VLEs/LMSs - A digital divide?

Those of us working in and around higher education are used to hearing references to the dreaded phrase 'digital divide'. The fear that the web generation of whiz-kid students will expect courses to be delivered using technologies that older university staff cannot comprehend.

I propose that a further digital divide exists between these students and the current crop of VLE (LMS) systems. These systems appear frozen in time while the mainstream web continues to race forward.

(Web 1.0: Click image to view Netscape web archive from 1996)

Take social media, for example. Students expect to comment on and rate course content in the VLE. They expect smooth links from the VLE to the other tools they use, such as Facebook and Twitter. They expect to be able to mash up and aggregate content in order to tailor their learning experience and so on. VLEs don't let students do these things easily.

We've also seen synchronous communication tools progress in leaps and bounds over the past few years. I admit that VLE developers have not totally ignored this development; however, those that have incorporated synchronous tools have not done a great job. It is quite a jolt to experience a VLE chat room if you are used to contemporary synchronous tools such as Skype, GoToMeeting and Facebook. Thinking about it, VLEs don't do a great job with asynchronous tools such as Wikis either. Compatibility with existing best-in-class tools is probably the way forward here now many of them offer APIs and other connection options.

Other trends in the sector also seem to have largely passed VLEs by. For example, personalised learning, OER (Open Educational Resources) and mobile learning. Yes, Blackboard has made a good start with their mobile app, but such efforts are exceptions to the rule.

I could go on but I'll limit myself to one last gripe. Why do VLE interfaces seem to be stuck in the land of a thousand clicks when the rest of the web is progressing to desktop-like interfaces?

So, VLEs could be better. Why do we care at Epigeum? Well, although we spent thousands of hours crafting our own beautiful hosted VLE system, virtually all universities opt to deliver our courses through their own VLE. Despite grumbling about them from time to time, universities seem pretty attached to their VLEs.

Therefore, most students access Epigeum courses through their university's VLE and these systems just aren't presenting our courses in the best light. Given the amount of work we put into them, our courses deserve better. So come on VLE developers, keep up. It can't be that hard. Can it?