Comment on Anatomy of a PLE

Added this comment to Steve Wheeler's blog on Anatomy of a PLE

I agree that the notion of a PLE is ill-defined, like many such notions in e-learning, so attempts at clarification are useful.

I also agree that the PLE vs VLE dichotomy is not a helpful way of looking at it. A VLE isn't only for content management. It can be, though often isn't, the centre of social interaction for students on a course and staff in a department. All behind a privacy barrier to the outside world. A person's contribution to a VLE should surely be part of their PLE. But those contributions are also needed by the institution, in the case of a student, as it certificates what the student has done.

So while the PLE will certainly include the use of web tools, some of which will be at the behest of the institution, it will also include the use of a VLE. The essential point is that the "personal environment" has to include the whole of the environment in which learning takes place.

On a more practical note I wonder how present PLEs will really support lifelong learning. I still have some books from my (long past) undergraduate days. How long will the present generation of web tools be around?