Real Estate Education and Blended Learning: An Educational Briefing on the Implementation of a Virtual Learning Environment

Purpose - It is the purpose of this contribution to discuss the possible benefits of a virtual learning environment (VLE) for postgraduate real estate education activities and present considerations on the implementation of such a VLE. The paper primarily addresses people who have already heard about e-learning and are considering becoming involved in it. One of the objectives of this paper is to whet the appetite of potential users of such applications while also providing an insight into their potential usefulness. Experiences gathered in the context of a continuing-education activity at a German-speaking university are presented in case-study format and subjected to in-depth analysis.Design/methodology/approach - Issues relating to real-estate education have grown in importance in recent years. Hence, developments regarding the exchange of information and knowledge merit closer attention. The present considerations focus on the interrelation between face-to-face learning and the virtual learning environment (VLE). This contribution presents the Moodle environment (an acronym denoting 'Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment'), which is used as an implementation tool. Real estate education serves as the working context and provides the third element in the triangular structure of a VLE.Findings - Exaggerated expectations regarding the benefits of VLEs should be avoided. While face-to-face learning has not become at all obsolete, blended learning can be considered as a meaningful addition. Furthermore, the consistent 'feeding' of data into a digital repository promotes the transparency of educational activities and, thus, all aspects of quality management. Sustainable documentation is another aspect worth mentioning.Originality/value - Apart from the intention to provide a model for others with similar needs, it is recommended that teaching institutions familiarise themselves with the different aspects of 'e-learning' and start adopting these methods. A step-by-step approach seems the most sensible.