Willkommen auf nicoleengelhardt.de

I am still reading and thinking about all the stuff we had given. This week the discussions point out the differences between Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) and Personal Learning Networks (PLNs). I like the definition of Dave Comier who wrote in his blog "[...] PLEs are (to me at least) the ecologies within which PLNs operate". I understand a PLE as my own environment, I take the tools which support my learning in the for me most effective way. In this case my learning is independ from other learners. But unfortunately there is no possibility to get input from other persons or take part on a discussion. On the other side the most learning tools that I use are social software tools as twitter, blog, delicious and so on and sharing my thoughts with others is really easy. And then we already have a PLN. Therefore a PLE is my personal (maybe technical) area in which I act to connect me to my network.

Next to the definition Dave Cormier mentions also two points about PLEs/PLNs in formal courses:

1. "[...] Ownership(personal) and Time(network) are critical impediments to implementing PLEs and PLNs in formal education. That’s not to say it isn’t possible, just that they need to be addressed."

2. "[...] Putting the responsibility for reporting networked open work on students is ok as long as you give them a low and high end of the amount of work that is reasonable."

In may words: First he argues that the most courses have not enough time to develop PLNs and second he focuses that also an open work has to be tutored. Respective the first matter I don't think that there isn't enough time (at least in German higher education courses), but I think the most students are not familiar with learning by themself. I assume that the most students need help to name their learning aims and to take responsibilty achieving them. Therefore it takes time to support student by these steps. Having said this I agree with Dave Cormier in both of his statements.

Additional notes from the moodle discussion "PLE Set Up By Institution":

Chazzo Chazzo: "Students come to me to get instruction, not to be told to go flail around until they find something to teach themselves."

George Siemens: "A meaningful learning experience is one where we have to decide what's important and what's irrelevant, not one where we duplicate the information and instructor has deemed to be important."

Catherine Lombardozzi: "As I begin this course, my first reaction is that the phrase "PLE set up by an institution" contains a contradiction in terms. If it's set up by an institution, it's not personal - it's a learning portal, or a learning center, or an online course."