Personalized Learning Environments: Innovation in Education and Training

With the evolution of social media especially the arrival of mobile technologies one of the reemerging trends in teaching and learning process is personalized learning environments (PLE) or learning environment that is responsive and open to learners. As an extension of the historical model of individualized learning, PLE questions the assumption that all learners can and will learn the same materials at the same time. It emphasizes that given modern learning technology, learning solutions can be personalized and learning services, content and functions can be integrated into electronic learning spaces such as learning management systems and social networks. PLEs afford schools, universities and workplaces to optimize their education and training efforts by providing learners with the opportunity to create their own private and personal electronic learning environments at home or where ever they feel comfortable combining formal and informal learning. This paper describes the concept of Personalized Learning Environment (PLE) as an approach that not only provides personal spaces, which is controlled by the learner, but also requires a social context by offering means to connect with other formal and informal learning spaces for knowledge sharing and collaborative learning. It provides a conceptual model explaining how such a learning approach can be incorporated in schools, higher education and training environments. The paper will also explore the resources, tools, and delivery methods required within each learning spaces to utilize PLEs.