Com a popularização dos Sistemas de Gerenciamento de Cursos (CMS do inglês Course Management System) torna-se necessária a criação de critérios técnicos que permitam avaliá-los e compará-los. Neste trabalho é feita uma análise da interface com o aluno de um sistema de gerenciamento de cursos de software livre, gratuito e bastante popular, denominado Moodle. A análise é feita, estabelecendo-se critérios e diretrizes desenvolvidos a partir de uma ampla revisão dos princípios da psicologia cognitiva que são aplicados à essa interface. Os resultados são apresentados de forma qualitativa, discutindo-se os aspectos positivos e negativos da interface. Procura-se com isso apresentar um modelo de uso da psicologia cognitiva na análise de interfaces com o usuário em sistemas de e-Laerning, a partir do exemplo prático que poderá ser aproveitado para analisar outros sistemas para uma posterior comparação. / Given the growing popularity of CMS, Course Management Systems, it becomes necessary to develop some criteria to assess them so that they can be compared. The present paper presents an analysis of the student interface of a popular, free open source course management system, the Moodle. This analysis is done establishing a few rules, obtained from a comprehensive revision of cognition psychology, and which are than applied to this interface. It is an attempt to create a model, from a practical example, that can in turn be applied to other systems, followed by a comparison among them.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:22:49Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sueli Aparecida Falsarella.pdf: 727846 bytes, checksum: 1c61cede033103c59360f0a75bc6d7d1 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-10-14 / In recent decades, crescent development of technology has caused an imbalance between the teaching-learning methodology and access to these new resources. As a growing number of users who use the Internet via computer or mobile phone, there is a growing demand for new knowledge through virtual learning environments (VLE). This software can collaborate in the teaching-learning process, but barriers still exist for those who want to study or teach through technology. This research makes a study on the use of virtual learning environment Moodle, which offered advantages and disadvantages. According to research data, the results obtained with the use of the environment revealed the lack of trained teachers, and hence no interaction of these with their students. This delay hinders the optimal use of the environment which could contribute greatly to the construction of knowledge. This difficulty occurred since the early deployment of the environment in PUC / SP, Campus Sorocaba. Research shows, however, its implementation can be further adjusted and improved if there are incentives for those who deposited the environment and specific training for teachers that will encourage students to use it. Certification of use of the environment for curriculum, reading and questionnaire prior to classes to make better use of questioning and learning processes encourage students to make use of this new virtual learning environment / Nas últimas décadas, o desenvolvimento acelerado da tecnologia provocou um descompasso entre o ensino-aprendizagem e a metodologia de acesso a esses novos recursos. À medida que cresce o número de usuários que usam a Internet por meio de computador ou celular, cresce a procura por novos conhecimentos através dos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem (AVA). Estes softwares podem colaborar no processo de ensino-aprendizagem, mas ainda existem barreiras para quem estuda ou quer ensinar por meio da tecnologia. Esta pesquisa faz um estudo sobre a utilização do ambiente virtual de aprendizagem MOODLE, o qual ofereceu vantagens e desvantagens. Segundo dados pesquisados, os resultados obtidos com o uso do ambiente revelaram a falta de treinamento dos professores e a consequente não interação desses com os seus alunos. Essa defasagem dificulta o uso otimizado do ambiente, que poderia contribuir muito para a construção de conhecimento. Tal dificuldade se deu desde o início da implantação do ambiente na PUC/SP, no campus Sorocaba. A pesquisa mostra que, no entanto, sua implementação ainda pode ser ajustada e melhorada se houver incentivos para quem depositou o ambiente e treinamentos específicos para os docentes que incitarão os alunos a usá-lo. A certificação do uso do ambiente para fins de currículo, leitura e questionário anterior às aulas para um melhor aproveitamento e questionamento dos processos de aprendizagem estimularão os alunos a fazerem uso desse novo ambiente virtual de aprendizagem

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:23:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao_darwinmota_14012013.pdf: 8326873 bytes, checksum: 065c913e80a2f12aceeb364da1552196 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-11-30 / This thesis aims to examine the structural concepts used to develop virtual learning environments, and link them to the Design field specifically concerning Usability and User Experience Design, in order to provide relevant information referring to the improvement of distance learning/education. The analysis of structural concepts comprehended in this thesis leads to questions previously tackled by theoreticians, especially Maria Elizabeth Bianconcini de Almeida and Andréa Filatro - whose works analyze the development of virtual learning environments -, and Jennifer Preece's et al, Jesse James Garret's, Jakob Nielsen's e Walter Cybis' works about the designing process, in other words, the project of interfaces that may allow providing