Using Technology to Engage in Personal & Professional Development: Personal Learning Environments & YouAisha Jackson, Amanda McAndrew & Jacie MoriyamaAcademic Technology ConsultantsUniversity of Colorado at Boulder

CU Women’s Succeeding: Annual Faculty Development Symposium

University of Colorado at Colorado SpringsFebruary 25, 2011

Objectives• Define Personal Learning Environments (PLEs). • Review learning theories that support the use of PLEs• Describe tools that could be used to build a PLE. • Discuss the benefits and considerations of using web-

based resources to support personal and professional development.

Where do you go when you’re ready to learn something?

Formal Learning• Learning is deliberate• Learning is strongly structured by

discipline or field• Learning is strongly structured in

curricular terms• State regulation• Providers are public or state

accredited• Quality assurance mechanisms

Non-Formal Learning Informal Learning• Learning is non-intentional• Learning is not structured by discipline

or field• Learning is not planned or has no

formal designation• Open Market• Private providers volunteer

organizations with no restricted market entry

• No quality assurance mechanisms

PLEs

Figure 1 Continuum of Learning from Formal to Informal (OECD, 2010)

What are Personal/Professional Learning Environments?

• An approach to learning, personal and professional development directed by your own needs and interests

• Facilitated by a collection of tools

(EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2009)

What’s in a PLE?Tools (Make up your PLE)

Services (Help to organize & manage your PLE)

Communities(A feature of Tools in your PLE)

Blogs RSS FeedsGoogle Reader

Commenting Feature

Management Autonomy Empowerment Access

ANDRAGOGYThe art and science of helping adults learn

(Knowles, 1980)

Assumptions about Adult Learners

1. Self-directed

2. Accumulated a reservoir of life experiences – rich resource for learning

3. Learning needs to be closely related to changing social roles

4. Problem- centered and interested in immediate application

A PLE is an approach to learning where an individual draws upon an array of resources to guide their own personal and professional development.

Assumption: The adult learner is independent and self-directed.

Assumptions about Adult Learners & PLEs

PLEs can be made up of traditional learning resources like books and can also comprise of (web-based) resources such as social networks.

Assumption: Adult learners have an accumulation of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning.

Assumptions about Adult Learners & PLEs

Assumption: Learning needs to be closely related to changing social roles AND are interested in immediate application.

The tools in a PLE can be used to contribute knowledge, “answer questions, provide context, and illustrate processes” (EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative, 2009, ¶5).

Assumptions about Adult Learners & PLEs

PLEs are an essential tool for women as it provides a means for them to not only expand their learning but also network and engage in (online) communities in both their personal and professional lives.

Self Directed Learning: ‘Women on welfare are, in fact, self-directed learners, and in the process, they act as political agents for themselves and for other women.’ (Andruske, 1997)

Self-Directed Learning & PLEs

Learning is situated.

Learning is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs.

Lave & Wenger (1990)

A community of practice is the situation.

Learning takes place in all different contexts and situations but in a community of practice you can gain and apply the knowledge in the same place.

Situated Learning and PLEs

• Allows for life long learning • Allows for a method of learning from multiple people, places, and communities.

• Creates a space to be active in a community of practice

Situated Learning and PLEs

• Developing a PLE is placing yourself in a situation and building a community of learners where you can: • Receive information • Organize information• Reflect on the information• Contribute to the community • Collaborate with the community

Jacie’s Personal Learning Environment

CONSIDERATIONS

Time

Be selective of the tools you use

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=2441&picture=tool-kit

Be your own filter

Changing Landscape

Situational

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Transient

Information Literacy

http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=1983&picture=old-typewriter

Questions & Discussion

Works Cited• Dependent or citizen? Women’s transitions from welfare

to work by C. L. Andruske• Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation by

J. Lave & E. Wenger• Context and main concepts by the Organization for

Economic Co-operation and Development• 7 Things you should know about Personal Learning

Environments by EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative • The modern practice of adult education: From pedagogy

to andragogy by Malcolm Knowles