Designing the Classroom Curriculum
Siemens indicates in his article that PLEs consist of two distinctive components the tools ( WEB 2 , social networking sites , Google etc .) that are used by students to learn and the conceptual notions of openness , interoperability and learner control . ( Siemens , 2007 ). Now , any change to the way teachers teach within their subject area is not always easy to undertake because there are various factors that can hinder teachers in making the change to introduce PLEs into their pedagogy .
The contrast between learning for learning ’ s sake and the structured learning presented by the ‘ Board of Studies ’ is not always complementary to the development and use of a pedagogy based around PLEs . Often , older teachers ’ ability to change their safe position of control from the front of the classroom ( i . e . teacher centred learning ) is difficult to relinquish . However , as more and more research emerges on the value of PLEs in producing creative and lifelong learning , projects such as “ Iclass ” and “ Imaile ” ( both European teaching initiatives to support EPLs in the classroom ) are becoming models on which to base a change in pedagogy . Classroom technology will become more prevalent in its use as the ‘ Digital Native ’ teacher appears in the education system replacing the ‘ Digital Migrant ’ and / or technophobic teachers within schools . Hopefully Stephen Downes idea of a PLE as "... one node in a web of content , connected to other nodes and content creation services used by other students . It becomes , not an institutional or corporate application , but a personal learning center , where content is reused and remixed according to the student ' s own needs and interests . It becomes , indeed , not a single application , but a collection of interoperating applications — an environment rather than a system " and it will become the norm .
Clearly Personal Learning Environments invariably encourage learners to become independent learners using Web 2 tools , blogs , wikis , Facebook and twitter to develop as creative cooperative individuals capable of performing within a modern technological environment .
Virtual Learning Environment
To place ‘ Virtual Learning Environment ( VLE )’ in context , think of your time at Southern Cross University and your use of MySCU . MySCU is a management tool recording numerous elements of your progress through university . To begin your university studies you used the MyEnrolment element of the application to record your personal details and enrolment and , then , the courses you studied , the results of these course , your progress through the degree , personal information , transcript of studies and your personalised timetable .
Initially , MyUnits is the element that presents you with the courses you will study , it contains the outline of your individual units , study guides , lesson materials , subject notices , assessment tasks , mark sheets and unit grades . MyUnits is a complete online-study compendium containing work units , educational notes , practice exercises , study plans and audio or videos tutorials . Numerous external course are taught exclusively through MYUnits using a virtual classroom (‘ Collaborate ’) without any tutor-to-student physical meeting . Discussion boards allow for the interchange of student ideas with peers . The MyService element connects students to a myriad of university amenities from the IT service desk to the chaplaincy service . MyScu is part of a larger computer application called ‘ Blackboard ’ which is a management system for higher educational institutions . Institutes can selects the elements that they wish to use and customise them to their institution . Thus MYSCU becomes the total Student Management System ( SMS ) for Southern Cross University . VLEs which are sometimes referred to as ‘ Student Management Systems ” have appeared across the educational sectors and are being rapidly adapted as an effect , efficient tool aiding the organisation of educational institutes . Although preliminary designed for the tertiary sectors VLEs are now used in all educational sectors .
‘ Moodle ’ ( http :// moodle . mylearningspace . com . au / ) is a popular VLE used in the school sector . TAFE NSW has adopted ‘ Moodle ’ as its primary source of managing student studies throughout the state . All
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