effective information in the context of virtual learning environments. Product's quality and satisfactory yield are aspects co-related to the ease in using an equipment or program, and to the possibility of doing whatever the user's know how to do. Taking into account the expected results, the research was divided into three parts: a) graphic interfaces in which the historical context of user's graphic interface evolution is described -; b) usability and user experience design which will provide us with the methods and concepts used to analyze the interaction between user and informational system; c) and virtual learning environment which deals with the use of the mentioned tool for distance learning, and points out the interferences the instructional design and the interface design may cause during the conception process / Esta dissertação tem como objetivo examinar os conceitos projetuais utilizados no desenvolvimento de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem e relacionálos com o campo de estudo do Design, no que se refere a Usabilidade e Design da Experiência do Usuário, com o intuito de fornecer informações relevantes para o aprimoramento do processo ensino/aprendizagem por meio da modalidade de educação a distância. O exame dos conceitos projetuais relacionados no trabalho permite o levantamento de questões já discutidas por estudiosos, especialmente Maria Elizabeth Bianconcini de Almeida e Andréa Filatro, cuja a atenção está voltada para a produção de ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, e os estudos de Jennifer Preece, Yvonne Rogers, Helen Sharp, Jesse James Garret, Jakob Nielsen e Walter Cybis, nas referências ao processo de design, ou seja, no projeto de interfaces que possibilite informação efetiva no contexto dos ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. A qualidade daquilo que é produzido e o rendimento satisfatório são aspectos correlacionados à facilidade com a qual um equipamento ou programa pode ser usado e ao poder de fazer o que a própria experiência do usuário torna possível. Para alcançar os resultados esperados, a pesquisa se dividiu em três vertentes: a) interfaces gráficas, onde aponta-se o contexto histórico da evolução da interface gráfica do usuário; b) usabilidade e design da experiência do usuário, por meio do qual compreendemos os métodos e conceitos utilizados para analisar a interação entre usuário-sistema de informação; c) ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem, os quais trazem não só um enfoque acerca da utilização de tal recurso para a modalidade de educação a distância, mas também apontam as interferências do design instrucional e design de interface em seu processo de concepção

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-27T14:30:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maria Beatriz Villas Boas de Moraes.pdf: 2343388 bytes, checksum: d92426c6dc086ed2aa563f47b59eb592 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-03-16 / This research aimed at understanding beauty as a category of pedagogic mediation carried out by teachers using virtual learning environments as a tool for teaching. In order to accomplish objective, we sought to understand the sense of beauty in a virtual learning environment; the investigation of the potential that technology advancements offer to promote their presence; and the understanding of what features are highlighted in the subject, in the activities proposed, as well as in the interventions of the teacher that strengthen the idea of mediation involving the beauty in the course. The study was characterized as being qualitative, guided by a socio-historical approach and having, as methodological procedure, the analysis of documents comprised of the records generated in the virtual learning environment, as well as of interviews with instructors of the continuing education course, object of this investigation. The analysis of the data was carried out by general categories and subcategories that emerged from the theoretical framework underpinning the research and data. As a result, it was concluded that harmony was the sense of the beauty identified in the characteristics of the pedagogical intervention, more specifically in the role of the trainers, being also related to the consistency between the design and the teaching practice of the course, the day to day interactions, the presence of flexibility, the autonomy and authorship in the profile of the trainer and the possibilities that technological resources offered. Such evidences also allowed the development of the idea that beauty can be considered as a category of pedagogical mediation in virtual learning environments due to the fact that it favours the organization and how to understand it / Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo compreender o belo como uma categoria da mediação pedagógica realizada pelo professor em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem. Para tanto, buscou-se o entendimento do sentido do belo no ambiente virtual de aprendizagem, a investigação do potencial que a tecnologia oferece para favorecer sua presença e da compreensão de que características se destacam nos conteúdos trabalhados, nas atividades propostas e nas intervenções do professor que fortalecem a idéia de mediação envolvendo o belo no curso. A pesquisa se caracterizou como qualitativa, orientada pela abordagem sócio-histórica, tendo como procedimentos metodológicos a análise documental, constituída pelos registros gerados no ambiente virtual de aprendizagem, e entrevistas com formadores do curso de aperfeiçoamento, objeto desta investigação. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio de categorias gerais e subcategorias que emergiram do referencial teórico que fundamenta a pesquisa e dos dados. Concluiu-se que a harmonia foi o sentido do belo percebido nas características da mediação pedagógica, mais especificamente na atuação dos formadores e se relacionou também à coerência entre a concepção e a prática pedagógica do curso, ao cotidiano das interações, à presença da flexibilidade, da autonomia e da autoria no perfil do formador e às possibilidades que os recursos tecnológicos ofereceram. Estes indícios também permitiram desenvolver a idéia de que o belo pode ser considerado uma categoria da mediação pedagógica em ambientes virtuais de aprendizagem porque favorece a organização e a forma de compreendê-la

