Interoperable Architecture for the Integration of Virtual Learning Environments and Academic Management Systems: A Reference Model
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5753/rbie.2026.6657Keywords:
VLE-AMS Integration, Reference Architecture, Educational Information Systems, Distance Education, Design Science ResearchAbstract
The integration between Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) and Academic Management Systems (AMSs) represents a recurring challenge in higher education institutions, particularly in Distance Education contexts, where the consistency and timely updating of academic data are essential for the proper functioning of pedagogical and administrative processes. In practice, such integration has often been addressed through ad hoc, tightly coupled solutions developed for specific contexts, which hampers their maintenance, evolution, and reuse across different institutional scenarios, underscoring the need for systematic, reusable approaches for the VLE–AMS integration domain. In this context, this study investigates how a reference architecture can support the development of more flexible, modular, and sustainable VLE–AMS integration solutions over time. The research was conducted following the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM), encompassing literature analysis, an exploratory study with higher education institutions, and the design of a reference architecture called ARIAS, which organizes architectural principles, components, and guidelines for VLE–AMS integration, emphasizing modularity, low coupling, and adaptability to different institutional configurations of VLEs and AMSs. The feasibility of ARIAS was evaluated through a proof-of-concept implemented in a real institutional context, involving the execution of synchronization routines with real academic data and the analysis of their operational impacts. The results indicate that the architecture is capable of supporting more adaptable integrations, contributing to the reduction of inconsistencies between VLEs and AMSs and to a decrease in the manual effort required by technical teams responsible for maintaining virtual learning environments, demonstrating its potential as a reference architecture for this domain.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Ricardo Serrano, Francisco Petrônio Alencar de Medeiros, José Jorge Lima Dias Júnior
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