MyVLE: an engineering-centric e-learning platform

Abstract

This paper reports on certain key aspects of the design, building and testing of MyVLE, an internet-based e-learning system that is used at NUI Maynooth for the delivery of a remote program in engineering education. The system was designed from first principles with strong support for numerical disciplines integrated at the outset. The paper will describe in some detail the most novel components of the software viz. the engineering science focused interactive quiz feature and the results management component. Further we describe the background to such learning environments, the rationale behind our decision to custom-build a solution as well as drawing focus to the field of distance learning in engineering education in Ireland. This work should be of interest to researchers in distance learning in engineering and the sciences as a consequence of the finished system's modest build cost, numerical discipline support, scalable architecture, pedagogical flexibility and recorded impact.