O objetivo deste estudo é investigar a forma como diferentes participantes de fóruns digitais desenvolvidos em uma sala de aula virtual da plataforma Moodle, marcam sua presença social, cognitiva e de ensino nesse contexto, favorecendo a formação de uma comunidade de aprendizagem. Fundamentam teoricamente este estudo: a) uma reflexão sobre a relação entre tecnologia e ensino, com base em estudos desenvolvidos por Coll (2010), Prensky (2011), Rojo (2012), Castells (2003; 2013), Braga (2013), Levy (2014 [1999]), Mayrink e Albuquerque-Costa (2015), Moran (2003; 2015), entre outros; b) uma discussão a respeito da formação crítico-reflexiva de professores para o uso de tecnologias no ensino, partindo das contribuições iniciais de Dewey (1938) e seus desdobramentos nos estudos de Schön (2000 [1998]), Freire (1987), Perrenoud (2008, [2002]), Liberali (2010) e Mayrink e Albuquerque-Costa (2015); c) o entendimento de Vygotsky (1984) em torno da ideia de aprendizagem colaborativa por meio da interação com o outro e sua repercussão no modelo proposto por Garrison e Anderson (2005), que definem a importância das presenças social, cognitiva e de ensino como base para a formação de comunidades de aprendizagem em contextos de interação online. Os dados foram coletados ao longo do segundo semestre de 2015, no contexto da disciplina Língua Espanhola do curso de Letras de uma universidade pública de São Paulo. Participaram do estudo a professora, duas tutoras e os catorze alunos da disciplina. A pesquisa, de cunho etnográfico, seguiu a abordagem qualitativa-interpretativista. Os dados analisados correspondem ao discurso dos participantes produzidos em três fóruns desenvolvidos na plataforma (um fórum de notícias e dois fóruns de discussão). Também constituem dados deste estudo dois questionários aplicados no início e no fim do curso e os relatórios de participação dos alunos gerados pela plataforma Moodle. A análise focalizou, particularmente, os fóruns digitais, por este ser um espaço profícuo para uma observação da interação entre os participantes, visando à busca de evidências dos indicadores das presenças de ensino, social e cognitiva propostos por Garrison e Anderson (2005). A interpretação dos dados revelou que, considerando a quantidade e qualidade da participação dos interagentes nos fóruns e da forma como estes marcaram, discursivamente, sua presença social, cognitiva e de ensino, o grupo caminhou em direção à formação de uma comunidade de aprendizagem. / This research aims at investigating how different participants of digital forums in a virtual classroom using the open source platform Moodle mark their social, cognitive and teaching presences in this context, in order to contribute to the formation of a learning community. This study is grounded on: a) a reflection upon the relationship between technology and teaching, based on studies developed by Coll (2010), Prensky (2011), Rojo (2012), Castells (2003; 2013), Braga (2013), Levy (2014 [1999]), Mayrink and Albuquerque-Costa (2015), Moran (2003; 2015), among others; b) a discussion about critical-reflective teacher education for the use of technologies in teaching, built on Deweys early contributions (DEWEY, 1938) and their developments in the studies of Schön (2000 [1998]), Freire (1987), Perrenoud (2008, [2002]), Liberali (2010), and Mayrink and Albuquerque-Costa (2015); c) Vygotskys understanding of collaborative learning through interaction with the other (VYGOTSKY, 1984) and its repercussion on the model proposed by Garrison and Anderson (2005), who define the importance of the social, cognitive and teaching presences as the basis for the formation of learning communities in online interaction contexts. Data were collected throughout de second semester of 2015, in the classes of Spanish language, a subject which is part of the Spanish Language Teaching Program at a public university in São Paulo. The professor of this subject, two tutors and fourteen students participated in the study. This ethnographic research followed the qualitative interpretative approach. The data analyzed here are part of the discourse of the participants built in three forums setup on the platform (a news forum and two discussion forums). Two questionnaires applied at the beginning and at the end of the course and reports of students participation generated by the Moodle platform also constitute the data used in this study. The analysis focused on the digital forums in particular since they constitute a rich space for the observation of interaction among participants with the objective of looking for evidences of the indicators of teaching, social and cognitive presences as proposed by Garrison and Anderson (2005). Considering the quantity and quality of the participation of the forum interactants and the way they have marked their social, cognitive and teaching presences discursively, the interpretation of these data showed that the group tended to form a learning community.

