From Personal Learning Environment Building to Professional Learning Network Forming

Malinka Ivanova, Technical University – Sofia, Bulgaria The 5th International Scientific Conference eLSE - eLearning and Software for Education, BUCHAREST, April 09-10, 2009 From Personal Learning Environment Building to Professional Learning Network Forming From Personal Learning Environment Building to Professional Learning Network Forming

From Personal Learning Environment Building to Professional Learning Network Forming Aim Forming learning network for competence development Professional network organizing The meaning of social and professional networks for education Building PLE on start pages Conclusion

To analyze the experience gained in using of Web 2.0 environment for competence development and for professional network organizing

Aim

Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators W3C “Social Networks Interoperability Roadmap” Incubator Group (XG) Federated Interoperable Framework

Social network sites can be defined as web-based services that allow individuals to:

construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system

articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection

view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.

Danah Boyd, School of Information, University of California-Berkeley Nicole Ellison, Department of Telecommunication, Information Studies, and Media, Michigan State University

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

Professional network generally refers to a professional network service, a virtual community that it is focused on professional interactions instead of social interactions. Wikipedia Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators Professional Networks

Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators Professional Networks

A learning network is a group of persons who create, share, support and study learning resources (“units of learning”) in a specific knowledge domain. Rob Koper, Open University of the Netherlands Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators Special-formed learning networks for life-long learners

Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators Special-formed learning networks for life-long learners

Because of their possibilities for:

data, information and “knowledge fusion”

enhancing accessibility, productivity and

innovative solutions

research tools providing

forming groups of personal and

professional interests

Social-oriented applications and professional networks - new opportunities for learners and educators To be successful at knowledge creation, analysis and dissemination, learners need from network inter-personal and inter-group interactions

PLEs building laid the foundations of some main ideas:

learning is an ongoing process and tools to support this learning are needed

the role of the individual in self-organizing learning is important

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

PLE s 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. Wikipedia Building PLE on start pages Personal Learning Environment

Web 2.0 applications called “ start pages ” are designed to provide a personalized place on the internet where users can mashup data, information and knowledge available anywhere, anytime, including mobile login. Wikipedia Building PLE on start pages Start pages

Building PLE on start pages iGoogle, Netvibes, Pageflakes

of data, information, knowledge of subject matter, technologies, how to learn

Forming Learning Network for Competence Development LMS, Social network, Start page

Forming the learning network of the course Internet Technologies is to:

provide sustainable value to students, not only during the course, but also after its finishing

stimulate them to contribute their knowledge, insights and experiences on a continuous basis

Forming Learning Network for Competence Development LMS, Social network, Start page

Competence development lifecycle in a learning network (according Rogers) Personal competence development objectives

More of the students who are deeply involved in the subject matter of the course and think in perspective are interested in:

more professional information

contact to experts and specialists

they joint to groups with special interests,

professional networks

they receive professional network services

they can discuss interests

stay informed

share knowledge

Professional Network Organizing

Professional Network Organizing LMS, Social network, Start page Development of Professional Learning Network

Professional Network Organizing PLE as part of Personal Learning Network and Professional Learning Network

Some advanced students during the PLE building self-orient and arrange content, knowledge and contacts in two different networks: personal and professional The transition from PLE to PfLN passes through a middle step of PLN set up This process is dynamic and continuously adapted to the present students’ interests In some cases the boarders between PLN and PfLN are blurred, because of coincidence of personal and professional interests PLE can be presented as a core for networks expanding The PLE building supports students in socialization and network processes set up Professional Network Organizing

A model for PLE building is proposed

Conclusion

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