This document summarizes a pilot study on the construction of knowledge in personal learning environments from a constructivist perspective. The study examined a platform for communication and learning called Personal Working and Learning Environments (PWLE) that provides 25 tools for students. Data was collected through student interviews and teacher views to analyze social cognitive processes and different privacy levels in using the tools. Initial results and conclusions from the study suggest areas that could be improved in future research.

1. The construction of knowledgein personal learning environments. A constructivist perspective.Alexandra Saz, César Coll, Alfonso Bustos and Anna Engel

2. A pilot study

5. Theoretical framework

6. Research contextSubject Educational Psychology University of Andorra

8. Problem-based learning

9. Personal working and learning environments (PWLE)Open source sofware(David Tosch and Ben Werdmuller, 2004)A platform for communication and learning

11. Available 25 tools in PWLEPhotosFavoritesAudioDiscussionsCalendarFilesVideosActivityPages

12. SearchTagsMessagesGroupUsers onlineMessengerRSS FeedProfile ProgressLatestphotos

13. Tools available in Group SpacePhotosFavoritesDiscussionsCalendarPagesVideosFiles

14. Social cognitive processes

15. Differentprivacylevels

16. Instruments for data collection

17. Initial results

23. Teacher’sviews

24. Interviews

25. Conclusions and suggestions

26. It would be advisable in future editions…

27. ReferencesAttwell, G. 2007. Personal learningenvironments-thefuture of eLearning?E-Learning Papers, vol 2, no. 1 January 2007 ISSN 1887-1542Barron, B. 2005. Learning ecologies of DigitallyAdeptYouth: Implications for seedingthedevelopment of technologicalfluency for all. Presentation at the Power UsersConference in San Jose, Costa Rica. August, 2005. SponsoredbyEducationDevelopmentCenter (EDC).Coll, C. 2004. Las comunidades de aprendizaje. Nuevos horizontes para la investigación y la intervención en psicología de la educación. Paper presented at IV Congreso Internacional de Psicología y Educación. Simposio: Nuevos horizontes en Psicología de la Educación. Almería, April 2004Tosh, D. and Werdmuller, B. (2004). Creation of a learninglandscape: Weblogging and social networking in the context of e-portfolios.RetrievedJuly, 16, 2004. Vigotsky, L. S. (1979). El desarrollo de los procesospsicológicos superiores. Madrid: Critica. (Published in english 1978)

28. Thanksyou for your attentionAlexandra Sazhttp://www.alexandrasaz.comTwitter: @alexandrasazAuthors: Alexandra Saz. Grup de Recerca Interdisciplinari en Educació - GRIE. Universitat d’Andorra. (www.uda.ad). César Coll, Anna Engel and Alfons Bustos. Grup de Recerca sobre Interacció i Influència Educativa – GRINTIE. Universitat de Barcelona (http://www.psyed.edu.es/grintie).