2010 4th International Coference on Distance Learning and Education ICDLE)

The Virtual University: Advantages and Disadvantages

Maryam Mirzakhani Hossein Ashrafzadeh

Faculty of Social Sciences Computer Eng. and Information Technology Dept.
Islamic Azad University- Science & Research Branch Amirkabir University of Technology
Tehran, Iran Tehran, Iran
E-Mail: Mirzakhani.maryam@yahoo.com E-Mail: h.ashrafzadeh@aut.ac.ir

Azadeh Ashrafzadeh
Language Department
Islamic Azad University of Maybod
Yazd, Iran
E-Mail: Azadeh.Ashrafzadeh@gmail.com

Abstract-In today's world everything is changing rapidly and horizons far beyond the ancient beliefs towards education
development of technology and information has changed many methods for the next generations. [1]
existing facilities in the cultural, social, political and economic
ields. Therefore, education like other changes in society and II. WHAT IS VIRTUAL EDUCATION?
expectations that a society has from its people must change in
Almost since the Intenet became public, Virtual
an appropriate and acceptable way. Distance learning system
University (VU) was proposed. According to the studies, the
(electronic) is a new approach and solution for institutions that
irst country which established the VU was
want to move toward technology in order to change teaching
America. Because this country has always been a pioneer of
methods and their environments. This system makes it possible
electronic issues compared with other countries. [4]
to achieve modern education methods in an exhaustive and
best way. (1( In the virtual education, all systems, activities and Of course, the Idea of these universities irst belongs to
policies must be designed in support of the feature of the British which was proposed as Open Universiy. But
interaction between students and educational materials and Americans practiced this valuable concept. To study within
courses. (2lThe authors of this paper try to understand the this system, the minimum educational requirement for
concepts, characteristics and deinition of a virtual university students is to have access to a computer system, the Intenet
to ind the strengths and weaknesses of virtual universities and and to have strong motivation to succeed in a non­
realize the solutions for the weak points. (31 traditional classroom.
E-Ieaning is one of those kinds which takes place in
Keywords: Virtual Universiy; avatar; e-Leaning; networking spaces and is related to use of simultaneous or
none-simultaneous Medias. Each time that you go through
r. INTRODUCTION network and lean something is considered as e-Ieaning.[9]
Creating virtual university and teaching through
Distance lening methods were at irst steps to expand
computer and intenet is beyond time and place
the boundaries of knowledge, but there were lots of problems
boundaries. With this method, students can have access to
in this method that has been caused by lack of the education
education at anytime, anywhere. [4]
quality, quick and easy access to resources and teachers, and
high expenses, which slowly pushed the method III. WA T IS VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY? [3]
aside. However, later with the expansion of the use of the
"Virtual university" is a kind of distance education in
medias such as radio, television , cassette and video tapes to
which the Web Technology and Intenet are used for
some extent the problems related to the quality of distance
teaching and student evaluation. [5]
education were decreased, still it was placed beside the
As a deinition it can be said that a virtual universiy and
traditional methods (on campus) . By introducing the
virtual education is any type of education or course that is
personal computers and rapid expansion of multimedia
not in the form of traditional methods of face to face
facilities, computer-based teaching, was proposed in an
education. Course contents may be transmitted through
exhaustive level. By development of the tools creating
the intenet or by use of the videos and interactive
multimedia environments (web-based) and use of the
images. Also, cable or satellite TVs can be used as Medias to
graphical user interface, computers quickly became one of
transmit of these courses or courses may be written
the essential educational tools. But Intenet revolution has
on CDs, DVDs or a combination of the above can
changed the growth process of distance education.
be used. [11]
Lightning-like growth of the Intenet networks has opened

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 2010 4th International Coference on Distance Learning and Education (ICDLE)

