Personal Learning Environments
Personal learning environments (PLEs) are a loosely defined term used to describe tools that
support self-directed and group-based learning, focus on individual learning goals and needs,
with great capacity for flexibility and customization. The term has been evolving for some time,
but has crystalized recently around the personal collections of tools and resources a person
assembles to support their own learning — both formal and informal. The conceptual basis for
PLEs has shifted significantly in the last two years, as smartphones, tablets, and apps have begun
to emerge as compelling alternatives to browser-based PLEs and e-portfolios. There has been a
corresponding move away from centralised, server-based solutions to distributed and portable
ones. Using a growing set of free and simple tools and applications, or even a personally
assembled collection of apps on a tablet, it is already easy to support one’s ongoing social,
professional, and learning activities with a handy collection of resources and tools that are always
with you. While the concept of PLEs is still fairly fluid, it is clear that a PLE is not simply a
technology but an approach or process that is individualised by design, and thus different from
person to person.