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Education: NEW! (Fall, 2025) - The "VLE: Virtual Learning Environment" (demo / training site)

Ontario Ministry of Education's K-12 database for Teacher Candidates & their instructors 

Database Details

  • The VLE is the Ontario Ministry of Education’s “secure online learning management system (LMS) that supports the delivery of online, remote and blended learning to Kindergarten to Grade 12 students and educators in Ontario.”  It is delivered through Desire2Learn (D2L.com)'s software system, BrightSpace, the same software used for Laurier's MyLearningSpace (MyLS). Although the VLE is not designed for classes that are being fully taught in person, there are many components withing the VLE to supplement in-class lessons & activities, and to provide professional development for teachers.

  • Laurier’s access to the VLE is strictly for demonstration (learning) purposes only and can only be used by Teacher Candidates and their Laurier instructors, to help prepare Teacher Candidates before going out on practica. Content cannot be modified, nor does it contain the full array of resources that can be found in the version of the VLE that is available to School Boards and their employees. (See note, below.)
  • Each course within the VLE contains*:
    • “Start Here”;
    • “Teacher Guide” &/or “Release Notes” (to help plan content delivery & organize resources for lessons);
    • “Learning Activities”; and
    • “Assignments”.     
      • “Discussions”, “Quizzes”, “Surveys” and a WYSIWIG Editor, are only operable for Ontario School Boards, their teachers, and Teacher Candidates out on placements.  

* please see more details, below

  • More information on the VLE : overviews of both what Laurier's Teacher Candidates and their instructors can access, along with the full version as offered through School Boards

N.B.> FOR TEACHER CANDIDATES, ONCE ON PLACEMENT:

Ontario’s School Boards (and their teachers) all have their own VLE logins, with far greater access to the database’s contents; once on placement, Teacher Candidates should be able to:

  • view the entire course content;
  • edit content for classrooms (i.e. use “classroom shells”);
  • and access the “eCommunity” for further professional development or information.

When a Teacher Candidate is in their practicum placement, their school board and/or Associate Teacher should ensure that they have full access (e.g., editable content). School Boards have a Technology Enabled Learning and Teaching (TELT) specialist who creates a one-off full access account for them. An Associate Teacher may not ask for an account to be created if they are not using the VLE as much or wish the teacher candidate to prioritize the in-person component of the practicum.

< https://trainingsite.elearningontario.ca/d2l/login >   

N.B.> a special User Name & Password are required by all Laurier Teacher Education Candidates & their instructors, to access this database; more information to come on how you will be able to access those.  In the interim, if you have any questions, please contact Hélène LeBlanc.

A course that is fully accessible (i.e. as offered through the VLE hosted by a School Board) will usually contain:

  • a “Start Here” landing page:
    • (e.g. What should I expect? • How will I be assessed? • How do I navigate this course? • Developing Transferable Skills • Tips for Today’s Learner • Academic Integrity);
  • a “Teacher Guide” which will be hidden from elementary & secondary school students (indicated by the icon of the eye with a diagonal line through it) and provides:
    • an overview of the course & how content will be presented;
    • information on transferable skills, learning goals, success criteria, learning skills, work habits, summaries of each learning activity, & links to rubrics;
  • “Learning Activities” organized into units, with each lesson broken down into 3 parts:
    • Minds On: “introduces the students to the topic at hand and allows them to understand what skills they will develop and gain”;
    • Action: which “builds on the introduction and provides more in-depth and richer content”; and,
    • Consolidation: “helping the student apply their newly found knowledge and demonstrate their understanding to the teacher”
  • “Assignments”, “Discussions”, “Quizzes” and “Surveys”: (NOT available through Laurier’s access point)
    • Find these under “Course Admin” or in the top navigation bar; access will depend on how the School Board or District has set up the site. Discussions can be edited & each course has a survey for “Transferable Skills”.
  • “What You See is What You Get (WYSIWYG) Editor”: (NOT available through Laurier’s access point)
    • tailor content to the needs of students
    • To access this editor, click on a unit.
      • Click on a Learning Activity and then on the 3  dots (top right corner) of the screen to open the “Options Menu”, which allow you to edit the course.

Page Owner: Hélène LeBlanc

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