Contents
Introduction 1
I Establishing a Theoretical Framework for
Personal Information Management in Learning 7
1 Learning in a Digital World 9
1.1 Facets of Learning 11
1.1.1 Formal, Informal, or Non-Formal Learning 15 1.1.2 Other- or Self-Directed Learning 18
1.1.3 Lifelong Learning 22
1.2 Technology Enhanced Learning 26
1.2.1 Supporting Learning with Computers: E-Learning . 26
1.2.2 Blended Learning 30
1.2.3 E-Learning 2.0—The Next Level? 35
1.3 Modern Learning—a Definition 37
1.3.1 Modern and Future Contexts of Learning 38
1.3.2 Modern and Future Learning 39
1.3.3 Modern and Future Learners 42
1.4 Tools for Modern Learning 45
1.4.1 Basis Technologies 46
1.4.2 Learning Technologies & E-Learning Systems ... 48
2 What Learners Learn 51
2.1 Knowledge 54
2.1.1 The Data-lnformation-Knowledge-Wisdom Chain . 55 2.1.2 Common Taxonomies of Knowledge 58 2.1.3 A Resource-Based Classification of Knowledge ... 62
2.2 Working with Knowledge 65
2.2.1 The Process of Knowledge Work 66
http://d-nb.info/1051105005
2.2.2 Knowledge Workers—the Future of the Working
World? 68
3 Management in Learning 73
3.1 Schools of Knowledge Management 74
3.1.1 Knowledge Management according to Nonaka and
Takeuchi 75
3.1.2 Knowledge Management according to Davenport
and Prusak 77
3.1.3 Knowledge Management according to Probst et al. 78 3.1.4 Other Schools and Contributors 80 3.2 Merging Learning and Knowledge Management? 81 3.2.1 Differences and Commonalities 82 3.2.2 Transferring Knowledge Management Models to
Learning 87
3.2.3 Merging two Disciplines—a Proposal 92
4 Personalised Learning 97
4.1 Challenges in Personalised Learning 99 4.1.1 Finding the Needle in the Haystack 102
•4.1.2 Keeping Learning at a Glance 103
4.2 Changing the Perspective 104
4.2.1 Roots of Personal Knowledge Management .... 105 4.2.2 Processes in Personal Knowledge Management . . 106 4.2.3 Personal Knowledge Management: A Formal Defi
nition Ill
4.3 Talking Tools 116
4.3.1 E-Portfolios 118
4.3.2 Personal Learning Environments 123 4.3.3 Two Sides of the Same Story? 131
5 From Theory to Practice 135
Contents
II Designing and Building a Personalised
Learning Information Management System 139
6 What Learners Need 141
6.1 Information Needs—a Formal Definition 142 6.1.1 Different Concepts of Information 145
6.1.2 Managing Information Needs 147
6.2 Information Demands or What Learners Ask For 151 6.3 Information Seeking or How Learners Search for Information 153 6.3.1 Human Information Behaviour 155 6.3.2 A Learner's Search for Information 159 6.4 Information Sources and Resources or Where Learners Find
Information 164
6.4.1 A Guideline to Sources of Information 164 6.4.2 Determining Information Resources 166 7 A Personal Learning Information Management System 169
7.1 Personal Information Management 170
7.1.1 A Classification of Personal Information Manage
ment Activities 172
7.1.2 Personal Information Collections 174 7.1.3 The Personal Anticipated Information Need .... 176 7.2 PLIMS—a Personal Learning Information Management
System 179
7.2.1 The Point of Departure: An Everyday Learning Sit
uation 181
7.2.2 A Functional Description 185
8 An Architecture to Store Personal Information 193 8.1 The Integral Part of PLIMS: Learning Objects 194 8.2 Metadata to Describe Learning Objects 199 8.2.1 Universal Metadata Standards 200 8.2.2 Learning Specific Metadata Standards 209 8.2.3 Subject-Specific Metadata Standards 217 8.3 Deriving an Appropriate Index Structure 220 8.3.1 The Cognitive Flexibility Approach 222
8.3.2 The PLIMS Index Structure 224
9 Building the Repository 237 9.1 The Scope of Learning Objects within PLIMS 238
9.1.1 Basic Learning Objects 239
9.1.2 Composite Learning Objects 245
9.2 Strategies to Construct a Personal Collection of Learning
Objects 248
9.2.1 Establishing Different Levels of Integration 248 9.2.2 Technical Implementation: A Moodle Translator . . 250 9.2.3 Beyond Predefined Learning Object Granularities . 255 10 Advancing and Accessing the Repository 259 10.1 The Power of Communities: Collaboration in PLIMS . . . 261 10.1.1 Establishing a Foundation for Collaboration .... 261
10.1.2 The Art of Collaboration 266
10.2 On the Way Towards Personalised Recommendations for
Learners 279
10.2.1 Basic Recommendations from a Learner's Repository 280 10.2.2 Recommender Systems for Advanced Recommen
dations 287
10.3 Exploring the Learning Repository from a Learner's Per
spective 295
10.3.1 (Re-)Finding Information through Search and Nav
igation 296
10.3.2 An Outlook on the Visualisation of a Learner's
Repository 303
III Evaluating Personal Information Management
in Learning 313
11 PLIMS—an Evaluation 315
11.1 Comparing PLIMS to Existing Related Systems 316 11.1.1 The Array of Existing Systems 316 11.1.2 A Selection of Related and Similar Systems .... 320 11.1.3 Contrasting the Scope of Systems 334 11.2 Passing PLIMS to Learners: a User Study 352
11.2.1 The Design of the Study 353
11.2.2 Results of the Evaluation 357
Contents ( xiii
12 A General Review 365
IV Appendix 369
A The PLIMS Usability Study 371
A.l Instructions for Participants 372
A.2 The Questionnaire 375
A.3 Results of the Evaluation 378
A.4 Summary of Data Collected from the User Study 384
List of Figures 385
List of Tables 387
List of Abbreviations 388
Bibliography 389
