• 1.1: Establish a Personal Learning Environment

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    Learning in a Digital Age is about learning on the Internet, rather than learning via a single application like a learning management system (LMS). 


    Upon successful completion of this subunit you will be able to: 

    • Explain the difference between an open, component based learning environment and a traditional learning management system (LMS) / Virtual learning environment (VLE)
    • Establish your Personal Learning Environment (PLE)
    • Establish your own course blog
    • Complete your first daily photograph challenge (this will be a recurrent theme throughout the course)
    • Declare yourself to the LiDA learning community; and
    • Apply strategies for achieving success with an open online course

    • Video signpost Page

      Many educational institutions use a single platform for delivering online courses known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). However, the OERu does not use an LMS or VLE for its courses. Read the short article and watch the video that follows to learn more about PLEs and VLEs.

    • Embedding digital literacies Page

      Read this short article.

    • Personal learning environments Page

      This OERu course is a micro Open Online Course (mOOC) where you will create your own personal learning environment (PLE).

      Participation in this course requires learners to establish their own PLE incorporating a number of web-based tools, for example, microblogs and blogs. You will use your PLE to document your learning and to connect with other learners taking this course.

      This course also utilises a number of features associated with connectivist Massive Open Online Courses (cMOOCs), so if you are new to this kind of learning, you should spend a little time setting familiarising yourself with the course environment and learning approach.

      This orientation provides a brief overview of PLEs and suggested learning approaches for open online courses.

    • LiDA photo challenge Page

      Learning is a social activity and in LiDA we encourage learners to share learning experiences aimed at improving skills and building confidence in using social media. Learning online can be lonely, and the photo challenge is a way to connect socially with your peers through creative expression of the concepts you encounter on this course.

    • Setting up your course blog Page

      As this is a course focusing on digital literacies, blogging is a requirement for learners who wish to be assessed for formal credit. We strongly encourage learners who are participating in the course out of self interest to establish a course blog as this will improve your skills and enable you to network with your peers.

      You can use any blog platform which has the capabilities to tag or label posts. OERu (whom you are suggested to register your blog with) currently  supports WordPress or Blogger. (They may not be able to harvest posts for the course feed using blogging platforms which do not support categories, tags, or labels.) If you would like to use your existing blog, OERu will harvest posts which are tagged or labelled using the course code:”lida101“. However, you may prefer to set up a new dedicated course blog.

      The first learning challenge for this course will take you through the steps to set up your blog.

    • Declare yourself challenge Page

      Challenge summary

      Summary:Create a new blog on WordPress or Blogger and publish your first post introducing yourself to course participants.
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      		45 mins – 2 hours (Depending on prior knowledge and experience with online technologies)


      During this challenge you will learn how to set up a course blog by introducing yourself and sharing your first daily photograph.