignments, study materials of all the subjects and syllabi

can be created and reused as per the requirements.

MyVLE is a learning platform which is an accumulation of numerous online applications such as

web pages, email, message boards and discussion forums, text and video conferencing, shared

diaries, online social areas, assessment, management and tracking tools that help teachers,

students, parents and others who are involved in education or information process by supporting

and enhancing the educational delivery and improvising management.

Members or group mates of virtual learning management system can also customize their platform by

integrating powerful Google Apps to make it more efficient and beneficial. These learning platforms not

only empower the courses of students but also enhance their potential of leaning without any

distraction or harm.