ous ▁communic ations ), ▁such ▁as ▁audio ▁and ▁video ▁con ferences ▁through ▁the ▁internet ▁- ‘ one ▁to ▁one ’ ▁and ▁‘ one ▁to ▁many ’ , ▁collaboration ▁features ▁for ▁work ▁in ▁groups , ▁sem in ars , ▁l abs , ▁for ums , ▁and ▁of ▁course ▁the ▁learning , ▁development , ▁planning , ▁library ▁and ▁administrative ▁functions . ▁Stan ford ▁On - line , ▁Inter L abs , ▁Class room ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁system ▁" Virtual ▁University " ▁( V U ) ▁are ▁examples ▁of ▁this ▁V LE . ▁▁ 4 th ▁generation ▁V LE : ▁These ▁are ▁the ▁environments ▁of ▁the ▁future , ▁and ▁represent ▁new ▁learning ▁parad ig ms , ▁at ▁the ▁center ▁of ▁which ▁are ▁the ▁user ▁and ▁the ▁‘ global ▁resources ,’ ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁the ▁teacher ▁and ▁the ▁‘ local ▁resources .’ ▁Their ▁main ▁advantage ▁is ▁that ▁learning ▁materials ▁can ▁be ▁created , ▁adapted ▁and ▁personal ized ▁to ▁the ▁specific ▁needs ▁and ▁function ▁of ▁each ▁user . ▁F ew ▁ 4 th ▁gener ations ▁V LE ▁exist , ▁most ▁of ▁them ▁still ▁being ▁in ▁the ▁planning ▁and ▁developing ▁phases . ▁One ▁example ▁of ▁support ive ▁technology ▁is ▁called ▁the ▁‘ multi - agent ▁technology ,’ ▁which ▁allows ▁the ▁interface ▁of ▁data ▁among ▁different ▁systems . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁Sim ulations ▁of ▁one ▁form ▁or ▁another ▁have ▁been ▁used ▁since ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s ▁as ▁a ▁method ▁for ▁training ▁or ▁training . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁Def ense ▁Model ing ▁and