Virtual classroom in the digital age: concept, product and applicability

Abstract

Given paper presents itself as a descriptive ascertaining study that comes with the analysis of the phenomenon of virtual classrooms' using at the different educational levels and / or in the different educational situations in the digital age, characterized by the migration of the implementation of certain ICT instruments, which have already become traditional, to the so-called online learning platforms of various types and configurations. The research is carried out on several dimensions, in particular, conceptual, but also application-functional, reviewing several platforms dedicated to virtual learning. The comparative analysis of the set of tools offered by various virtual classroom platforms comes with a description of its special operating characteristics which depends on the typology of the teaching activities to be implemented in the online environment, in the during the of direct and indirect hours of contact with the contingent of students enrolled in a virtual course. Although, in this article, the model of using virtual platforms for learning management system will be focused on professionalization courses, correlated with computer science in the field of IT engineering training and/or others related to it, the general methodology for implementing the virtual classes will be presented here according to the age, the curricular area of the taught-learned-evaluated disciplines and the level of studies of the potential beneficiaries. There is presents, also, the author's personal experience in practicing the use of virtual classes in the didactic approach of certain university disciplines in the article. The author makes a comparison of her particular practice with some local and international experiences of transposing the teaching-learning activities in the virtual environment, through the tools of the reviewed applications.