http://www.jisc.ac.uk/project_mle_activity.html
Recently (August 2003) published report on the state of affaris in the U.K. around Managed Learning Environments (MLEs).
My understanding of MLEs – whereas the Brits speak of ‘virtual learning environments’ (or VLEs) as roughly the equivalent of what we call ‘course management systems,’ MLEs are more like what you get when you add in single sign on, access to a student information system, potentially a portal system and any number of other integrated student service technologies. (Somewhat unsurprisingly, they reported that “the term MLE is rarely if ever used, although a general and shared understanding of its definition is common. Within institutions, systems are considered primarily from a functional perspective…”)
The study is not dissimilar to Casey Green’s Campus Computing Survey but focuses more on how far efforts have come to integrate the various systems that together would make up an MLE. The answer, again not that surprising, is ‘not that far.’ The dream (or nightmare, depending on one’s perspective) of the fully automated and integrated campus seems still a bit further off. Good background reading for anyone charged with impelementing campus-wide academic computing projects to get a sense of the real state of affairs. – SWL