This document discusses how learners can use personal web technologies (PWTs) like social bookmarking, blogging, and widgets to create personalized learning environments (PLEs) and networks (PLNs). It explains how PWTs support connectivist learning principles by allowing knowledge to reside in networks. While PWTs provide learning opportunities, they can also lead to issues like distraction, privacy concerns, and isolated "echo chambers" if not used critically.

1. EDUC9701 Reading
Discussion
Weaving a Personal Web: Using online
technologies to create customized,
connected, and dynamic learning
environments
Jessica McElvaney
Zane Berge

2. Main points
 How learners can use personal web
technologies (PWTs)
 PWTs and connectivist learning
principles
 Description and application of various
PWTs
 Personal learning environments (PLEs)
and personal learning networks (PLNs)
 Disadvantages of using PWTs

3.  People can personalise their experiences
with the internet use by creating their
own personal web
 “The 2009 Horizon Report defines
personal webs as "customized, personal
web-based environments . . . that
explicitly support one's social,
professional, [and] learning . . . activities
via highly personalized windows to the
networked world" (Johnson, Levine &
Smith, 2009, p. 19)”

4. Connectivism and PWTs
 Employees can use PWTs and make their own
PLEs
 Whenever individuals need knowledge they can
use their PLEs to get it
 PWTs support various principles of connectivism
outlined by Siemens (2006)
 “(i) Knowledge rests in networks, (ii) Knowledge
may reside in non-human appliances, and
learning is enabled / facilitated by technology,
and (iii) Currency (accurate, up-to-date
knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist
learning activities (p. 31).”

5.  PWTs enables learners to increase
their ability for knowledge by linking
to external resources

6. Figure 1: Visualization of a web-based Personal Learning Environment

7. Overview of Personal Web Technologies
 “When personal web technologies are
used for educational or training purposes,
they offer learners the flexibility to choose
from a variety of tools and methods to
accomplish their goals. Each individual
has the opportunity to choose how they
manage online resources according to
their own preferences.” (p. 3)
 Social bookmarking and research tools
 Personal publishing tools
 Aggregators
 Widgets

8. Social Bookmarking and Research Tools
 These tools allow to save online resources
and organise them for later use
 Can be shared with colleagues, friends
and the public
 Delicious
 Diigo
 Twine
 Connotea
 Zotero

9. Personal Publishing Tools
 Examine and evaluate topics (King,
2009)
 Micro-blogging allows questioning and
collaborative brain storming (King, 2009)
 “Camplese (2009) proposes that
blogging be used to create an
individualized content management
system that publishes, organizes, and
archives an on-going activity feed of a
student's learning (“Blogs at Penn State”
section, para. 3, line 4).”

10. Personal Publishing Tools
 Blogs can incorporate multimedia
 “Twitter are user-friendly tools that allow
them to easily "ask and answer
questions, learn from experts, share
resources, and react to events on the
fly" (Boss, 2008, para. 4, line 3).”

11. Aggregators
 “These tools filter online information
and collect articles, media, and
conversations customized to the
user's needs; saving time and effort
(King, 2009).”

12. Widgets
 “Widgets are small, adaptable,
programmable, web-based gadgets
that can be embedded into a variety
of sites or used on mobile phones or
desktops (Guess, 2008).”
 many sites allow users to create their
own widgets.
 “Learners can use widgets to make
other personal web technologies more
portable…”

13. Using Personal Web Technologies to Create
PLEs and PLNs
 PWTs can be put together to make an
individual PLE and to manage a PLN
 “… a PLE is the sum of websites and
technologies that an individual makes use of
to learn. PLEs may range in complexity from a
single blog to an inter-connected web of
social bookmarking tools, personal publishing
platforms, search engines, social networks,
aggregators, etc.”
 Users can create an online PLN of colleagues
and friends and can be shared in the virtual
environment

14.  PLE and PLN can be mobile
 Most PWTs provide mobile-friendly
versions
 “Instead of limiting learning to traditional
environments, mobile versions of PWTs
give learners more options on where and
when to learn”
 Mobile devices are handy and learning
can be recorded the site and instantly.

15. Learning Applications of PWTs
 “Learners who use PWTs must learn to question
sources, verify information, compare and
contrast various perspectives and become
more independent.”
 “Teaching students how to best use these
technologies could support both their formal
classroom learning and give them a starting
point when researching, creating, or
collaborating on topics of their own choosing
(see Figure 3)”
 PWTs in higher education as research tool,
building PLNs and making online portfolios
 PWTs can be used to create learning
organisation model

16. Figure 3. Non-linear learning; the student receives information from a large
variety of sources. The student must choose how to filter, critique, and manage
external information.

17. Five Potential Disadvantages of Using PWTs for
Learning
 Connection addiction
 Spend too much time in PLE or PLN
 Disconnected with the physical world
 Work interrupted
 Constant check for updates deviates from
productivity
 Popularity contests
 Popular people dominate online discussion
 Less popular people’s creative ideas not
considered

18.  Echo chambers
 May not include diverse voices
 Privacy and security concerns
 Not completely secure
 Personal publishing tools are vulnerable and
can be viewed by anyone

19. Conclusion
 PWTs allows learners to take an active role
 To effectively use PWTs leaners need to
be able to evaluate content and
resources
 Learners choose how to interact with
PWTs
 PWTs offer new learning opportunities for
self-directed and critical thinking learners

20. Discussion
 How does PWTs enhance diverse learning?
 How can teachers develop critical media
and information literacy in their students so
that they can use PWTs effectively?
 How can we overcome/minimise the five
potential disadvantages PWTs?
 How does your institution/school use PLEs and
PLNs?