Bridging personal learning environments - Interfacing personal environments and Learning Management Systems: The example of a bookmarking tool

This conceptual study investigates the ability to connect learners Personal Learning Environments (PLE) by a central, permeable and social Learning Management System (LMS). Within the exemplary scope of bookmarking tools as an element of learners PLE in Higher Education (HE), the relevance of this conceptual idea is shown with reference to the social bookmarking tool “Edutags” as well as by a survey about the heterogeneity and use cases of bookmarking tools in distance learners PLE. As the analysis shows the issue of connecting PLEs – a metaphor with can be adopted from “bridges” in graph theory and social network analyses – refers to a non dominant and inconsistent design of a LMS. Theoretical questions concerning the relation between personal and social, institutional and private, consistency and heterogeneity are addressed. As a framework for implementing the interface, the Content Management System “Drupal” is considered as well as the social Learning Management System “OnlineCampus Next Generation”.