LMS and PLE

original article:(http://mohamedaminechatti.blogspot.com/2010/03/lms-vs-ple.html)
 

Technology changes learning environment gradually, and different kinds of learning environment come out. LMS (learning management system) and PLE (personal learning environment) are two kinds of learning environment that focus on different needs. PLE draws attention to personal needs, continuance, and diversity. However, LMS focuses on static system, short term, and centralization. When I got in touch with those two ideas, I connected them to the traditional classroom and blogs. Both of them are learning environment that have different effects on studying.

LMS is a static system which tries to fit everyone’s different needs. It is a strategy of control. Thus, LMS ignores the personal needs that are not included in the system. On the contrary, PLE pays attention to personal needs in a personal environment. The feature of PLE is more like a studying environment with blogs, so comments or Internet resources can be taken as different needs. However, traditional classroom is a static environment, isn’t it? All comments can only come from at most 35 students rather than a wide internet environment. In this case, there is no doubt that PLE is much effective than LMS in teaching field.

Additionally, continuance is an important feature of PLE, but LMS focuses on temporariness. Like Mohamed says: “In a PLE learning is fluid. It continues after the end of a particular course.”  (http://mohamedaminechatti.blogspot.com/2010/03/lms-vs-ple.html). For example, once students utilize blogs in studying, they can communicate whenever they want. But classroom education is finished once the bell rings, which seems like a LMS learning environment. In comparison, PLE emphasizes on life long studying.

The last difference about LMS and PLE is centralization that LMS focuses on. The control and static feature of LMS may lead to centralization, because it is a system. And as a system, it has boundaries or standards so that it more or less limits the useful resources. Nonetheless, PLE contains diverse knowledge that fits different needs. To illustrate, blog is a sample of PLE. Students can search information from Internet to full fill their needs, but in classroom, the information can only come from students who present there.