scholarly journals Analysis of Psychometric Properties and Validation of the Personal Learning Environments Questionnaire (PLE) and Social Integration of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors (MENA)

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2903 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asunción Martínez-Martínez ◽  
María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez ◽  
María Tomé-Fernández ◽  
Eva María Olmedo-Moreno

Background: The aim of the present study was to validate and develop the dimensions of the Personal Learning Environments (PLE) questionnaire with regards to the social integration of unaccompanied foreign minors (MENA), in addition to analyzing its psychometric properties. Methods: This study was conducted using an expert panel and exploratory techniques in a population of unaccompanied foreign minors (referred to hereon as MENA). The sample used for the validation was formed of 250 MENA aged between 13 and 17 years, with 206 (83.6%) being male and 41 (16.4%) being female. An expert panel was formed including 10 scholars of Education Sciences. The panel identified four dimensions, which were confirmed through exploratory factorial analysis conducted using the program called FACTOR Analysis (Lorenzo-Seva and Ferrando, 2006). Results: The results indicate that the PLE questionnaire provides reliable dimensions at the level α = 0.902. Examination of Pearson correlations identified significant values (p < 0.01) for almost all dimensions, with the highest value being produced for the association between the dimensions of communication and social interaction (CIS) and planning and management of learning (r = 0.641). Conclusions: From this study, it is concluded that the results of the study and the validation of the PLE in MENA populations through the four identified dimensions are valid and reliable for enabling multi-dimensional analyses to be carried out.

Author(s):  
María Tomé-Fernández ◽  
Marina García-Garnica ◽  
Asunción Martínez-Martínez ◽  
Eva María Olmedo-Moreno

Spain is one of the countries with the greatest influx of immigrants and, specifically, of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFMs). The educational and social inclusion of unaccompanied foreign minors poses both a challenge and a threat to current policy. Nonetheless, studies linking educational aspects to the phenomenon of the integration of these children are scarce and do not specify the most influential educational tools and strategies. In this sense, a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional research study is presented. The aim of this study is to examine whether variables such as age and the use of applications and social networks determine the personal learning environments (PLE) of unaccompanied foreign minors. The sample of the present study was formed by 624 individuals (♂ = 92.1% (n = 575); ♀ = 7.9% (n = 49)) aged between 8 and 17 years old. The majority came from Morocco and resided in the cities of Ceuta and Melilla. The “PLE and Social Integration of UFMs” questionnaire was used as the study instrument. Amongst the main findings, significant differences are highlighted in the personal learning environments as a function of age-related psychosocial factors as they pertain to unaccompanied foreign minors. Four factors were seen to exist in relation to the personal learning environments of unaccompanied foreign minors: self-concept of the learning process, planning and management of learning, use of resources and tools, and communication and social interaction. The same trend was observed in the four factors, with older age groups reporting better scores. On the other hand, results show that the use of applications and social networks have a significant and favourable impact on personal learning environment construction.


Semantic Web ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoran Jeremić ◽  
Jelena Jovanović ◽  
Dragan Gašević

Author(s):  
María del Carmen Olmos-Gómez ◽  
María Tomé-Fernández ◽  
Eva María Olmedo-Moreno

The aim of the present study was to predict the variables that facilitate integration of unaccompanied foreign minors (UFM) and to develop personal learning environment (PLE) questionnaire dimensions with respect to social integration of UFM. Methods: A social study that was descriptive in nature was conducted with a quantitative empirical-analytical focus. Results: Results from discriminant function analysis indicate that 86% of group membership was correctly classified from gender alone, with female learning environments leading to greater future success. Conclusions: It can be concluded that the predictive results possess methodological coherence. Thus, from them we can propose possible development strategies, particularly targeting males, in order to improve learning and promote social integration. According to the results obtained, improvement of learning strategies and strengthening of the very learning environments, demands new policies to be established which promote emotional improvement and better futures for UFM, especially males.


Author(s):  
Sebastian H. D. Fiedler ◽  
Terje Väljataga

This paper reviews and critiques how the notion of PLEs has been conceptualised and discussed in literature so far. It interprets the variability of its interpretations and conceptualisations as the expression of a fundamental contradiction between patterns of activity and digital instrumentation in formal education on one hand, and individual experimentation and experience within the digital realm on the other. It is suggested to place this contradiction in the larger socio-historic context of an ongoing media transformation. Thus, the paper argues against the prevalent tendency to base the conceptualisation of PLEs almost exclusively on Web 2.0 technologies that are currently available or emerging, while underlying patterns of control and responsibility often remain untouched. Instead, it proposes to scrutinise these patterns and to focus educational efforts on supporting adult learners to model their learning activities and potential (personal learning) environments while exploring the digital realm.


2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 337-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Amine Chatti ◽  
Simona Dakova ◽  
Hendrik Thus ◽  
Ulrik Schroeder

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (08) ◽  
pp. 18
Author(s):  
Mourad Gourmaj ◽  
Ahmed Naddami ◽  
Ahmed Fahli ◽  
Driss Nehari

<p class="0abstractCxSpFirst"><span lang="EN-US">Practical works have a fundamental role in the curriculum of any scientist, engineer, and technician. It helps learners to face the real world and put in practice what they have learned to judge their operability. Moreover, due to some limiting factors and due to the growth number of learners, universities and institutes have become inapt to give efficient learning. Distance education presents a future key to reduce these restrictions. </span></p><p class="0abstractCxSpLast"><span lang="EN-US">Currently, remote experiments together with web-based courses approach significantly contribute to many aspects of education for learners. In this context, the main question addressed is how we ensure that an educational system evolves to better serve the needs of learners? The present work proposes a solution based on student’s Personal Learning Environments ‘PLEs’. PLEs are educational platforms that help learners take control and manage their own learning process, learning modules with remote experiments, for reaching a specific goal. In order to response these criteria we use the Learning Management System (LMS) Moodle, the e-portfolio Mahara, the Remote Laboratory Management System (RLMS) iLab Shared Architecture (ISA) with additional tools and plug-ins to implement the learning by doing environment.</span></p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. 46-65
Author(s):  
Marija Stonkienė ◽  
Erika Janiūnienė

The use of second-generation web technology (WEB2) in education is emphasising the role of social media as educational sources. Researchers that are analysing personal learning environments (Schaffert, Kalz, 2009; Dabbagh, Kitsantas, 2012), personal learning networks (Couros, 2010) suggest the importance of social media, although this emphasis is attributed to the collaborative interaction of learners. To comprehensively assess the potential of podcasts as social media in the creation of personal learning environments, personal learning networks, the research described in this article does not restrict the definition of podcasts as the potential of collaboration provided by social media. In this article, attention is directed towards the potential of podcasts in the creation of personal learning environment and personal learning networks. By using integrated information behaviour module analysis to determine if the students of Lithuanian higher education institutions value the potential of informal learning provided by podcasts. To determine if these technologies are used for the formation of personal learning environments, personal learning networks, a discussion group research was conducted. During the research the analysis of participant podcast usage showed there is interaction between media content used for recreation and media content used for formal and informal learning. This means that the participants of the research use podcasts to create personal learning environments. On the other hand, this interaction is minimal, created only by the learners and reasoned by the search of educational podcasts. The analysis of the experiences of the discussion participants revealed that the collaborative interaction between learners involved in the research in searching, sharing and using podcasts in the process of learning is not intensive, it is typically fragmented. This allows to point out that the communities that use podcasts for informal learning are not forming. This shows that the potential of podcasts in creating a learning network is not fulfilled, and that podcasts don’t inspire participatory learning.


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