VLC's in the University

Johnson, Meghan

IL

Experimental learning [video file]. Retrieved from http://screencast.com/t/8NxGv0dKDJun

Summary: This screencast was created to tour the Virtual Learning Commons created for the University of Rochester. The goal of this VLC is to be a collaborative space for all students to contribute to. Students are encouraged to maintain the site on their own. Students can post photos, calendar events, and create their own Knowledge Building Center (KBC). This site is only lightly moderated by librarians, who post library events and create some base KBC’s.

Evaluation: This VLC for a university-level school seems like a great start for getting students involved in self-directed learning! It leaves the door open for them to guide their own education and follow their interests. I had always wondered if a VLC would be viable at the university level, and I think this proves it could be done. A few questions popped into my head as I was watching this video, though. The University of Rochester is a smaller university (about 10,000 students), of which about half are undergraduates. Would this type of VLC still work with a larger university and a larger range of majors and interests? I worry that features such as the calendar could easily be overwhelmed with larger numbers of students. I also wonder if there is any additional librarian moderation beyond what they discussed in this video. Is there someone who regularly goes through the VLC to ensure that appropriate content is posted? On another note, I thought that some of their labeling was a little less than intuitive. I think that this was a great start, though, to incorporating self-directed learning into the university level.