The term ‘Virtual Learning Environment’ is often abbreviated to “VLE” and represents the digital education systems predominantly used in the higher and adult education sectors, as opposed to the “LMS” used more commonly in the private sectors. While not always the case, the most common VLE’s are Moodle, Canvas, Brightspace, Blackboard, and even Google Workplace in some other education bodies.
These platforms contain a huge amount of education-related data, including student record information, learning resources, assignments, module pages, and more. As a result, they require administrators to keep this record organised and manageable. VLE Administrators can be a fairly junior role, but many professions work to a more senior level through enhancing their technical responsibilities or by becoming more of a VLE Manager or Systems Lead.
VLE Administrators have very varied responsibilities, but these professionals can expect to manage the day-to-day tasks of the system, enrol users, manage the upload of content, troubleshoot technical issues, and support the overall management of learning resources from staff for students. Administrators can also restrict features and functionalities, as well as provide support on the helpdesk when needed. There are a lot of crossovers between this role and the role of a Learning Technologist, though the latter can generally have more training and learning support responsibilities towards staff and students.
In terms of progression, many junior digital learning professionals begin their careers in this kind of role and will either work up towards a more technical level, or move into roles with transferable skills such as a Learning Technologist, TEL Officer, and eventually Learning Technology Manager. The progression routes will vary depending on whether the individual is looking for a more technical, coding-focused role to support the wider IT functions of the VLE. Or, if they’re looking to have wider learning technology responsibilities or even more content and training. Either way, VLE Administration can be an excellent introductory role into the digital learning careers space. Administrators can even remain in this same role-type throughout their career, particularly in larger organisation’s where there are thousands of users that require help and support.
A good way to get into this role is either by starting as a VLE Administrative Assistant, where you would generally work below or alongside a more experienced, senior administrator and shadowing their work. At more of a junior level, universities offer student roles or internships on a part time basis whereby students looking to take on a role alongside their studies are able to support others students and staff on the learning system in place. These roles can either be called Learning Support Officers, Junior Learning Technologists, or Junior VLE Administrators. Another option can be to transition away from a traditional Learning Technologist role with a view to taking on more platform focused responsibilities.
Overall, VLE Administrators are an important, central role which supports the operation and management of learning materials and resources for up to thousands of individuals. They also offer a breadth of transferable skills which can allow professionals to ease into a transition elsewhere in the digital learning professional space.
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