A Concept to Bridge Personal Learning Environments: Including a Generic Bookmarking Tool into a Social Learning Management Systems

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 elements 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 to survey results about the heterogeneity and use cases of bookmarking tools in distance learners's PLE. As the analysis shows the issue of connecting PLEs – a metaphor which can be adopted from “bridges” in graph theory and social network analyses – refers to a non-dominant and inconsistent design of an LMS. Theoretical questions concerning the relation between personal and social, institutional and private, consistent and heterogeneous are addressed. Both Drupal (Content Management System) and OnlineCampus Next Generation (social Learning Management System) serve as a framework for interfacing PLE and LMS.