This document summarizes a lecture about challenges for personal learning environment (PLE) research and development. It outlines several challenges including technical challenges, pedagogical challenges, issues of adaptability and control, and supporting lifelong learning processes in different contexts. It also discusses different perspectives on PLEs and provides examples of institutional PLE projects. Finally, it poses questions for group discussion around supporting different learning modes, group perspectives, learning contexts, and technology considerations.

1. Challenges for PLE research and development
Dr. Marco Kalz
Centre for Learning Sciences and Technologies
Open University of the Netherlands
marco.kalz@ou.nl
E-Learning lecture, 5. May, RWTH Aachen

2. !"#$%"!&

3. !"#$%&'(!&%$')*+,)-+,.$
!"#$%&'(%)*+,$-(')'./*
'0*+-,*0#+#1,*
!
• "#$%&'!&'()*%*+!
• ,$%-.%/#.0!&'()*%*+!
• 1#)23&(4'!&'()*%*+!!
• 5')0#*(&%6(7#*!
• ,0($%&%/8!
• 9(:'0!(*;!0%:.&(7#*0!
• <*/')*(7#*(&!='0'()4>!5)#?'4/0!
• @'4>*#&#+8!04#.7*+!

4. Where we started

5. Criticisms of the LMS

6. Criticisms of the LMS
Schneider, 2003

7. Criticisms of the LMS
• Administrative Functions
• Controlled Cohorts
• Teacher with all rights
• Prepared courses
• Learners consume
• Limited communication
• No design freedom
• Instruction
Schneider, 2003

8. A working definition
“Personal Learning Environments are learning
environments where learners can integrate
distributed information, resources and
contacts and reflect about learning progress
and learning products based on standards
and interfaces”.
Schaffert/Kalz 2010

9. Turner 2008

10. PLE vs. the rest
Schaffert/Kalz 2010

11. PLE perspectives
Schaffert/Kalz 2010

12. Food for thought
“Learning environments and their construction as well
as maintenance makes up the most crucial part of the
learning process and the desired learning outcomes
and theories should take this into account; instruction
itself as the predominant paradigm has to step
down”.
Wild et al 2008

13. Who adapts?
Important difference between
adaptation and adaptability
Traditional adaptive hypermedia
approach: Adaptation of system to
the user
PLE approach: Adaptability of the
system, adaptation in control of the
user

14. Educational processes

15. Technology: Institutional PLE projects
University of the Basque Country/Casquero 2008

16. Technology: Institutional PLE projects
TU Graz/Taraghi, Ebner & Schafftert, 2009

17. LMS: Monolithical blocks?

18. The proceedings

19. The lifelong learning perspective
Based on individual development needs and not course or
programe structures
Combination of different “learning modes”: formal arrangement,
short trainings, non-formal learning, self-organized learning,
networked learning, incidental learning (informal learning)
Combination of different group situations: individual learning,
learning in small groups, learning in large groups, learning in
learning networks
Combinations of different learning contexts: On the job, at
home, on the move
Combination of accreditation standards: Recognized
accreditation (e.g. ECTS), certificates, accreditation by
experience (e.g. APL)

20. Group discussion

21. Learning modes
How to capture and support learning processes and learning
results with a PLE?
How can we design different setups that support these modes?
Which parts of a PLE support these modes best?
How can we capture the learning modes the learner is in?
What are support services for these different modes?

22. Group perspective
How can we support different communication and cooperation
possibilities with a PLE?
When does it make sense to switch between individual learning
and group activities?
How do we integrate the learning network into learning activities?
How can we support cooperation/collaborative learning in a PLE?

23. Learning context
How can a PLE react on the switch
of a learning context?
How can we capture real-world
experiences in a PLE?
What approaches can we use to let
a PLE react on input from mobile
contexts?

24. Technology
How can we exchange information of widgets?
With which methods can we avoid a steep learning
curve to setup a PLE while still keeping the design
freedom?
How can we transfer traditional recommendation
approaches of resources to recommendations of
learning activities?

25. Possible topics
Liferay portlet development for OER search
Reflection support functionality with snapshots
Self-configuring PLE setups
Approaches to capture mobile learning activities in PLE
Cognitive load experiments with PLE

26. Thank you for your attention
Dr. Marco Kalz
marco.kalz@ou.nl
twitter: mkalz
http://www.marcokalz.de
http://celstec.org