Personal Learning Environments as Digital Spaces that are Collaborative, Adaptive, and Autonomous

Abstract

This study sought to validate the findings of an earlier study that examined college students' perceptions of Personal Learning Environments or PLEs through the lens of digital tools, processes, and spaces. Twenty-two participants in a higher education institution in the U.S. were asked to share what technologies they use to learn, what technologies they wish they had access to for learning and why, and what would their ideal PLE look like. The findings revealed that participants perceived PLEs as making their learning experience more personal, connected, social, and open; and that their ideal PLEs would include opportunities for collaboration and interaction, tools for organizing, planning, and resource management, discovery learning strategies, and the use of effective technology to support a personalized and self-directed learning experience. These findings were largely consistent with the findings of the earlier study with a few differences discussed in this paper.