Antonio Calvani, Giovanni Bonaiuti, Antonio Fini , Maria Ranieri Università di Firenze [email_address] Towards e-learning 2.0: new paths for informal learning and lifelong learning. An application with Personal Learning Environments

Preface… Formal Schools, Universities, Training Programme Diploma, Certifications Non-formal Associations, clubs, … Programme Usually no formal qualification Informal Workplace, Family, Daily life… Incidental learning / Experential

Formal

Schools, Universities, Training

Programme

Diploma, Certifications

Non-formal

Associations, clubs, …

Programme

Usually no formal qualification

Informal

Workplace, Family, Daily life…

Incidental learning / Experential

E-learning? From Wikipedia (En): E-learning is a general term used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It is used interchangeably in so many contexts that it is critical to be clear what one means when one speaks of 'eLearning'.

From Wikipedia (En):

E-learning is a general term used to refer to computer-enhanced learning. It is used interchangeably in so many contexts that it is critical to be clear what one means when one speaks of 'eLearning'.

Is there a dominant paradigm in e-learning? Yes! It is Formal-Institutional : The course as the base unit Technological systems conform with this vision Hence the concept of LMS and VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) Isomorphism between “institution” and LMS/VLE A software that virtually reproduce the real institutional environment Centralization Controlled and reserved access Walled garden Focus on contents provided by teachers Asymmetry between teachers and students Environment is the same for all Attention to standards Tracking , control , … Limited cycle of life When the course ends…

Yes! It is Formal-Institutional :

The course as the base unit

Technological systems conform with this vision

Hence the concept of LMS and VLE (Virtual Learning Environment)

Isomorphism between “institution” and LMS/VLE

A software that virtually reproduce the real institutional environment

Centralization

Controlled and reserved access

Walled garden

Focus on contents provided by teachers

Asymmetry between teachers and students

Environment is the same for all

Attention to standards

Tracking , control , …

Limited cycle of life

When the course ends…

Looking forward… From the c ourse-centered paradigm to a student-centered one Formal & Informal The impact of Web 2.0 The Web is now “writeable”, “re-writeable”, “annotable”, “mixable” Blog, Wiki, Podcasting, Video/Photo sharing, … Web as a platform (Office 2.0, …) Social software (bookmarking …) Warning! These are services and software that online students already use But usually they do not interact with institutional LMSs © 2006 Jay Cross, Internet Time Group LLC, Berkeley, California Formal Informal

From the c ourse-centered paradigm to a student-centered one

Formal & Informal

The impact of Web 2.0

The Web is now “writeable”, “re-writeable”, “annotable”, “mixable”

Blog, Wiki, Podcasting, Video/Photo sharing, …

Web as a platform (Office 2.0, …)

Social software (bookmarking …)

Warning! These are services and software that online students already use

But usually they do not interact with institutional LMSs

The web 2.0 “encourages” the change

Comparing two visions Traditional paradigm LMS (VLE) Focus on institution Access Control, asymmetric roles Communities of students Separation study – rest of life Selected tools Focus on “standard” Pre-authored, closed content Learning objects Emergent Paradigm Personal environments (PLE) Focus on learner Autonomy, symmetry Open communities Lifelong Learning Unlimited tools Focus on “connectors” Open, dynamic, co-authored content Everything is learning Tecnhologies to support the process. Encompassing function. Technologies extending and renewing as the needs of users change

Traditional paradigm

LMS (VLE)

Focus on institution

Access Control, asymmetric roles

Communities of students

Separation study – rest of life

Selected tools

Focus on “standard”

Pre-authored, closed content

Learning objects

Emergent Paradigm

Personal environments (PLE)

Focus on learner

Autonomy, symmetry

Open communities

Lifelong Learning

Unlimited tools

Focus on “connectors”

Open, dynamic, co-authored content

Everything is learning

Personal Learning Environment Open, connected systems Controlled and managed by users, not by institutions Some inspirations: Lifelong learning E-portfolio Blog Presentation / CV tool Telling stories Conversations Main Technologies: RSS Web Services Scott Wilson – CETIS – 2005 http://www.cetis.ac.uk/members/scott

Open, connected systems

Controlled and managed by users, not by institutions

Some inspirations:

Lifelong learning

E-portfolio

Blog

Presentation / CV tool

Telling stories

Conversations

Main Technologies:

RSS

Web Services

Personal Learning Environment PLE Graphic by Scott Wilson, CETIS, 2005 (reworked) PLE An idea A concept A mix of tools NOT A NEW SYSTEM!!! Controlled by the user , not by the institution Technologies: RSS Web Service FOAF … .

Technologies:

RSS

Web Service

FOAF

… .

Toward e-learning 2.0 Technology as a resource to aggregate E-learning 2.0, G.Bonaiuti , 2006

The context of the project: the LTE Laboratorio di Tecnologie dell’Educazione (Education Technology Lab) Università di Firenze - Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Educazione, dei processi culturali e Formativi Directed by prof. Antonio Calvani Active since1985 www.scform.unifi.it/lte

Laboratorio di Tecnologie dell’Educazione

(Education Technology Lab)

Università di Firenze - Facoltà di Scienze della Formazione, Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Educazione, dei processi culturali e Formativi

Directed by prof. Antonio Calvani

Active since1985

www.scform.unifi.it/lte

E-learning courses managed by LTE Post-graduate courses Reti e didattica online Master Progettista e Gestore di Formazione in rete Many editions Hundreds of students and alumni An alumni community ? Strongly requested by participants to courses Self-organized initiatives in the past An example: elearningtouch

Post-graduate courses

Reti e didattica online

Master

Progettista e Gestore di Formazione in rete

Many editions

Hundreds of students and alumni

An alumni community ?

