Making learning personal – enhancing technology to meet the needs of 21 st Century learners

Making learning personal – enhancing technology to meet the needs of 21st Century learners Karen Velasco Deputy Chairman British Institute for Learning and Development and Member of ROLE Project Board

Agenda Trends in learning Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) – a potted history The barriers and constraints of PLEs From PLEs to ROLEs The ROLE project (inc case study) Question time L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

The changing shape of learning L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Five learning trends for 2009* Mobile learning DIY learning Flexible learning environments Virtual worlds Games and simulations * According to Brandon Hall, Chief Learning Officer magazine, January 2009 L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

First a question ... How many people have: • Heard of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE)? • Used a PLE?

What is a PLE? A Personal Learning Environment is not: • A specific software application • A system for creating or delivering e-learning content • A learning management system • A content management system • A virtual learning environment (in its strictest sense) • A Personal Learning Environment is: • A concept, based on Web 2.0 technology • A collection of tools and systems • Browser based • An environment where learners access information from a variety of sources • Personal to the user – learner-centric • Distributed and social L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

PLEs – definitions A Personal Learning Environment is a facility for an individual to access, aggregate, configure and manipulate digital artefacts of their ongoing learning experiences. Personal Learning Environments are systems that help learners take control of and manager their own learning. This includes providing support for learners to: • Set their own learning goals • Manage their learning – both content and process • Communicate with other in the process of learning And thereby achieve their learning goals. PLEs are based on the idea that most learning takes place informally, in different contexts and situations, and not by one single provider. L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

PLE elements PLEs may be made up of: • Production tools • Collaboration and sharing tools • Communication • Storage tools • Aggregating content • Aggregating people • Aggregating software • Identity management • APIs and protocols L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Discussion topic • What are the benefits to (a) you personally and (b) your organisation of using a PLE? • What are the drawbacks/limitations of PLEs?

Benefits of PLEs PLEs allow you to: • Create a repository of material about a particular subject matter • Communicate and collaborate • Organise material in a way that is personal to you • Learn formally and informally • Learn at a time and place to suit you • Learn throughout your life • Use whatever tools and devices you want (eg mobile phone, PS3, Wii) • Interact with friends and wider communities • Explore a subject in an informal manner • Reflect on your learning • Submit work for assessment and review • And much more ... L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Drawbacks of PLEs • Numerous tools may be overwhelming • Skill levels • Computer literacy • Information literacy • Differing pedagogical viewpoints • Access to technology and software may be limited • Reconciling the structured nature of formal education with the informal attributes of networked learning • Data privacy and security issues • Still mainly linked with FE/HE sectors • Take-up in the workplace • Do blogs, wikis, and podcasts qualify as a PLE? • Just how responsive and intuitive are PLEs? L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

iGoogle – is it a PLE? “Google is the most-used e-learning application.” Graham Attwell, Pontydysgu L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

From PLE to ROLE Responsive Open Learning Environments “an adaptive, predictive learning tool” L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Who is ROLE? • Fraunhofer FIT DE • RWTH Aachen University DE • Technical University of Graz AT • KatholiekeUniversiteitLeuven BE • University of Koblenz DE • Uppsala University SE • École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne CH • University of Leicester UK • Open University UK • Vienna University of Economics & Business AdministrationAT • FestoLernzentrum Saar GmbH DE • imcAG DE • British Institute for Learning and DevelopmentUK • Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China • ZentrumfürSozialeInnovationAT • U&I Learning BE L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

ROLE vision L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

The ROLE Video

Today’s PLEs Today: Unintelligent mash-up of“separated” technology (GUI mash-ups) FE/HE Companies Courses and Contentin LMS Courses and Contentin LMS/LCMS CorporateBlogs InstituteServices CorporateResources Private Add-inEducationApplications Search andOpen ResourceRepositories Communities / Social NetworkGroups / Experts L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

From PLE to ROLE L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Case study – English Language Learning Scenario L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

A few questions ... • Are we in danger of relying on “total technology”? • What about the digital divide? • Should we rely on technology alone to promote knowledge and social inclusion? • Do we have the infrastructure to support it? • What about diversity issues? • What about assessment and accreditation of learning? • Is it truly global? • If we build it, will they come? L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

ROLE website – www.role-project.eu

For more information ROLE website: http://www.role-project.eu/ LinkedIn ROLE group: http://www.linkedin.com/groupInvitation?gid=1590487 British Institute for Learning and Development: http://www.thebild.org Contact me: karen.velasco@peoplesolve.com L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Any questions? L&D 2020: Shaping change in learning

Making learning personal – enhancing technology to meet the needs of 21 st Century learners