Towards an Adaptable Personal Learning Environment

Back to Accessibility SIG Meeting 13th May 2009: Towards an Adaptable Personal Learning Environment.

This is the HTML version of the Towards an Adaptable Personal Learning Environment (PowerPoint format - 186Kb) given by [mailto:e.pearson@tees.ac.uk Dr Elaine Pearson] and Voula Gkatzidou (also written by Dr Steve Green), Accessibility Research Centre, University of Teesside.

Outline

 * Introduce selected research areas;
 * Focus on Specialist (PLE) - Portland;
 * Introduce concept of adaptable learning objects and personal profiling tool;
 * Describe progression to Adaptable Personal Learning Environment (APLE);
 * Suggest areas for further work.

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Background
ARC major research areas:


 * Specialist LMS (PLE) - Portland;
 * Adaptable learning objects and personal profiling tool;
 * Adaptable mobile interfaces and interoperability.

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Challenges

 * LMSs do not meet needs of Web 2.0 generation learners;
 * Personal Learning Environments allow users to choose components (e.g. JISC definition).

But
 * Our experience shows that disabled learners may need more flexibility;
 * Other learners need flexibility according to environment or preferences.

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Specialist VLE - Portland

 * Designed for a particular user group;
 * Include the typical basic features of a standard VLE:
 * Learning activities, email, timetable, tutor tools etc;
 * Students profiles determine interface, interaction methods, learning level.
 * Tutors make adaptations on behalf of students;
 * Enables independent access to learning.

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Portland Adaptable Features

 * Symbols based interface (PCS, Rebus, Makaton);
 * With or without text;
 * Interaction methods:
 * Scanning, switch, mouse, keyboard.
 * Audio;
 * Learning levels;
 * Colours/contrast.

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Portland VLE: Login


This login screen shows a set of images which act as the student's password. The student has to choose their correct password from a choice of images, such as: wheelchair, keys, mobile, glasses, pen, walkman, wallet, watch, money.

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Portland VLE

 * Adaptations are designed to meet the needs of the Portland group;
 * Met the needs of these individual students;
 * Other colleges, tutors, organisations very keen to have something similar but specific to their needs.

So how could we set about accommodating the diverse needs of many learner groups or individuals?

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Components of Adaptable PLE

 * Community of practice - Developers, tutors, individuals, designers, academics, disability experts, learners;
 * Open source framework - To specify adaptable interfaces and interactions;
 * Profile for Adaptable Learning (PAL) - To create and store learner profiles;
 * Learning Object Tutor Tools Interface (LOTTI) - To create adaptable learning objects;
 * Transformation, Augmentation and Substitution Service - Method to support the adaptations based on standards for interoperability;
 * Based on standards - IMS AccessForAll (ACCLIP, ACCMD), Dublin Core etc.



The diagram above the various components of an APLE (Adaptable Personal Learning Environment). There are two main components - the PLE (Personal Learning Environment) which was developed from the CoP (Community of Practice) feeding into the LE (Learning Environment) Design Specification, and from Interoperability Standards. It is the top level and also consists of the LE Tools and Components.

The second component is the TASS (Transformation, Augmentation and Substitution Service), which handles the Users' PNP (Profiles, Needs, and Preferences) and provides them with the Adaptable Learning they require. It has access to the various Learning Patterns, LOs (Learning Objects), and Learning Components, which need to be presented in a flexible way to the user.

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Areas for Development

 * Re-engineer current Portland framework to open source;
 * Develop and grow CoP;
 * Develop sample learner profiles;
 * Create more sample learning object components;
 * Explore standards for interoperability and establish gaps and inconsistencies.

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For Discussion

 * Suggestions for developing the community;
 * Applications of the research for particular groups;
 * Challenges to personal choice, flexibility and adaptability in an institutional environment.

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