Principles and Techniques of Veterinary and AH Extension

VIRTUAL CLASSROOM-INTRODUCTION 

• Virtual classrooms are teaching and learning environments located within computer-mediated communication systems that support collaborative learning among students,enabling participation at their own time, place and pace - these electronic virtual environments are meant to supplement or replace the physical class environment in support of classroom-like experiences. "Virtual"is used here to characterize the fact that the course is not taught in a classroom face-to-face but through some substitute mode that can be associated with classroom teaching, which means people do not have to go to the real class to learn.
• Just as the term virtual means a simulation of the real thing, Virtual Classroom is a simulated classroom via Internet, which provides a convenient communication environment for distance learners just like traditional face-to-face classroom. A virtual classroom allows learners to attend a class from anywhere in the world and aims to provides a learning experience that is similar to a real classroom. When we go to college we have a schedule of lectures, which we must attend. Student must arrive on time, and when he enters the classroom, he finds a teacher, fellow learners, a black board or whiteboard, LCD projector, optionally a television screen with videos.Likewise, a Virtual Classroom is a scheduled, online, teacher-led training session where teachers and learners interact together using computers linked to a network such as the Internet.
• A virtual classroom enables to bring learners from around the world together online in highly interactive virtual classes while greatly reducing the travel, time, and expense of on-site teaching/training programs. It can be used as a solution for live delivery and interaction that addresses the entire process of creating and managing our teaching-learning process. It facilitates instructor and student in teaching-learning events,such as a seminar, online discussion or a live training for employees in company. As in traditional classroom, there are professor and fellow learners present with the student; we have many participants present in virtual classroom. They can talk with each other as in the traditional classroom via chat. Similarly presenter uses whiteboard, gives notes/resources, gives presentation as given in traditional one. Thus, virtual classroom can be visualized as a classroom where a lecture or session is conducted using Internet.

In a virtual classroom or in a virtual learning environment the learner

• is at a far off place from the tutor or teacher or instructor
• uses some form of technology (obviously internet connected computer) to access the learning resource materials which are web-based
• also interacts with the teacher/tutor or instructor and other learners
• is provided with some form of support to meet his/her needs.