A educação superior no Brasil exige que as instituições de ensino procurem melhorar suas práticas educacionais, com o objetivo de aumentar a qualidade de seus cursos. Neste trabalho foi desenvolvido um protocolo para avaliação do uso de Ambientes Virtuais de Aprendizagem em Instituições de Ensino Superior, com base em uma pesquisa sobre a utilização de ferramentas e recursos de AVA. Para tratamento dos dados do diagnóstico de utilização, são propostas duas metodologias multicritério de apoio à decisão, AHP para obtenção dos pesos dos critérios e Promethee para classificação dos cursos em grupos. Fez-se também uma comparação da aplicação deste protocolo em dois cenários distintos (cenário 1, com o mesmo valor de peso para todos os critérios e o cenário 2, com valores de pesos atribuídos segundo uma das possibilidades encontradas na literatura), de modo a propor alternativas que contribuam para aprimorar as práticas educacionais. / Higher education in Brazil requires that educational institutions seeking to improve their educational practices, in order to increase the quality of their courses. In this work we developed a protocol for evaluating the use of Virtual Learning Environments in Higher Education Institutions. For treatment of data from diagnostic use of two methodologies are proposed multicriteria decision support; AHP to obtain the weights of the criteria for classification of PROMETHEE and courses in groups. There was also a comparison of the implementation of this protocol in two different scenarios (scenario 1, with the same weight for all criteria and scenario 2, with values of weights assigned according to the possibilities found in the literature), in order to propose alternatives that contribute to improve educational practices.

Adopting a Socio-Constructivist theoretical framework, this study investigated the French language discourse produced by a focal group of five intermediate learners of French while immersed in a virtual learning environment (VLE) and engaged in a problem-based activity. Adopting a mixed methods approach, this study analyzed both quantitative and qualitative data to examine the second language (L2) negotiation and co-construction of meaning process in this group's discourse; as well, it investigated these learners' emerging L2 critical thinking, problem solving, and technology literacy skills. Results indicated that the discourse produced by these students was significantly impacted by the problem-based activity itself, and characterized by a progressive trend towards higher levels of L2 critical thinking, with sustained episodes of negotiation and co-construction of meaning. Most notably, the discourse analysis indicated that it was during the consensus-building phase of the problem-based activity that most instances of higher level critical thinking occurred. Moreover, the 3-D representation of learners (as avatars) and space, as well as the immediacy of synchronous chat-based interactions in the VLE had a positive social, motivational, and linguistic impact on this process. These results lend support to the claim that VLEs, with an underlying problem-based and consensus-building component, provide optimal learning opportunities for learners to develop L2 critical thinking and problem solving abilities. Discussion is offered about the benefits of a mixed methods approach to research, as well as about the reliability and validity of Hull & Saxon's (2009) Interaction Analysis model for L2 discourse analysis. Implications for the L2 classroom as well as for future research on L2 negotiation of meaning are also provided.