Materials which are presented in the virtual university are
not virtual materials but they are the same materials which
are taught by professors in real universities. The difference is
that in the virtual universiy a special tool is used to change
the University environment and the communication between
the students and professors is by remote
technoloy. According to the existence of internet networks,
subjects taught by a professor will remain for a long time and
students can have access to the course at any time of the day
by using the receiver (computer). [4]
Virtual university in fact is a special case of the real
University or the opposite of it, in a real universiy tools and
facilities are physical while in the virtual university,
computer, Intenet and satellite are communication lines
between teacher, student and class. [4]
According to the 2 I st century slogan "education for
everyone eveywhere" became possible with
University. In the world's general attitude, education is a
business and all the countries will receive money along with
education and this issue itself can cause the expansion of
education. [4].
IV. COMPONENTS OF VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY [6]
There are some components, rameworks and processes
to create a virtual university. Ability in the media and
communication networks caused the communication with the
entire world and can be used in education. [6]
In this model the important components of virtual
education are tried to be identiied in order to know the
decision making process and the virtual
realities. [6]
A Modl of Vir-tul iy I .
. �
V. MAJOR DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TRADITIONAL
EDUCATION AND VIRTUAL EDUCAnON
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Maureen Hannay and Tracy Newvine (2010) mention in
their article that if the quality of education by the same
teachers in virtual schools and traditional schools be the
same; most people will choose traditional education to
enhance their profession and/or to complete their education.
People who use distance education are those whose work
programs, have been limited their access to the classroom, or
Virtual
employees whose work schedules overlaps the class time, or
those who are unable or unlikely to attend the classes. [7]
Comparing the attitudes of the teachers and students
towards distance education they found that teachers have
opposing attitudes toward distance education. While willing
to teach in the distance education classes, they think the
quality of teaching periods is equal or lower than the
traditional courses at Universities. [8]
Depending on their skill level and attitude students show
different reactions. Clark showed that professors, who were
proponents of distance education, were those who were more
familiar with educational technology. [8]
They believe that students strongly prefer the use of
university distance education because they think since the student­
centered nature of this education system allows the students
J9 to ulill the requirements more easily.
Also they believe that the quality of distance education is
sacriiced to its comfort and ease of use. However,
students may spend their distance education in the most
appropriate colleges and universities. [8]

Major differences between the traditional education and

virtual education [10]:

A. Traditional Universities
1) Advantages
• immediate feedback
l •• • being known to the instructors and the students
ITllruu, "ET
• Motivating students
• cultivation of social community
Figure 1. The virtual university model [6] 2) Disadvantages
• professor-centered
As it is shown in the above model each organization is • time and space limitations
divided into smaller parts and groups. The components of • more expensive to provide
leaning can be in interaction with experience and thought
and because of this, educational institutions make their B. Virtual Universities
investment on information technology. They believe that this 1) Advantages
approach is economical.
• leamer-centered and self-centered
Components of Virtual University include:
• Time and space lexibility
teamwork, Proile of students, Student performances, Media
and... . [6]
• cost-effective for leaners
• Potentially available to global audience

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 2010 4th International Coference on Distance Learning and Education ICDLE)

• Unlimited access to knowledge • Continuous collaboration between professors and

• Archive capability for knowledge, its reuse and students[7]
share • Fewer barriers for students enrollment [7]
2) Disadvantages
B. Disadvantages of virtual universiy
• lack of immediate feedback in asynchronous e-
Leaning
• Virtual Universities have no success in the ield of
practical education.[5]
• more time for teacher's preparation
• The method of course by course presentation in virtual
• uncomfortable for some people
leaning is slower than the raditional universities [5].
• potentially more rustrating
• Virtual Universities are Science-oriented and students
• Anxiety and conusion
may have problems in understanding the technical
VI. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF VIRTUAL information .
UNIVERSITY • Lack of rapid feedback [8]

In this section some of the advantages and disadvantages

of the virtual university will be pointed out.
A. The Advantages of virtual universiy
• Does not require the physical presence of professors and
students in the class [1]
• No speciic time-dependent classes [1]
• High quality course presentation (due to the use of
Multimedia facilities) [1]
• Supports and registers a large number of students in a
course [1]
• Saving in cost for students [1]
• Covers a large number of students by a very limited
number of Professors [5]
• Providing higher education opportunity for anyone in
diferent major and prestigious universities[ 5]
• Variety of educational techniques in e-Leaning [5]
• Better access to libraries and educational resources, the
possibility of quick research during the study, without
leaving the course and study environment and spending
time [5]
• Saving time due to elimination of
requirements [8]
• Planning the classes based on your daily schedule[8]
• As a result of physical separation between teacher and
student, expectations rom students usually are not clear .
[8]
• Lack of attention to the needs and problems of students
[2]
• Seeing students as customers [2]
• Lack of govenment macro policies [2]
• There's no Face to face interaction between teacher and
student [7].
• To use the Virtual Universiy some technical skills are
required [7]
• Virtual interaction with colleagues and people is in the
online environment and not in reality which causes
social isolation [7]
• People need to be familiar with new technical skills [7]
• There are technological limitations and when one is
oline or the system fails, it cannot be used [7]
• Supervising the students is dificult [7]
• Students must pay higher costs to use higher speed
Intenet [7]
• There is a general distrust towards the virtual university
commuting degree
VII. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS

