Personal Learning Environment
About PLEs
PLEs can be used in the classroom or outside of the classroom. They refer to the Web 2.0 tools that facilitate, record and manage learning.
PLEs don't just include explicit learning platforms but can also extend to browsers, social media platforms and
Although they are new, PLEs offer a more personalized learning experience.
Experiment / Observational Study
Benefits of PLEs
Disadvantages of PLEs
Its hard to keep up to date on PLE and Web 2.0 tools as technology develops and grows at an exponential rate. One tools mentioned in the article no longer exists while others mentioned have grown and changed in nature over a few years.
PLEs can personalize a learner's experience but sometimes they do not fit or meet user's specific needs. There can be difficulty or it is impossible to alter a PLE source to fit one's exact needs.
When considering that social media can be apart of a PLE, it is clear that some PLE sources can be extremely distracting and counterproductive to the learner.
The study took 33 students from a business program and had them create PLEs or analyze their current PLE.
Social Interaction
One consistent them so far in our course is the important role social interaction plays in digital education. It seems almost that we will never get to a period where human learn and grow solely through technology and without human interaction.
"The social element was one of the most important aspects of Web 2.0 tools" (p.202)
"The ability to share and discuss different points of view, following the fact that Web 2.0 tools seem to be ideal tools to collaborate" (p. 202)
The ability for technology to help with human interaction and the exchange of ideas and resources, makes PLEs more ideal than a traditional learning environment.
click to edit
Students were introduced to various Web 2.0 tools, some they were familiar with, others they were not.
Although not many participants returned to answer the post experiment survey questions there were some similarities in answers.
The amount or options of PLE Web 2,0 tools was extensive and growing, thus could be a bit overwhelming.
Some PLEs tread a fine line between social and entertainment apps; but have many benefits for learners
Those tools that enable social interaction and sharing are the best a facilitate the most learning.
Examples
Picasa
Googlesites
Flock (no longer in use)
Wikipedia