I was truly inspired by the works of many if the collaborators when we were asked to compile this presentation in one of the modules for first semester I didnt hesitate to make use of their excellent depictions of a personal learning network

1. What is a PLE?
• A Personal Learning
Environment (PLE) is a
facility for an individual to
aggregate, manipulate and
share digital artefacts of
their on-going learning
experiences.
• The PLE follows a learner-
centric approach, allowing
the use of lightweight
services and tools that
belong to and are controlled
by individual learners.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/hanspoldoja/4098840001
http://www.flickr.com/photos/petahopkins/2157928982

2. What is the PLE?

3. Learning has changed!
It is not the development of technology per se
which poses such a challenge to education
systems and educational institutions…
…but the changing ways in which people are using
technologies to communicate and to learn and the
accompanying social effect of such use
• A refusal to engage in these issues risks school
becoming increasingly irrelevant to the everyday
lives of many young people

4. The Idea of the PLE…
http://www.cetis.ac.uk/members/ple/resources/edf.ppt

5. changes in the way in which we learn and develop new
competences is a challenge to our traditional subject
organisation

6. The ‘pedagogy’ behind the
PLE – if it could be still called
that – is that it offers a portal to
the world, through which
learners can explore and
create, according to their own
interests and directions,
interacting at all times with
their friends and community

7. Personal Learning Environment Example
http://reload.ces.strath.ac.uk/plex/

8. Introducing the concept of PLEs
Personal Learning Environments (PLE)
are systems that help learners take control
of and manage their own learning.
This includes providing support for learners
to set their own learning goals, manage
their learning; managing both content and
process
communicate with others in the process of
learning
and thereby achieve learning goals.

9. PLE: Definition
A PLE is :
A concept (based on Web 2.0 and social network) rather
than specific software
A group of techniques and a variety of tools:
to gather information
explore/develop relationships between
pieces of information
browser-based (potentially)

10. PLEs are not another
substantiation of
educational technology
but a new approach to
learning

11. PLE DiagramSource:MohamedAmineChatti

12. PLE characteristics
• Supporting learners in planning and controlling their learning journey
• Setting their own learning goals
• Monitoring their progress towards achieving these goals
• Managing their learning – both content and process
• Enabling learners to aggregate resources and personalise their learning
environment
• Providing recommendations to learners about resources and other
learners (‘study-buddies’)
• Collaborating with others in the process of learning
• Providing support to learners for community building and collaborative
activities
• A shared learning experience instead of a lone study

13. PLE characteristics
• Supporting learners in planning and controlling their learning
journey
• Setting their own learning goals
• Monitoring their progress towards achieving these goals
• Managing their learning – both content and process
• Enabling learners to aggregate resources and personalise their
learning environment
• Providing recommendations to learners about resources and other
learners (‘study-buddies’)
• Collaborating with others in the process of learning
• Providing support to learners for community building and
collaborative activities
• A shared learning experience instead of a lone study

14. Learning has changed!
Web 2.0

15. PLE are based on the idea that
learning will take place in
different contexts and situations
and will not be provided by a
single learning provider

16. PLE DiagramSource:WilliamFPerry

17. LMS/CMS
In order to understand what a PLE is, let’s first analyze what
a Course Management System (CMS) is.
A Course Management System (CMS) is a web-based
platform for delivering, tracking and managing courses
online.
Examples: Moodle, Sakai, Dokeos, ATutor, WebCT,
BlackBoard, Desire2Learn

18. LMS/CMS Characteristics
Manage users, roles, courses, instructors, and facilities and
generate reports
Course calendar
Learning Path
Student messaging and notifications
Assessment/testing capable of handling student pre/post
testing
Display scores and transcripts
Grading of coursework
Web-based or blended course delivery
Source: Wikipedia

19. LMS/CMS Tools
A CMS provides a collection of tools such as:
assessment (particularly of types that can be marked
automatically, such as multiple choice),
communication,
uploading of content,
return of students' work,
peer assessment,
administration of student groups,
collecting and organizing student grades,
questionnaires, tracking tools, etc.
New features in these systems include wikis, blogs, RSS, e-
portfolios and 3D virtual learning spaces.
Source: Wikipedia

20. An example of a CMS

21. Connectivism
Source:Alec
Couros

22. • Learning is a process of connecting
specialized nodes or information
sources.
• A learner can exponentially improve their
own learning by plugging into an existing
network.
• Knowing where to find information is
more important than knowing information.
George Siemens, Connectivism: A learning theory for today’s learner
http://connectivism.ca/about.html

23. Profound innovations in technology
tend to be reflected in older
paradigms

24. Online Learning at the Crossroads
• On the one hand – we have developed
tools and systems intended to support
traditional classroom based learning
• On the other hand – we could (should?)
be developing tools and systems to
support immersive learning
• We should be developing for dynamic,
immersive, living systems…

25. • Add tools/services
• Connect to data,
information, knowledge
• Create artifacts
Personal
Learning
Environment
• Connect to peers,
educators, family and
friends
• Share thoughts, ideas,
resources, artifacts
Personal
Learning
Network • Connect to professionals
and experts via
professional
organizations and
networks
• Collaborate
• Contribute
Professional
Learning
Network
Professional Network Organizing
LMS, Social network, Start
page
Development of Professional Learning Network

26. Social-oriented applications and
professional networks - new opportunities
for learners and educators

27. Widgets and apps everywhere!

28. Social search widget: Binocs
• The Binocs widget
allows search for a
variety of content
formats (e.g. videos,
presentations) and
content repositories
(e.g. YouTube,
SlideShare,
Wikipedia).
• Search results are
ranked according to
users’ ratings.

