The access to and range of resources on the web provide a new degree of freedom to learner to organize their individual learning. An assorted set of resources- both online and desktop that a leaner uses to manage her learning – answer questions (gooogling), provide context, illustrate processes and organize her learning approach is called Personal learning environment. PLE is U r Study on the web. The concept of PLE demands a fundamental change in the role resources (teachers, libraries) play in teaching and learning. In the network environment where information is ubiquitous, there is a greater need of skills that support fast and accurate access to relevant and reliable information resource.
PLE: what does it mean for teachers?
PLE changes teachers role in fundamental manner. In the networked world, where students have access to learning resources, teaching is less a matter of data transmission ( image) and more of a collaborative exercise in exploration, collection, orchestration, reusing, remixing and integration of information and insight into knowledge production.
PLE : what does it mean for a student?
PLE provides freedom to learners or students. With new found freedom comes a new responsibility. In a PLE, the goal of the student shifts from a need to gather information to a need to draw connection from it- to acquire it, process it, share it and collaborate in using and harnessing it.
A PLE puts learning in driver’s seat. She is in charge of her own learning processes, challenging it to reflect on tools and resources that help them learn best. By design and practice PLE is a creation by individual initiative and self-direction and for that reason the responsibility for organization and as a consequence for learning – rests with the learner.
The Role of PLE may herald a greater emphasis on the role that meta-cognition plays in personal learning, enabling learner to actively probe – consider and reflect upon the specific tools and resources that lead to a deeper engagement with learning resources to facilitate their learning
