Personal Learning Environment

• What is a personal learning environment (PLE)?
• What elements make up a PLE?
• How is a PLE different from a Learning Managment System?
• What are some examples of PLEs?

Internet Research: Find answers to the following questions:

• What is an RSS feed?
• Find 2-3 RSS feeds related to Instructional Technology that you would like to follow throughout the semester.

A Personal Learning Environment is basically an organizational tool that allows you to customize your online resources. I am using blogger - it allows me to follow other blogs and feeds as well as post my own thoughts and responses. It also allows you to communicate and interact with other students, peers and instructors.

According to Learning Technologies Centre, the elements of a PLE exist on both the desktop and the web. These elements include production tools (Wikis, blogs, YouTube), collaboration tools, communication tools (Skype, IM), storage tools, aggregators, social networking sites and more.

These differ from Learning Management Systems in that the latter are software programs designed and implemented by an outside sources. The PLE is self-centric, and specific to each individual user.

The RSS feeds that I'm using as part of my PLE can be found in the "blogs I'm following" and include the Journal of Educational Psychology and Learning and Instructional Design.