Next week I’ll be in Sunny Spain at the PLE Conference (@PLE_BCN)

What is a PLE you might well ask?

Personal Learning Environments (PLEs) include the tools, communities, and services that constitute the individual educational platforms learners use to direct their own learning and pursue educational goals. It represents a shift away from the traditional model of consuming information through independent channels such as the library or textbook, and towards a more active approach where connections are made and relationships are developed both online and offline. A PLE also puts learners in charge of their own learning processes, challenging them to reflect on the tools and resources that help them to learn best.

In a refreshing contrast to many academic conferences, this event looks likely to “practice what it preaches”:

• The keynote speakers ( including @courosa and @grahamattwell) have already posted up video and slides previewing their sessions and requesting comments and questions from the delegates.
• The conference hashtag (@PLE_BCN) has been active on Twitter for many weeks.
• We have been asked to design our own ID badges, with the instruction to “be creative”
• There is an active conference social network on Crowdvine 
• And a YouTube channel

Amongst all this innovation and creativity, are my boring powerpoint slides:

I will blog some feedback about the event next week

At Southampton a small group of us meet up once a month and take it in turns to present on something new and creative that we have been involved in. My turn this week, reporting on my recent experiences with the University of Liverpool Online MBA and the Open Online Course Social Media and Education:

Recently my colleague Christophe Mues asked me to talk to his new Information Systems MSc students about my research interests. Little did I know when I agreed to this, that pulling a number of semi-connected threads together of my work over the past 3 years would take up much of this lovely sunny day…and evening…

I thought the above video would help to set the scene, before I launched into this set of slides (sorry, I know it is boring old powerpoint, but now I’ve got the content organised I will work on a prezi version…and also maybe a mindmap)  It was actually a very useful exercise to pull this material together, even if it did make my brain ache.

I’d be delighted to get some feedback from the group in the form of comments on this post, or as tweets during the session on Wednesday(using #researchbylisa), and I will update the post with my reflections afterwards. Let me know if any aspects are of particular interest, (or not) and I will be sure to include them (or not) in the IS strategy module I’ll be running in February

PS – here is another relevant video from Social Media and Open Education that I’d like to show and discuss in the session, if time permits:

There are a number of resources available to help you maximise the value from your course at the University of Southampton. Here are a few examples to get you started:

Prepare for Success is an interactive learning resource to help UK institutions prepare international students for university study. It has been developed in the Centre for Language Study at the University of Southampton. These interactive multimedia learning resources help you to discover what British academic culture is like, and what kind of academic skills you will need for effective study in the UK. The resource also provides considerable scope for you to improve your English language skills.

Also check out the resources available on www.elanguages.ac.uk which cover Study Skills, Academic Writing and Living and Studying in the UK

Academic Skills is a new resource which is all about helping you learn how to be a more effective learner and develop the research skills that will help you now and in the future. For example, included within the site are:

Podcasts - these audio podcasts will help you develop your academic skills. Each one lasts around 10 minutes and includes lots of advice and tips. A transcript of the audio recording is also available.

Study Skills Toolkit -this course comprises a set of short self-contained interactive ‘learning objects’ on specific topics – with the emphasis on learning by doing, so expect lots of activities, exercises and quizzes.

• Learning Skills
• Academic Writing Skills
• Reading & Critical Thinking Skills
• Aspects of Academic Language
• Academic Speaking and Note Taking

Getting Started with Academic Skills – start with these quick-reference guides to gain a overview and lots of practical tips.

Developing Your Academic Skills – use this series of printable activity-based study guides to improve your skills.

Advice from the Students’ Union Advice and Information Centre -publications on Academic Integrity and How to Study Successfully.

English for Academic Purposes – enrol yourself on this Blackboard course which is packed with interactive learning materials for international students.

A Guide to Academic Integrity – this is a set of interactive guides that aim to help you gain a better understanding of academic integrity and develop your skills so that your assessed work does not accidentally plagiarise the work of others.

A Guide to Research methods - a useful set of self-study modules introducing postgraduate research. Some programmes offer these modules as an accredited course, and you really DO need to complete the written exercises to gain benefit from the process.

A later post this week will introduce you to some basic social media skills that will help you to manage information, build your network and develop your personal brand.

last week I presented a paper at the Network Ethics Conference in Lisbon(co-authored by Lorraine Warren of the University of Southampton and Kelly Smith of the University of Huddersfield)

The event was small but friendly and the City of Lisbon is lovely

This paper is now being developed into a book chapter for publication next year…watch this space!

The slides can be viewed here: