This document presents a first prototype of a personal learning environment (PLE) for higher education. It describes key aspects of PLEs like social involvement, content ownership, and personalization. The prototype was designed using a mashup principle with widgets to combine university services and the open web. An initial GUI was developed and usability tested. Next steps include finishing relevant university widgets and integrating services like Dropbox and Facebook. The goal is to launch the PLE in October 2010 and future work may include recommendations, learning scenarios, and integrating learning objects.

1. Personal Learning
Environment for Higher
Education
-
A First Prototype
Martin Ebner, Behnam Taraghi

4. Technology enhanced Learning
http://flickr.com/photos/powerbooktrance/289992273//

5. uLearning = {u-Environment, u-Contents,
u-Behaviour, u-Interface, u-Service}
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sovietuk/141381675

6. What is a PLE ?

7. According to Stephen Downes a PLE is ...
a future learning environment
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver/2441359074

8. According to Stephen Downes a PLE is ...
not an institutional or coporate
application but a learning center
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skippytpe/256929499

9. According to Stephen Downes a PLE is ...
where content is reused and
remixed
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alysser/2011022884

10. According to Stephen Downes a PLE is ...
according to the
student‘s own
needs and interests
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alysser/2011022884

11. Why we need a PLE ?

12. University a closed castle?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/toru_okada/1377360600

13. But how can we integrate the WWW ...
http://edtechpost.wikispaces.com/file/view/swl_ple2.gif (Scott Leslie, PLE Diagram)

14. and combine it with university‘s services?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ghz/407109888/

15. The general concept

16. 7 crucial aspects for the shift (Schaffert&Hilzensauer, 2008)
Social Involvement Content
Ownership
Educational &
organisatioal
culture
Personalisation
Technological aspects Role of learner
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thetoad01/2677459596

17. Technological concept

18. MashUp Principle - Use of Widgets
http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/J2EE/mashup_2/

19. Comparable to iGoogle

20. Widget
„Widgets are full-fledged client-side
applications that are authored using Web
standards. They are typically downloaded and
installed on a client machine or device where
they typically run as stand-alone
applications outside a Web browser“
Defintion of W3C
• Follow a W3C Widget Specification
• IST Palette Project allows exchange -
furthermore also the communicaton
between widgets

21. First Design Study

22. Central Ideas of the GUI:
„Less is more“ „the best of two worlds“
„tidy not cluttered“
http://www.flickr.com/photos/harmrhebergen/2694630

23. Brainstorming

24. First conceptual ideas

25. MockUp
http://www.flickr.com/photos/theredproject/3879832565

26. Main GUI Elements

27. Workflow
WidgetZone Widget Zoom
Dashboard FullScreen

28. Usability Tests
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rdolishny/2760207306

29. First Design

30. PersonalDashboard

31. First Working Prototype

32. General View - overall concept
!

33. Blog Widget
Customzation Screen
!
!

34. Twitter Widget
RSS Reader
!
!

35. U-Stream Widget
Google Maps
!
!

36. Next Steps
Finishing relevant
university-wide Widgets Integration of
Dropbox,
Facebook ...
Launch October 2010
(semester start)
http://flickr.com/photos/nib/10101227/

37. Future
Recommendation
Learning Scenarios
Integration of
Learning Objects (LO)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/supersonic_look/1307679752

38. Grab and Search your
Tweets http://grabeeter.tugraz.at
Slides available at: http://elearningblog.tugraz.at
SOCIAL LEARNING
Computer and Information Services
Graz University of Technology
Graz University of Technology
Martin Ebner
http://elearningblog.tugraz.at
mebner http://elearning.tugraz.at