Personal Learning Environments

Abstract

Over the past 10 years there has been a great evolution of technology and the way the teaching and learning process is developed, as well as how research and publication are carried out. The Web 2.0, a term coined by O'Reilly in 2004, has introduced a new concept to the use of the Internet, in particular as it relates to the educational framework. The web 2.0 tools allow the creation of emerging ubiquitous environments that enable the development and management of a real Personal Learning Environment (PLE). This chapter is a proposal for the “Handbook of Applied Research on E-Learning in Engineering and Architecture Education” and represents a literature review on the topic of Personal Learning Environments (PLE). It explores the definition around the concept of PLE, its history, the advantages for its use in a lifelong learning process and its importance in the scope of the present research.