VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS APPLIED TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE SUBJECT OF ENVIROMENTAL

This research is about the virtual learning application for students in the course Environmental Management.
This activity is developed as a game in which the students propose an environmental friendly process. The objective of the process is the manufacture of a product.
The evaluation criteria are:

• Quality parameters
• Times in the process
• Budget management

In the game the students are organized by groups for each measure: time execution, amount of discharge to water bodies, outcome in the development of the activity and application of environmental legislation within the context of Colombia. Additionally, this methodology is based on “collaborative learning" between students of different levels.

With this activity, the project aims to:
• Analyze strategies for the minimization of hazardous waste in the development of the activity.
• Improve the ability of students in the formulation of environmental management measures.
• Examine the benefits of using blogs as a learning environment in the area of Environmental Management.

The entire process is evaluated in two ways:
In the first, an audit simulation is used to determinate the winner group according to the evaluation criteria.
In the Second, the use of the virtual platform named cvul (Courses with virtual contents at Universidad Libre) is implemented as a tool for participative forums and discussion group.