Le développement des technologies d’information et de communication et leur introduction dans le système d’enseignement supérieur en Russie et en France vise à contribuer à l’amélioration de la qualité de la formation universitaire. Les établissements supérieurs français et russes mènent des recherches dans le domaine de l’enseignement en ligne dans toutes les filières. Dans ce contexte, la formation des compétences socioculturelles des étudiants-linguistes dans un environnement francophone d’apprentissage Moodle conduit à la confrontation à des problématiques actuelles et importantes pour les sciences de l’éducation. L’objectif de notre recherche est de faire ressortir et expliquer la spécificité de la formation des compétences socioculturelles dans un environnement Moodle. Cet objectif nous a amené à préciser les composantes des compétences socioculturelles à partir de l’analyse des modèles de ces compétences représentées dans des ouvrages russes et francophones. La nécessité de développer toutes les composantes en même temps et utiliser pleinement le potentiel de l’environnement virtuel ont justifié l’élaboration de l’approche intégrative incluant les idées des chercheurs français dans ce domaine. Pour appliquer l’approche intégrative, nous avons procédé à l’analyse des caractéristiques de l’environnement Moodle en utilisant les paramètres psychodiagnostics élaborés par les pédagogues russes et en liant ces caractéristiques aux composantes des compétences socioculturelles. Après avoir construit le cadre théorique de la recherche, nous avons appliqué la méthodologie de l’expérience pédagogique pour argumenter l’efficacité de la formation des compétences socioculturelles dans un environnement francophone d’apprentissage Moodle. Pour cet objectif, un cours virtuel Portrait socioculturel de la France a été créé, mis en place et introduit dans le parcours de formation des étudiants-linguistes à l’Université d’Etat de Tomsk. Ces résultats obtenus sont importants pour la formation des étudiants surtout dans les conditions de l’éloignement géographique. Outre le cours virtuel dans Moodle, nous avons explicité des conseils pour les étudiants et des recommandations pour les enseignants-tuteurs concernant le travail dans un environnement francophone d’apprentissage. / The development of information and communication technologies and introduction in the system of Higher Education in Russia and in France contribute to the improvement of the quality of university education. Universities in France and Russia conduct researches in the field of online education in all disciplines. In this context, the formation of the sociocultural competency of students-linguists in a French-speaking learning environment Moodle becomes important problematic for education sciences. The objectif of our research is to highlight and explain the specificity of the formation of sociocultural competency in the virtual environment Moodle. This objective has led us to specify the components of the sociocultural competency by analyzing the models of this competency represented in Russian and French research. The necessity to develop all the components at the same time and make full use of the potential of the virtual environment led us to develop the integrative approach based on the ideas of the french researchers in this area. To apply the integrative approach, we did the analysis of the characteristics of the environment Moodle by using psychodiagnostics criteria developed by Russian scientists and by linking these characteristics to the components of the sociocultural competency. We constructed the theoretical framework of research and next we applied it to argue the effectiveness of formation of sociocultural competency in a French-speaking learning environment Moodle. For this aim, a virtual course Portrait socio-cultural of the France was created, developed and introduced in the process of the formation of the students-linguists at the Tomsk State University. In addition to the virtual course in Moodle, we have developed student tips and recommendations for tutors working in a French-speaking learning environment Moodle

A presente pesquisa, de feição quantitativa, constitui uma investigação do tipo experimental-documental que teve por objetivo estudar o impacto da utilização da metodologia blended learning, ou Ensino Híbrido, em uma turma de estudantes do segundo ano do Ensino Médio do Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia de São Paulo - IFSP, Campus Jacareí na disciplina de Física. Para tanto, foi desenvolvido um Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem (AVA), utilizando-se o software MOODLE, que disponibilizou para os estudantes da turma investigada diferentes recursos e atividades que poderiam ser acessados por meio de um computador ligado à Internet. Dentre esses recursos e atividades podemos citar: textos, vídeos, simulações, lições, exercícios resolvidos, demonstrações de experimentos, listas de exercícios com feedback imediato e fóruns. A intenção foi a de avaliar se a integração entre o ensino presencial e o on-line, tornando a ação educativa mais personalizada, seria mais efetiva para a aprendizagem dos estudantes do que as práticas tradicionais de ensino ancoradas na metodologia expositiva. Para avaliar o impacto educacional da metodologia utilizada, comparamos o desempenho dos estudantes por meio da média final do primeiro bimestre do ano letivo de 2018 com os resultados obtidos pela mesma turma quando foram submetidos à metodologia tradicional de ensino durante o primeiro bimestre do ano anterior. Foi analisada também a interação dos estudantes com o AVA do MOODLE para verificar se os estudantes que mais interagiram com os recursos disponíveis foram aqueles que obtiveram melhor desempenho. Os dados foram tratados estatisticamente pelos testes t-student e coeficiente de Pearson e apontam