I do not know what a PLE is beyond a collection of flowchart diagrams with connected bubbles of web 2.0 logos. [...] But in researching it, beyond papers, presentations, and digrams, I could not really find something I could say, “This is a PLE” — not discounting successful deployments of learning environments using a network of blogs +/- wikis, but is every instance of using a suite of web tools a PLE? In that case, my definition of a PLE is the Internet. And what does that get us?
Posted in CogDogBlog on 2007/04/11
I understand Alan Levine’s point of view about PLEs. Nowadays, a PLE can be seen as a collection of web tools under the learner control. That leads us to a particular idea of PLE: the common learning environment is the Internet, which is personalized by selecting the services that satisfy learner needs.
But we must take into account that a lot of learners are not used to ICT and feel very confused about web tools. Furthermore, even for advanced users, the direct usage of a set of web tools turns into tedious task if there’s not a middleware for managing:
- the single-sign-on access to learning services
- the academic/social data-flow between learning services
- the discovery of learning contexts
- the setup of tools within learning contexts
- the search of learning feeds
- the markup of learning resources
A PLE is a bridge between learners and web tools that hides the complexity of the Internet and improves the interaction with web tools. I’m thinking on a sophisticated form of an aggregator that would implement general-purpose funcionality mashups for learning. For learners not used to ICT, a PLE must be a guided environment where they can notice news, interact with peers and use tools for developing their learning process in a safe way. For advanced users, a PLE must be focused on openness and value-added user experience, allowing learners to plug-in and customize their favourite tools, and improving the usability of those tools within the learning environment. This idea of aggregator is what I call Personal Learning Environment.
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Edited on 2007/13/04:
Many teacher’s aren’t likely to be happy with the downside of the small-pieces approach, which is cobbling together a whole range of tools. So my design is for what is primarily a piece of glueware for doing the cobbling together, while retaining most of the flexibility that the small-pieces syndication world promises. It complements the availability of blog hosting services, wikis and other online tools, provided that they offer standard APIs for aggregation and publishing.
Posted in Scott Wilson’s Worklog on 2005/08/31
The PLE is a unique interface into the owners digital environment. It integrates their personal and professional interests, connecting these via a series of syndicated and distributed feeds. The PLE is also a portfolio system allowing the user to maintain their repository of content and selectively share that content as needed. It is also a profiled system, exposing the users interests in a variety of ways allowing automated, but selective search of the individual and their digital contributions. Of course, the PLE is a social as well as an information environment, connecting the user to individuals and collaborative activities and events.
Posted in Virtual Canuck on 2006/01/09
December 13, 2007 at 7:40 pm
There are tons of assumptions in these points, especially about that our learners are not capable of working outside a constructed environment. If we teach them to ride only with training wheels, and never give an opportunity or reason not to use them, then they might go about their days cycling silly on 4 wheels.
“The PLE is a unique interface into the owners digital environment.” – speaking again about it like it is something that exists. I maintain we are talking about blurry pictures of Sasquatch.