Personal Learning Environments: The UK’s vision of the future

Personal Learning Environments: The UK’s vision of the future Jack Wills Chairman The British Institute for Learning and Development

The British Institute for Learning and Development Over 1700 members Member benefits • A professional membership grade • Networking opportunities through the BILD forum • 6 free member events per year • Access to web resources • Membership directory listing • A fortnightly membership newsletter • Email alerts about events and contract opportunities • Access to the Online BILD membership magazine • A free copy of Learning Magazine • Discounts on other BILD and non BILD events • Discounts on various services More information: www.thebild.org

Personal Learning Environments:What does the future hold? Karen Velasco Deputy Chairman British Institute for Learning and Development and Member of ROLE Project Board

Agenda Trends in learning PLEs – a potted history The barriers and constraints of PLEs From PLEs to ROLEs The ROLE project Question time Online Educa, Berlin

Five learning trends for 2009* Mobile learning DIY learning Flexible learning environments Virtual worlds Games and simulations * According to Brandon Hall, Chief Learning Officer magazine, January 2009 Online Educa, Berlin

What is a PLE? A Personal Learning Environment is not: • A specific software application • A system for creating or delivering e-learning content • A learning management system • A content management system • A virtual learning environment (in its strictest sense) • A Personal Learning Environment is: • A concept, based on Web 2.0 technology • A collection of tools and systems • Browser based • An environment where learners access information from a variety of sources • Personal to the user – learner-centric • Distributed and social Online Educa, Berlin

PLEs – definitions A Personal Learning Environment is a facility for an individual to access, aggregate, configure and manipulate digital artefacts of their ongoing learning experiences. Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manager their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to: • Set their own learning goals • Manage their learning – both content and process • Communicate with other in the process of learning And thereby achieve their learning goals. PLEs are based on the idea that most learning takes place informally, in different contexts and situations, and not by one single provider. Online Educa, Berlin

PLE elements PLEs may be made up of: • Production tools • Collaboration and sharing tools • Communication • Storage tools • Aggregating content • Aggregating people • Aggregating software • Identity management • APIs and protocols Online Educa, Berlin

Benefits of PLEs PLEs allow you to: • Create a repository of material about a particular subject matter • Communicate and collaborate • Organise material in a way that is personal to you • Learn formally and informally • Learn at a time and place to suit you • Learn throughout your life • Use whatever tools and devices you want (eg mobile phone, PS3, Wii) • Interact with friends and wider communities • Explore a subject in an informal manner • Reflect on your learning • Submit work for assessment and review • And much more ... Online Educa, Berlin

Drawbacks of PLEs • Numerous tools may be overwhelming • Skill levels • Computer literacy • Information literacy • Differing pedagogical viewpoints • Access to technology and software may be limited • Reconciling the structured nature of formal education with the informal attributes of networked learning • Data privacy and security issues • Still mainly linked with FE/HE sectors • Take-up in the workplace • Do blogs, wikis, and podcasts qualify as a PLE? • Just how responsive and intuitive are PLEs? Online Educa, Berlin

iGoogle – is it a PLE? “Google is the most-used e-learning application.” Graham Attwell, Pontydysgu Online Educa, Berlin

From PLE to ROLE Responsive Open Learning Environments “an adaptive, predictive learning tool” Online Educa, Berlin

Who is ROLE? • Fraunhofer FIT DE • RWTH Aachen University DE • Technical University of Graz AT • KatholiekeUniversiteitLeuven BE • University of Koblenz DE • Uppsala University SE • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH • University of Leicester UK • Open University UK • Vienna University of Economics & Business AdministrationAT • FestoLernzentrum Saar GmbH DE • imcAG DE • British Institute for Learning and DevelopmentUK • Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China • ZentrumfürSozialeInnovationAT • U&I Learning BE Online Educa, Berlin

ROLE vision Online Educa, Berlin

Today’s PLEs Today: Unintelligent mash-up of“separated” technology (GUI mash-ups) FE/HE Companies Courses and Contentin LMS Courses and Contentin LMS/LCMS CorporateBlogs InstituteServices CorporateResources Private Add-inEducationApplications Search andOpen ResourceRepositories Communities / Social NetworkGroups / Experts Online Educa, Berlin

From PLE to ROLE Online Educa, Berlin

Case study – English Language Learning Scenario Online Educa, Berlin

A few questions ... • Are we in danger of relying on “total technology”? • What about the digital divide? • Should we rely on technology alone to promote knowledge and social inclusion? • Do we have the infrastructure to support it? • What about diversity issues? • What about assessment and accreditation of learning? • Is it truly global? • If we build it, will they come? Online Educa, Berlin

ROLE website – www.role-project.eu

For more information ROLE website: http://www.role-project.eu/ LinkedIn ROLE group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupInvitation?gid=1590487 British Institute for Learning and Development: http://www.thebild.org Contact me: karen.velasco@peoplesolve.com Online Educa, Berlin

Any questions? Online Educa, Berlin

Personal Learning Environments: The UK’s vision of the future