29. Web logs

30. Google is the most used e-learning
application

31. Building your PLE in iGoogle
iGoogle allows anyone with a Google account to assemble their own
collection of widgets.

32. Game Based Learning
Types: Branching, Spreadsheet, Game,
Lab…
http://www.downes.ca/cgi-
bin/website/view.cgi?dbs=Article&key=1116274375

33. PLEs building laid the foundations of some main
ideas:
(1) learning is an ongoing process and tools to
support this learning are needed
(2) the role of the individual in self-organizing
learning is important
(3) learning can take place in different contexts
and situations and cannot be provided by a
single learning provider.
Attwell Graham
Building PLE on start pages
Personal Learning
Environment

34. RolesActivities
Startpageenvironment
Tools/Services
Processes
Searcher
Assemblator
Learner Researcher
Innovatorof data, information,
knowledge
of subject matter,
technologies, how to learn
Create
Share
Commu-
nicate
Connect
RSS
feeds,
links
Search
engines
Blogs,
wikis
Feel
and
look
Social
book-
marking
Images/
AV
Chat/AV
conference
Email,
forum
Facebook/
Twitter/
Ning
To-do list,
notes,
comments
calendar
Design
learning
strategy
Plan
activities
Perform
activities
Document
results,
analyze
Share
results,
evaluate
Choose
technology/
application
Arrange
environment
Extend/modify
environment
Share
environment/
collaborate
Search
Gather
Aggre
-gate
Productivity
improvement
Customi-
zation
Compo-
nents,
panels,
tabs,
widgets
widgets
Goals,
needs,
interests,
motivation,
problems
AmodelofPLEBuilding

35. We can get an idea of what the PLE looks like
by drilling down into the pieces…
Model
- conceptual frameworks
- wiki (wiki API, RSS)
- concept maps (SVG, mapping format)
- gliffy (SVG?)
- reference frameworks
- Wikipedia
- video / 2L 3D representation –
embedded spaces

36. Demonstrate
- reference examples
- code library
- image samples
- thought processes
- show experts at work (Chaos Manor)
- application
- case studies
- stories
The question is, how
can we connect the
learner with the
community at work?

37. Practice
- scaffolded practice
- game interfaces
- sandboxes
- job aids
- flash cards
- cheat sheets
- games and simulations
- mod kits
- mmorpgs
The question is, how can
we enable access to
multiple environments
that support various
activities?

38. Reflection
- guided reflection
- forms-based input
- presentations and seminars
- journaling
- blogs, wikis
- communities
- discussion, sharing
The question is, how can we
assist people to see
themselves, their practice, in
a mirror?

39. Choice – Identity - Creativity
- simulated or actual environments
that present tasks or problems
- OpenID, authentication, feature or
profile development
- Portfolios & creative libraries
People talk about ‘motivation’
– but the real issue here is
ownership

40. PLEs are not another substantiation of educational technology
but a new approach to learning.
A response to pedagogic approaches which require that
learner’s e-learning systems need to be under the control of
the learners themselves.
PLE are based on the idea that learning will take place in
different contexts and situations and will not be provided by
a single learning provider
The idea of a Personal Learning Environment recognises that
learning is continuing and seeks to provide tools to support
that learning
Source: Graham Attwell

41. • A model for PLE building is proposed
• The modified Rogers’ model for competence development lifecycle
in a learning network is used in order to be examined the main
phases in competence progress of each student
• Social networks contribute to the processes by which learners meet
and communicate, and pool, share, learn about and reuse their
resources, knowledge and competencies
• PLE building is found to be a core for PLN and PfLN deployment
• The transition from PLE to PfLN is an important step that supports
students to become self-organized and life-long learners

42. • Attwell, G. (2013, February 07). Personal Learning Environments.
Retrieved March 06, 2013, from Slide Share: www.slideshare.net
• Downes, S. (2007, April 18). The Future Of Online Learning And
Personal Learning Environments. Retrieved March 19, 2013, from Slide
Share: www.slideshare.net
• Ivanova, M. (2009, April 09-10). From Personal Learning Environment
Building to Professional Learning Network Forming. Retrieved March 06,
2013, from Slide Share: www.slideshare.net
• Mikroyannidi, D. A. (2011, March 23). Build Your Personal Learning
Environment. Retrieved March 6, 2013, from Slidesshare:
www.slideshare.net
• Scapin, R. (2009, July 04). Personal learning environments.Retrieved
March 6, 2013, from Slideshare: www.slideshare.net