• Students are more motivated to lean (due to their Self­

A. Standardization {II}
centeredness)
In the world of science and technology along with its
• E-Leaning Course texts are more useul .(Because the
rapid and unprecedented progress, standardization is the
texts are more up to date and due to the use of Multi­
most important factor for maintaining quality and gaining
media facilities) [8]
trust of customers and clients and rectiication of different
• Teachers offer more educational texts in e-Ieaning [8]
activities and actions .Therefore information Technology is
• More leaning capacity in virtual leaning [8] not exception [11].
• Having equal access to technology (social justice) [2] Codiication and collection the necessary standards in the
• Leamer's Privacy [2] creation and development of virtual universiy, is one of the
• Required legal ramework II some cases most important tools .Standards contain some issues such as,
(standardization) [2] content, security, quality of providing services, technical
• Flexibility [7] issues and etc [12].
• Student's having more control on the course of study[7] From the view point of diferent view involved in the
issue of electronic teaching and leaning the most important
• Student-centered
consequence of standardization is as follows:
• Uninterrupted classes (students cannot prevent
• From the tools and systems' sellers point of view, by
professor's teaching) [7]
using methods of Interoperabiliy standardization, it's
• Creative education[7]

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 2010 4th International Coerence on Distance Learning and Education (ICDLE)

not needed to write speciic intermediaries for diferent

products any more. [11]
• From the producers of educational contents and
materials point of view, by the growing expansion of
market of educational contents and materials, producers
of such materials and contents have been encouraged to
produce more, even in professional dimensions[ll]
• From the learners point of view, standards lead to
having more options and latitude in the choices and also
an increase in the ability of transferring the acquired
knowledge. [11]
• From the educational material and content designers
point of view, e-Ieaning standards lead to achieving
capabilities such as the possibility of reuse of
Figure 2. Second Life
components and available design pattens. Possibility of
common design of resources and materials and also
production of components and modules with the VIII. PERSPECTIVE
capability of reusing is provided .[11]
New electronic communication facilities with better
• From the analysts point of view, standards are catalysts quality has broken the students' isolation; and has provided
which are the signs of rapid growth in any industry [11] long-term learning in communities and undamentally has
changed traditional methods of teaching and leaning.
B. Educational Avatars in the virtual universiy J 3]
Students using electronic communications in virtual
One of the services provided by a virtual environment is
university will lean with higher motivations than before,
the creation of a relationship between those who are far apart,
dropout rates are falling and the results are quite positive.
in the form of an interaction in a three-dimensional virtual
Intenet is a communication tool for the improvement of
environment. Avatar as a virtual human, helps the users, to
students' situation in the virtual community. Imagining life
move rom one area to another in the program's environment
without electronic communications is impossible.
and see the information on the screen. [13]
Virtual University serves as a virtual community with a
Avatar can be the best face to face communication in
step towards the uture of e-Ieaming. [15]
computer-based teaching and creates the feeling of having a
Each avatar is identiied by a self-selected name, this has
close relationship to human for the students and can be a
no obvious relation to any actual person, and consequently
good substitute for teachers. [13]
recognizing the student behind the digital avatar is not
Using virtual reality and 3D technologies will improve
necessarily obvious. Although not insurmountable, the
the success rate in educational environment and will be
question of identity, particularly in an educational context
considered as new methods of teaching. [13]
could prove problematic for example, in the context of
Currently, in many countries courses are presented in
assessment.
traditional classrooms and its online format is also provided
and students can study it thoroughly at home. Online
technologies can be provided for students that have time
limits in an attractive part-time manner and allow the
university to attract students rom around the world with
their extensive range of culture. [13]
J) Second Lfe
Second Life provides the opportunity of participation in a
virtual class, in diferent world to the students. They can ly;
they can choose their body, age, appearance, sex and
color. For example, they can prepare themselves for a lecture
at university. [14]
In second life with active participation of people the
subject of cyber culture (cultural variey in virtual world) has
gained a lot of attention.
Popularity of virtual interaction and virtual community
membership can lead to enrichment of scientiic
Figure 3. presence of students in Second Life virtual classroom. [16]
studies. Students in this second life, study in their
imaginations, they walk, and are virtually interacting with
their teachers. [13]

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 2010 4th International Coference on Distance Learning and Education ICDLE)
IX. CONCLUSION
From this article it can be concluded that distance
leaning does not replace traditional classroom, but it can
provide an extraordinary opportunity for students, especially
those who have limitations in time and space, to use the
classes. [3]
By using qualiy programs and a number of components
in the traditional universities such as: technical support,
individual attention to students, faculty, and monitoring, the
exchange between students in the virtual universities can be
considered.[3]
It is recommended to policy makers, designers and
manufacturers, of the uture virtual universities make the
system as attractive as possible and have no fear to risk.
New form of virtual universities, including all modem
educational technologies, and particularly the unlimited
facilities of distance education, is presented via the Intenet.
Diversity provided by the virtual university will prevent the
risk of boring the students because of the constant change.
With all the concens of experts and considering all the
problems, distance leaning and virtual education is in favour
of the uture.
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[3] Joseph Barjis,the book of "Virtual education: cases in lening &
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University Studies: Issues, Concepts,Trends",IRMPress, 2003.
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Authorized licensed use limited to: Amirkabir University of Technology. Downloaded on July 30,2011 at 19:16:18 UTC from IEEE Xplore. Restrictions apply.
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