PLE = Personal learning environment.
As an MLIS student, I depend on my instructors to structure my learning in a certain manner, in order for me to maximize my learning about a subject I (honestly) know very little about. It would be inefficient for me to attempt 48-credits worth of independent study in order to fulfill the degree requirements, nor would the school permit it! But what about life after school? A lot of out learning is pre-planned for us by our employers of choice, but outside of our mandated learning – life is a never-ending directed study! Setting learning goals and objectives (for me anyways) helps bring meaning to every day. Achieving these goals, meanwhile, requires a personal learning plan (PLE). To better explain how my current PLE came about, I will start with a little backgrounder…
I lived a happy cell-phone free existance for 26 years of my early life. It was a lifestyle choice that suited my wife and I very handily, we didn’t like to be bothered when away from home, and both worked for the same company – making email and IM communication during business hours the preferable route for necessary communication. With the transition to a campus-bound student life this year, however, new methods of communication were required – so we got iphones and a 3 year commitment to Rogers. While I often still wish I could go back to that pre-cellular age of 2009, I have to admit, the smart phone has changed my life – and how I obtain my information. It took awhile for me to discover my first ‘app’ (Globe and Mail), and even now I maintain a fairly slim selection of applications to choose from (no more than 15 at a time), but I can’t deny my addiction!
My commute to UBC takes (on average) 2 hours each way. During that time I bring myself up to date on the events of the world (G&M, Huffington Post, TSN, The Onion (need some balance, right?) WSJ & Financial Post), stalk my social network on Facebook and (now) Twitter, watch the occasional video on Youtube, and all the other stuff that smart phones have to offer.
My point is this – without a smart phone, I would not attempt to access this content. I might, on occasion, read Macleans magazine or the Wall Street Journal print edition on the way to school, but would I purchase and bring along 5 separate papers? I don’t carry a laptop, but even if I did, I doubt I would use it in nearly as efficient an ‘information seeking’ manner as I do my iPhone. By selecting the apps which correspond to my daily informational needs, and then devoting 3-4 hours to digesting their content, I’ve opened my mind to opinions and trends that would otherwise elude me.
For me, a smart phone with neatly laid out applications is a wonderful aggregator, and a helpful tool that has allowed me to expand the scope of my PLE.