Personal Learning Environments: Diversity and Divide
1. Personal Learning
Environments
Ilona Buchem, Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin (Germany)
Graham Attwell, Pontydysgu (UK)
http://www.postkiwi.com/images/2009/5/dave-andrews-in-alps.jpg
Alpine Rendez-Vous 2013,Villard-de-Lans,Vercors, French Alps
Tuesday, January 29, 13
2. PLEs are proposed as a way of allowing learners
to take control of their own learning,
regardless of the different contexts in which it takes place.
PLEs challenge existing power relations
within education and training systems.
PLEs can foster diversity through
boundary-crossing, responding to diverse needs,
building Personal Learning Networks.
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3. PLEs are a response to crisis
(2005-2009)
Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs)
walled gardens (closed)
institution-owned
monolithic
commercial
top-down
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19. Do-It-Yourself
Levi-Strauss: re-using available materials to solve new problems
Seymour Papert: Learning and solving problems by trying, testing, playing around
Sherry Turkle: alternative to conventional structured "planner" approach,
creating without an exhaustive preliminary specification,
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21. What characterises PLE, i.e. what are
the core categories and their
properties as addressed in literature?
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22. activity theory
mediate an activity
source of an activity direct an activity
govern an activity situate an activity organise an activity
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25. “Contradictions are historically accumulating structural tensions
within and between activity systems. (...)
When an activity system adopts a new element from the
outside, it often leads to an aggravated secondary contradiction
where some old element collides with the new one.
Such contradictions generate disturbance and conflicts, but
also innovative attempts to change the activity”
(Engström 2001)
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27. Boundary crossing
The object of one activity system
moves into the sphere of another,
potentially generating between-
system contradiction.
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28. Possible tensions
• emancipation vs. regulation
• private vs. public
• individual vs. collective
• members vs. non-members
• formal vs. informal
• expert vs. novice
• assessment vs. reflection
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29. Discussion
• PLE movement towards greater learning autonomy requires
knowledge and capabilities which learners do not possess. This
could disadvantage those already disadvantaged within the education
system. What dispositions are necessary in the pursuit of equity?
• To what extent can openness, decentralisation, connectivity and
permeability support diversity flourishing? What strategic and
political actions may be necessary if the potential of personal
learning environments is to be realised for everyone?
• To what extent can a learning environment remain 'personal' when
learning depends on interactions with others, often in fluid,
contested spaces?
• Are there any ways in which open, informal participation can amplify
inequalities - between communities as well as between individuals?
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30. Ilona Buchem
Professor for Digital Media & Diversity
Beuth University Berllin
Department I
Economic and Social Sciences
@mediendidaktik
https://ibuchem.wordpress.com
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