social software
Articles
On the way towards Personal Learning Environments: Seven crucial aspects
04 Lulju 2008
The practice of learning and teaching is not pre-determined, but always related to the tools and systems used in the process. The development and rising success of social software applications such as weblogs and wikis and so-called Personal Learning Environments (PLE) changes, enables and challenges learning with the Internet.
PLE, especially in contrast to traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS), received significant attention and are about changing the paradigm of learning and teaching. This paper tries to underpin a better understanding of the underlying concepts of both approaches and, on the other hand, to emphasise the consequences and challenges of PLE and its rising usage for learning.
We have identified seven aspects where these changes are most obvious and/or important. To sum up, learning with PLE leads to changes concerning: (1) the role of the learner as active, self-directed creators of content; (2) personalisation with the support and data of community members; (3) learning content as an infinite “bazaar”; (4) the big role of social involvement; (5) the ownership of learner's data; (6) the meaning of self-organised learning for the culture of educational institutions and organisations, and (7) technological aspects of using social software tools and aggregation of multiple sources.
The vast number of tools, supporting collaboration on the web is an indicator that PLE and social software tools are not only a flash in the pan, but lead to a new notion of learning and a measure for sustainable competence development. Nevertheless, the existing approaches and ideas for PLE need further development and elaboration. With the discussion of the related shifts from LMS towards PLE and their challenges, this paper may serve as the basis for learners, teachers and educational institutions decisions for (or against) the technological concept of PLE, on a general level and taking into account its pedagogical implications.
We have identified seven aspects where these changes are most obvious and/or important. To sum up, learning with PLE leads to changes concerning: (1) the role of the learner as active, self-directed creators of content; (2) personalisation with the support and data of community members; (3) learning content as an infinite “bazaar”; (4) the big role of social involvement; (5) the ownership of learner's data; (6) the meaning of self-organised learning for the culture of educational institutions and organisations, and (7) technological aspects of using social software tools and aggregation of multiple sources.
The vast number of tools, supporting collaboration on the web is an indicator that PLE and social software tools are not only a flash in the pan, but lead to a new notion of learning and a measure for sustainable competence development. Nevertheless, the existing approaches and ideas for PLE need further development and elaboration. With the discussion of the related shifts from LMS towards PLE and their challenges, this paper may serve as the basis for learners, teachers and educational institutions decisions for (or against) the technological concept of PLE, on a general level and taking into account its pedagogical implications.
Articles
Social Software and the Establishment of Virtual Communities of Practice in the Tourism Sector
26 September 2007
The concept of Communities of Practice can be seen as a central model that supports informal learning processes especially in workplace surroundings. Based on the assumption that Social Software tools and models are well suited to support collaboration within virtual networks, this paper aims to present and analyse the experiences made in the process of establishing Virtual Communities of Practice in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) of the tourism sector in Europe (involving the application of Social Software tools).
SMEs can be seen as the backbone of regional prosperity and employment in Europe and their employees’ professional development is often seen as a precondition to achieve innovations and to compete with other companies. However, small enterprises are often not able to address their employees’ learning needs by developing or financing formal learning initiatives individually. Recent ideas on ICT-based learning include a blend of learning and working, resulting in the concept of learning at the workplace. These kinds of informal learning processes in organisations are aimed at learning around concrete problems.
Empirical research carried out in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci project Work&Learn Together (WLT) shows that Social Software can indeed facilitate and support communication processes within Communities of Practice. However, these tools are often rather to be seen as an additional channel of communication. The idea of establishing purely Virtual Communities of Practice in the tourism sector actually proved to be quite difficult. The feeling of competition in the sector was found to be much stronger than the actual need to learn collaboratively.
Nevertheless several fields in which Virtual Communities of Practice could be established to support existing structures of communication and learning as well as meet learners' needs were detected in the tourism sector. One central motivation for the implementation of Virtual Communities of Practice – especially in SMEs – is the fact that there is a need for tools which allow learning during working hours and at the workplace. Thus the attendance of formal training sessions, which often involve impractical traveling to training centres for employees in rural areas, can be avoided.
Empirical research carried out in the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci project Work&Learn Together (WLT) shows that Social Software can indeed facilitate and support communication processes within Communities of Practice. However, these tools are often rather to be seen as an additional channel of communication. The idea of establishing purely Virtual Communities of Practice in the tourism sector actually proved to be quite difficult. The feeling of competition in the sector was found to be much stronger than the actual need to learn collaboratively.
Nevertheless several fields in which Virtual Communities of Practice could be established to support existing structures of communication and learning as well as meet learners' needs were detected in the tourism sector. One central motivation for the implementation of Virtual Communities of Practice – especially in SMEs – is the fact that there is a need for tools which allow learning during working hours and at the workplace. Thus the attendance of formal training sessions, which often involve impractical traveling to training centres for employees in rural areas, can be avoided.
Articles
Personal Learning Environments - the future of eLearning?
15 January 2007
This paper explores some of the ideas behind the Personal Learning Environment and considers why PLEs might be useful or indeed central to learning in the future. This is not so much a technical question as an educational one, although changing technologies are key drivers in educational change.
The paper starts by looking at the changing face of education and goes on to consider the different ways in which the so-called ‘net generation’ is using technology for learning.
It goes on to consider some of the pressures for change in the present education systems. The idea of a Personal Learning Environment recognises that learning is ongoing and seeks to provide tools to support that learning. It also recognises the role of the individual in organising his or her own learning. Moreover, the pressures for a PLE are based on the idea that learning will take place in different contexts and situations and will not be provided by a single learning provider. Linked to this is an increasing recognition of the importance of informal learning.
The paper also looks at changing technology, especially the emergence of ubiquitous computing and the development of social software.
The paper believes that we are coming to realise that we cannot simply reproduce previous forms of learning, the classroom or the university, embodied in software. Instead, we have to look at the new opportunities for learning afforded by emerging technologies.
Social software offers the opportunity to narrow the divide between producers and consumers. Consumers themselves become producers, through creating and sharing. One implication is the potential for a new ecology of ‘open’ content, books, learning materials and multimedia, through learners themselves becoming producers of learning materials.
Social software has already led to the widespread adoption of portfolios for learners, bringing together learning from different contexts and sources of learning and providing an ongoing record of lifelong learning, capable of expression in different forms.
The paper considers how Personal Learning Environments might be developed through the aggregation of different services.
The final section provides examples of practices that show how PLEs may be used in the future.
It goes on to consider some of the pressures for change in the present education systems. The idea of a Personal Learning Environment recognises that learning is ongoing and seeks to provide tools to support that learning. It also recognises the role of the individual in organising his or her own learning. Moreover, the pressures for a PLE are based on the idea that learning will take place in different contexts and situations and will not be provided by a single learning provider. Linked to this is an increasing recognition of the importance of informal learning.
The paper also looks at changing technology, especially the emergence of ubiquitous computing and the development of social software.
The paper believes that we are coming to realise that we cannot simply reproduce previous forms of learning, the classroom or the university, embodied in software. Instead, we have to look at the new opportunities for learning afforded by emerging technologies.
Social software offers the opportunity to narrow the divide between producers and consumers. Consumers themselves become producers, through creating and sharing. One implication is the potential for a new ecology of ‘open’ content, books, learning materials and multimedia, through learners themselves becoming producers of learning materials.
Social software has already led to the widespread adoption of portfolios for learners, bringing together learning from different contexts and sources of learning and providing an ongoing record of lifelong learning, capable of expression in different forms.
The paper considers how Personal Learning Environments might be developed through the aggregation of different services.
The final section provides examples of practices that show how PLEs may be used in the future.