Strongly requested by participants to courses

Self-organized initiatives in the past

An example: elearningtouch

A community ? LTE is a de-facto community! Who are the participants? Staff Contributors Courses participants Teachers Students Alumni Others.. (researchers, guests, PhD students, ecc.) Needs: Keep in touch! Share and collaborate Beyond the boundaries of the LMS Manage and support our own informal learning, beyond and after the “course” An e-portfolio side by side to the LMS Technological support for a community of practice LTE Staff Contributors Students Alumni Teachers Others A loosely-coupled community!

LTE is a de-facto community!

Who are the participants?

Staff

Contributors

Courses participants

Teachers

Students

Alumni

Others.. (researchers, guests, PhD students, ecc.)

Needs:

Keep in touch!

Share and collaborate

Beyond the boundaries of the LMS

Manage and support our own informal learning, beyond and after the “course”

An e-portfolio side by side to the LMS

Technological support for a community of practice

Bridging… Our working hypothesis: Formal Course management Moodle Informal Blog, e-portfolio, story-telling, social networking Elgg

Our working hypothesis:

Formal

Course management

Moodle

Informal

Blog, e-portfolio, story-telling, social networking

Elgg

LTEver is based on Elgg Dave Tosh - 2005 http:// elgg.net / dtosh / weblog /398.html Open Source Technologies: Php/mySQL RSS FOAF OpenID Main Site: elgg.org Similar experiences: Athabasca Univ . (Canada) Alpen-Adria Univ. (Austria) Univ . Of Brighton (GB)

Open Source

Technologies:

Php/mySQL

RSS

FOAF

OpenID

Main Site: elgg.org

Similar experiences:

Athabasca Univ . (Canada)

Alpen-Adria Univ. (Austria)

Univ . Of Brighton (GB)

LTEver www.lte-unifi.net/elgg

LTEver features Blog Personal Web space to reflect and tell stories Aggregation from other personal blogs Supporting podcasting/video/photo sharing Dashboard A “showcase” or a web page totally personalizzabile with widgets Files A personal file repository, shareable RSS Resources Link to any external source via via RSS Profile Any word used in any field becomes automatically a tag , for connecting to others Network One’s own “network” of contacts One’s own communities Each user can create open or access-controlled communities Each user can freely invite colleagues and friends to join LTEver

Blog

Personal Web space to reflect and tell stories

Aggregation from other personal blogs

Supporting podcasting/video/photo sharing

Dashboard

A “showcase” or a web page totally personalizzabile with widgets

Files

A personal file repository, shareable

RSS Resources

Link to any external source via via RSS

Profile

Any word used in any field becomes automatically a tag , for connecting to others

Network

One’s own “network” of contacts

One’s own communities

Each user can create open or access-controlled communities

Each user can freely invite colleagues and friends to join LTEver

Main features A personal space, freely manageable No privileged roles (except for a super-user/admin) Privacy and security For each data element (a post, a file, a profile field) Access Control Public: everyone can access Logged Users: only other LTEver users Private: only the user Community/access group: freely defineble… User can always define the access level Communities and access groups Each user can: Freely create and manage new communities Free/controlled access Invite colleagues and friends for expanding the network

A personal space, freely manageable

No privileged roles (except for a super-user/admin)

Privacy and security

For each data element (a post, a file, a profile field)

Access Control

Public: everyone can access

Logged Users: only other LTEver users

Private: only the user

Community/access group: freely defineble…

User can always define the access level

Communities and access groups

Each user can:

Freely create and manage new communities

Free/controlled access

Invite colleagues and friends for expanding the network

Current research and outlook Activated in Feb 2007 Near 200 users Heavy use of blogs and comments Pre-defined communities Next steps: Support to activities and conversations Communities on specific topics, managed by Animators Research: Relational dynamics Surveys/Focus groups Usefulness of the tool for knowledge creation/sharing/managing Outlook: Technical OpenID New features (CV, presentation, tools integration, …) Internal External Services integration Methodological PLE as a pedagogical middleware A bridge between VLE and PLE?

Activated in Feb 2007

Near 200 users

Heavy use of blogs and comments

Pre-defined communities

Next steps:

Support to activities and conversations

Communities on specific topics, managed by Animators

Research:

Relational dynamics

Surveys/Focus groups

Usefulness of the tool for knowledge creation/sharing/managing

Outlook:

Technical

OpenID

New features (CV, presentation, tools integration, …)

Internal

External Services integration

Methodological

PLE as a pedagogical middleware

A bridge between VLE and PLE?

Some questions… Why not, for example, in MySpace? Users seem to prefer a halfway.. From first LTEver users survey: 54% say yes to existing users to be able to invite new users 54% say no to general public to be able to register New features? Internal External (via SOA)

Why not, for example, in MySpace?

Users seem to prefer a halfway..

From first LTEver users survey:

54% say yes to existing users to be able to invite new users

54% say no to general public to be able to register

New features?

Internal

External (via SOA)

Thank you! Contact: LTE - Laboratorio di Tecnologie dell’Educazione Università di Firenze www.scform.unifi.it/lte {calvani, gbonaiuti, antonio.fini, maria.ranieri@unifi.it} www.lte-unifi.net/elgg

Contact:

LTE - Laboratorio di Tecnologie dell’Educazione

Università di Firenze

www.scform.unifi.it/lte

{calvani, gbonaiuti, antonio.fini, maria.ranieri@unifi.it}

www.lte-unifi.net/elgg

Blog

Dashboard

Files

RSS resources

Profile

Network