College Students’ Perceptions of Personal Learning Environments Through the Lens of Digital Tools, Processes and Spaces

Abstract

A review of the literature reveals there is a gap in the research regarding how students currently perceive PLEs and how they structure their PLEs to support their learning goals. The purpose of this study was to establish an understanding of college students' perceptions of PLEs and what digital tools are currently being used to structure PLEs in order to facilitate personal growth and development. Participants (N=109) were asked to share their perceptions of PLEs and what digital tools, devices, and services they use to create PLEs. Analysis of blog submissions revealed similarities and differences between the ways that undergraduate and graduate students perceive PLEs and how they characterize these learning spaces. Students reported using a variety of digital tools for learning however their expectations of digital tools were to foster discussion, collaboration, and interaction, organization, planning, and resource management, experiential learning, personalization and a desire for effective technology. The findings of this study have important implications with respect to the competencies and skills needed to create effective PLEs and the affordances of digital technologies needed to support PLE development.

Interaction of university students with educational content in the conditions of information educational environment

“…Зарубежные исследователи, занимающиеся проблемами развития персональных образовательных сред (Personal Learning Environment -PLE) в контексте формирования профессиональных компетенций студентов, разграничивают PLE и обычную персонализацию доступа к ресурсам сайтов [22][23][24]. Отмечается также необходимость учета вариативности способов создания обучающимися индивидуальных образовательных сред, например, по принципу активного / пассивного и детерминированного / стохастического подходов к работе с информацией [25].…”

The online learning process and scaffolding in student teachers’ personal learning environments

“…According to Rahimi et al (2012), social media tools (also called Web 2.0 tools) should be integrated into active learning processes in order to enable student-centered and collaborative learning based on the idea of a Personal Learning Environment. Indeed, college students want to use search engines, videos, and social networks for learning (Dabbgah and Fake 2017). PLEs also allow students to exchange their work and to access supportive information more quickly.…”

¿inclusividad en Las Herramientas Web 2.0?

“…Por esta razón, no debemos perder de vista que las TIC siguen avanzando en el tiempo, dando lugar a nuevos contextos de educación, y, por tanto, a nuevas prácticas educativas y acciones pedagógicas. Prueba de ello lo encontramos en las investigaciones y experiencias que en torno a ella se han llevado en los últimos tiempos (ARAUJO, 2016;DABBAGH;FAKE, 2017), en los que se pone de manifiesto la gran penetración que estos recursos están teniendo en los procesos de enseñanza y aprendizaje.…”