There has been much debate of late about whether Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs), particularly in their British state sponsored variations are dead.  For some of the thoughts check out Lindsay Jordan, James Clay, Matt Lingard and Steve Wheeler.

One week today I finally start my new job as Director of E-Learning at a high school in Manchester.  One of my key priorities is to run the school’s VLE.  My current understanding is that they played with their own Moodle a few years ago which was then replaced with Trafford LA’s Fronter based system.  I’ve not heard a good word said about Fronter whenever I have come across it, and have had poor experiences of it myself whilst using the NCSL’s VLE.  As with most of the UK, this VLE is the only one fully supported by the LA, and it is heavily subsidised for at least a few years.

I am yet to be impressed by any of the commercially available, BECTA approved VLE solutions.  The only one I have heard numerous positive remarks about is Frog, but I’ve yet to see it in action myself.  I agree with a number of comments made in the discussions linked above, particularly that these commercial systems appear ‘clunky’ at best.  That there is almost always a better solution for each part of the system available on-line and often for free.

So many tools! (CC Attribution by Felipe Ibáñez Guzmán)

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