Personal profiling to stimulate participation in Learning Networks Francis Brouns, Open Universiteit Nederland ePortfolio, 19 October, 2007, Maastricht

Overview Learning Networks Ad hoc transient communities Peer support incentives to promote participation and contribution

Background Open Universiteit Nederland –Distance education –Lifelong learning Educational Technology Expertise Centre –Research Educational Technology –Learning Networks for Lifelong Learning

Team Learning Networks, Rob Koper Peter van Rosmalen, Liesbeth Kester, Peter Sloep, Francis Brouns, Marlies Bitter, Adriana Berlanga, Kees Pannekeet, Marcel de Croock, Fred de Vries, Sibren Fetter

Lifelong learning Learning Networks Ad hoc transient community

Learning Network Collection of people and resources Shared goal of learning in particular domain Supported by technology and ICT

Ad hoc transient community Ad hoc: solve a particular, delimited problem Transient: disappears once solved Community: group of people supported by ICT

Essence of the approach ¿ this way ¿ ? this way ?

What makes a community tick? Social space People’s characteristics Community characteristics  Personal context and trust

ThesisForum Online thesis forum Graduate social, art and law students Define their topic - research outline Barrier for peer interaction, sharing initial thesis plans was not knowing each other well enough. Peer students asked for personal context information to get to know each other aside of functional triggers.

Personal EXPertise Inventory Format for integrated personal and functional introduction of the person, his expertises and expectations as well as his preferences Designed for Virtual Business project Got used over the years across various projects: European Virtual Seminar, Academic Informatics Competences project, etc Is used outside the project as well for a quick intro to a student’s own profile

PeXpi Instrument to show to others: –Who am I –What do I know –What do I want to achieve –What are my interests –My agenda preferences –My communication preferences –How I want to share expertise with you

PeXpi in European Virtual Seminar (EVS) Virtual team project based learning on sustainability issues (60-70 students) International: 13 countries, 20 institutes Multidisciplinairy teams (4-6p) Working together 4 month. Faciltation social interaction via: -Profiling -Dialogue enhancers

Summary Lifelong learning in learning networks Ad hoc transient community combined with personal profiles

Further information TENCompetence: Learning Networks: Francis Brouns, Marlies Bitter,