para a existência de evidências significativas de contribuição da utilização da metodologia do Ensino Híbrido, não só no domínio cognitivo como também no afetivo, levando os estudantes a uma maior motivação e autonomia. / The present research, of quantitative nature, is an experimental-documentary research whose objective was to study the impact of the use of the blended learning methodology in a group of students of the second year of High School of the Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology of São Paulo - IFSP, Campus Jacareí in the discipline of Physics. For that, a Virtual Learning Environment (AVA) was developed, using the MOODLE software, which made available to the students of the investigated class different resources and activities that could be accessed through a computer connected to the Internet. Among these resources and activities we can mention: texts, videos, simulations, lessons, solved exercises, demonstrations of experiments, lists of exercises with immediate feedback and forums. The intention was to evaluate if the integration between classroom and online education, making the educational action more personalized, would be more effective for students\' learning than the traditional teaching practices anchored in the expository methodology. In order to evaluate the educational impact of the methodology used, we compared the students\' performance by means of the final average of the first two months of the 2018 school year with the results obtained by the same group when they were submitted to the traditional teaching methodology during the first two months of the previous year. We also analyzed the students\' interaction with the MOODLE AVA to verify if the students who interacted the most with the available resources were the ones that obtained the best performance. The data were treated statistically by the t-student and Pearson coefficient tests and point to the existence of significant evidence of contribution of the Hybrid Teaching methodology, not only in the cognitive domain but also in the affective domain, leading students to a higher motivation and autonomy.

This thesis explores the role of modularity for achieving a better adaptation of learning technology to pedagogical requirements. In order to examine the interrelations that occur between pedagogy and computer science, a theoretical framework rooted in both fields is applied. During the twentieth century, the focus of pedagogical research and practice has gone from behaviourism, via cognitivism, to learning theory based on constructivism. Changes in learning objectives and an increasing cognitive complexity of learning tasks are likely to have contributed to this evolvement. This puts new requirements on the design and implementation of pedagogical instruction (instructional design) and its application to learning technology. Using instructional design together with technology requires the pedagogical process to be predetermined, which is partly contradicted by the nature of constructivism. Many constructivist approaches require social interaction and dynamic learning environments that can adapt to changes that are required by different pedagogical approaches. Those requirements have been met using modular approaches for content, i.e., learning objects, implemented in non-modular web-based virtual learning environments (VLE), like learning management systems (LMS). This thesis argues that modularity promotes adaptability and adaptivity, but that the current practice of using learning objects and LMSes is too restricted to fulfill the increasing needs for flexibility. The reasons are that the learning object concept is still too ill-defined to function as a component framework, and there are complex and unsolved issues regarding the representation of pedagogical instructions. This is especially complicated from a constructivist perspective where pedagogical instructions cannot always be assumed to be predetermined, which needs to be encountered for by technology. This thesis contributes to the research field by suggesting a modular approach that includes both digital learning content and VLEs. This was accomplished by suggesting a taxonomy and an abstract model for learning objects, which address both functional and technical properties. Furthermore, six action areas are suggested in order to enhance the technical quality of learning objects. Using the abstract model as a basis, the software architecture of learning objects was addressed in order to separate data, logics and presentation – including the separation of the representation of pedagogical process from the components that implement it. This facilitates the combination of modularity and representation of pedagogical instruction that utilizes machine-processable semantics, enabling the utilization of modularity at composition time as well as at run-time. This approach has resulted in a SOA-based architecture framework that has been used as blueprint for implementing two prototypes of modular VLEs, using different technology platforms. The objective was to verify the taxonomy, the abstract model, and the architecture framework. The experiments have shown that it is possible to incorporate learning content and the VLE into the same modular framework in order to provide the flexibility needed for learning technology to better adapt to changing pedagogical requirements. The experiments have also shown how pedagogical processes benefit from being represented using machine-processable semantics in being able to better utilize the flexibility offered by modularity in keeping the components of the VLE together by representing context and structure. This has been illustrated by adding semantic annotations that were used to dynamically connect pedagogical instruction to annotated learning objects, using machine-processable semantics. / QC 20100903