Creating personal learning environments to enhance learning engagement

Abstract

This paper reported two case studies that explored the construction of personal learning environment (PLE) to enhance learning engagement of university students. Students participating in two case studies were provided with different PLEs that were developed through use of two popular educational social networking platforms-Elgg and Edmodo-to respectively support student-centered pedagogical activities. Interviews, online observations, and questionnaires were adopted to collect data. Data was analyzed qualitatively to investigate the impact of PLE on learning engagement from students' point of view and to identify issues related to implementing effective PLEs. The results suggest that empowered with autonomy, personalization and control over the learning process, students can be engaged to self-directed, collaborative and meaningful learning; contemporary technology offers promising opportunities to design and implement PLEs. Bases on findings of the case studies, a set of recommendations are generated for teachers to establish PLEs to effectively support teaching and learning.