Blog Post 1

What is Personalized Learning

I define personalized learning as “the ability to obtain useful or wanted information from a source that is intended to share information.” Personalized Learning Networks (PLN) leverage that definition, but use a more interconnected source of information. That source (social media, in-person seminars, zoom meetings, group meetings between friends, etc.) allows for a more dynamic exchange of information, since a learner can interact with other people who can share their own expertise or knowledge with the learner. One example of how my learning has been personalized is through Mattermost.

In another EDCI – course (EDCI 337), I have been interacting with the professor and other students and sharing information with them (introduction, thoughts on course readings, etc.) and I find myself learning more about my classmates, and gaining a better understanding of the topic by listening to other’s perspective on it.

Social Media and Networked Learning

When it comes to social media, networking and PLNs rise to a whole other level of importance. Since social media allows any number of people to connect synchronously and asynchronously, this makes it easier to learn from others. Whether it is by journals, articles, blogs, Youtube videos, Twitter posts, Instagram reels or Mattermost comments, social media can support anyone’s learning. 

In my case, social media has supported my learning in many ways. For example, this course, EDCI 338, is taught through Mattermost and Brightspace. Moreover, I have learned a lot about coding from DataCamp, a site used to share coding knowledge through videos and practice problems. This helped me learn python and R, which were used in program required courses at UVic. Of course, using social media comes with its own issues. For example, I need an internet connection to access social media, which is not always available depending on my location. Furthermore, finding reliable/reputable sources for learning is not always easy. It can be time consuming, and finding false information can be detrimental to the learning process.