Advanced design methodologies for the production of virtual learning environments for use by people with learning disabilities

The authors have previously presented a methodology to guide the developmen t of virtual learning environments (VLEs) for use by people with learning d isabilities (Brown, Neale, Cobb, & Reynolds 1999). This paper presents the results of two sets of studies and shows how these studies enhance this met hodology. The first set of studies are user-centered designs for VLE to tea ch horticultural-related employment, leisure, travel, and public presentati on skills to young people with learning disabilities. These projects have a llowed us for the first time to distill a set of design guidelines for the production of VLEs for use by people with a learning disability. The second set of studies aims to determine the tutoring strategies employed by suppo rt workers, teachers, and care providers when supporting people with learni ng disabilities using VLEs. These strategies will be embedded in the VLEs t o further scaffold the learning process of our target users and allow us to expand the guidance given within the implementation component of the devel opment methodology. These enhancements of the existing methodology are clea rly developed within the paper and illustrated diagrammatically.