Volume Two - Academic Conferences

1.2 VLE (Virtual Learning Environments)
Nazime Tuncay and Hüseyin Uzunboylu
VLE is an important part of websites. When considering websites, a set of web pages does not
constitute a virtual learning environment unless there is social interaction about or around the
information (Dillenbourg, 2000). Based on research findings, Warburton (2009) explained that the
immersive nature of the virtual world, crossing physical, social and cultural dimensions, can provide a
compelling educational experience, particularly in relation to simulation and role-playing activities. For
these teachers, Virtual Learning Environments can be frightening places in which their expertise is
exposed to challenge and students can assume greater power and control over what is taught, how
and when (Greener 2008; Greener 2008). Virtual agents take an important place in virtual
environments. Virtual agents provide an alternative method for supporting navigation in virtual
environments (Ibanez& Delgado-Mata, 2011). For instance, virtual animals can give directions or
transport users to locations (van Dijk et al., 2001). Characters can also orient the user, point to
interesting objects and automatically direct their view (Wernert and Hanson, 1999). Characters can
provide information to the user by either acting as presenters (Nijholt, 2006) or storytellers ( El-Nasr
et. al., 2008).
1.3 SL (Second Life)
SL is being used quite often in VLE in the recent years. Research on educational uses and potential
of v irtual w orlds of ten f ocuses on t heir a bility t o s upport c ollaborative, c reative, par ticipatory a nd
exploratory f orms o f t eaching a nd l earning, as hi ghlighted i n m ost papers of t he af orementioned
issues of the BJET and ALT-J journals, or by the diverse set of educational practices and tools found
in SL and detailed by the Muvenation project (García & Serrano, 2010; García, 2010). Consistent with
other literature on staff and student perceptions of SL, indications to date are that students find SL a
demanding but w orthwhile learning en vironment and t hat t he virtual patient i n par ticular i s a very
useful adj unct t o ot her f orms o f c linical t raining be t hat i n t he c lassroom or t he l ive pa tient s etting
(Heaney,etc.,2011). Previously, Jennings & Collins (2008) have conducted an observational survey of
educational institutions in SL.
1.4 Previous researches
Youssef ( 2005) made a r esearch on ICT and hi gher educ ation teachers training. Uzunboylu ( 2007)
has c arried ou t a s tudy t o det ermine t he at titudes of English l anguage t eachers toward on line
education. He found t hat there ex isted s ignificant difference i n attitude t owards onl ine education
based upon teaching experience, school location, and use of e-mail. Uzunboylu and Sor (2008) have
done a study about the e-learning training needs of primary school students in North Cyprus. In their
study, t hey have c oncluded t hat: T he pr imary s chool t eachers had e-learning training ne eds. T hey
suggested that the school community should prepare an action plan collaboratively with the educators
for motivating teachers in an e-learning training program before actually delivering e-learning training.
In 2008, Tuncay and Uzunboylu have done a study about e-learning training needs of vocational high
school students in North Cyprus. In their study, they have concluded that: The vocational high school
teachers had three types of e-learning training needs: “Technology-based E-learning Training Needs”,
“Web-based E -learning T raining N eeds” an d “ Administrative E -learning T raining N eeds”. I n 20 09,
Tuncay, Stanescu and Uzunboylu, have delivered a research study in four countries and considered
621 teachers’ training needs: 66% of the Romanian teachers said their training needs refer to "mobile
technology" a nd "wireless technologies"; 5 9% of t he E nglish t eachers ans wered t hat t heir t raining
needs concern the "tools for preparing a webpage”; 78% of the Turkish teachers answered that their
training needs refer to "Skill of attaining a certificate programs"; 82% of the Cypriot teachers answered
that their training needs relate to "Learning Management Systems" (see Figure 1).
Hence, i n t he l ast 4 years s everal r esearches ar e d elivered t o f ind s econdary s chool teachers e -
learning training needs. Such a study delivered in Cyprus was presented in ECEL 2008 Conference
(A Research Study about “e-Learning Training Needs” of Vocational High School Teachers in North
Cyprus), and a study on different countries secondary school e-learning training needs (Do Teachers
e-Learning Needs Differentiate among Countries?) was presented in ECEL 2009, in Bari. There is a
digital di vide am ong t eachers ( Youssef, 2005 ; Uzunboylu&Tuncay, 2 009). If w e w ant t o br idge t he
digital divide between teachers, we can help those who are not using these technologies (Youssef,
2005) T echnology plays an important r ole in ed ucation l ife. V ideo and o nline c ommunication
technologies can overcome the obstacles in professional development of teachers (Eastmond, 1998,
in Krammer, etc. 2006).
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