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INTELECTUAL OUTPUTS

Integration and test of VirtualForest IO in LMS

Learning Management Systems (LMSs) are a key component in Higher Education. As the use of LMSs has become more frequent, the evaluation of their appropriateness for online, blended or face-to-face education has been extensively conducted in the past. Different features and capabilities are stressed as crucial: learner usability and experience, mobile capabilities, report and tracking possibility, native integration with different services (videoconference, conversational agents, etc.), easy customization, regular updates, … The use of e-learning platforms has been crucial during the Covid-19 crisis to allow the transition to online education during the confinement period. Up-to-date knowledge for professionals and students which will allow you to improve and update the services you offer without having to employ more people or alternative services. The company or organization that promotes e-learning will remain a reference in current trends, due to the fact that it constantly improves its strategies and processes.

It allows you to maintain the level of motivation of your students during the confinement period, since in addition to fulfilling their duties, you will be offering them a new alternative to improve their skills. It puts updated content and unlimited resources within the reach of students, and fosters time flexibility. Nowadays, e-learning platforms are a must in HEIs. However, its use beyond content storage and student's interaction is scarce. Innovative uses of e-learning platforms are far from being integrated in normal teaching activities. Integration of tools like the ones we will develope in the other IO such as visualization tools (virtualtours), simulation tools (integration of LOD into simulations tools) and remote labs (point clouds or monitored trees datasets) are in the forefront of forest education and need to be integrated in mainstream LMSs. We’ll root on our previous experiences working with e-learning platforms and with the development of the aforementioned tools, as well as on experiences from our associated partners (i.e., www.sylvotheque.ch) to integrate the IOs from VirtualForests in an LMS. To assess the aforementioned approach, a testing e-learning platform will support teachers and students to carry out the different pedagogical activities enabled by the project outputs (chatbots, OERs, etc.). Such platform will ensure the integration of the project outputs, as well as the sustainability of associated results/impacts beyond the duration of the project facilitating the transfer from the test project platform to the institutional LMSs using the available mechanisms for the integration of OERs.