Read/Write Web again offers some relevant perspectives on what might be called E-Learning (t d f) 2.0. The obvious decisive aspect is the move from institution (was VLE - virtual learning environment like Blackboard and Moodle) to learner-centric environments (ePortfolios).
e-learning 2.0: All You Need To Know: “One of the strongest, but least hyped, uses of web 2.0 technologies over the past couple of years has been e-learning. [...]Although not designed specifically for use in education, these tools are helping to make e-learning far more personal, social, and flexible.
One of the usual suspects that are mentioned in this context is ELGG that coined itself an ePortfolio (t d f) and social-network application - getting its value not only from integrating several aspects of Web 2.0 applications like blogs, wikis, links, rss etc but particularily by applying flexible access rights to user generated content. ELGG and others are presented as the prototypical grassroots application.
In a comprehensive follow-up quite a many web-apps are mentioned that make it far easier for nowadays students to getting their job done. From simple Office replacements like Google’s Apps to Facebook as an integrating social network monster. Please refer to that listing over at Web 2.0 Backpack: Web Apps for Students
Well, that’s the cure or the challenge!
There is more than just this part (=grassroots) of the equation. There are those big institutions that invested in VLEs not long ago just in order to realize that that’s more the pain than the cure of learning in the digital age. What we as factline are going to do is help those institutions to embrace a more open perspective on learning by supporting those that are actually in charge of the process: the students and the teachers. We not only provide the the tools but also can guarantee that the institution can accept their visions. And fortunately those institutions are starting to realize that they need to trust their employees and their students.
Being an ePortfolio-provider for institutions that provide ePortfolios to their students represents a slightly different approach. Def. no grassroots movement rather a top-down approach. So what does that mean for deploying and maintaining ePortfolios as personal learning environments (PLE).
So what does all that mean for an institutional ePortfolio provider like factline:
- funny thing: we are approached to support grassroots ambitions
- students - only naturally - ask us to provide a continuing life for their digital identity after graduation
- how can we secure the interests and didactical needs for an institution and its teachers
- how can we secure the interests of the students
- how can we provide access to all those webservices (t d f) around
- how can we provide integrations with the VLE in place
- how can we compete with global competition
- how can we differentiate and provide better service to both students and institutions alike
- how can we actively participate in the discussions that evolve the entire ePortfolio topic: in terms of technical standards and in terms of organizational and pedagogical needs.
As you might imagine we’ve done a lot already to ask some of those questions and there is more to do to answer the remainder.
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Tags: e-learning, ePortfolio, socialsoftware, standards, Tools, web2.0
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