Enabling a personalised experience for Lifelong Learners
David Sowden
University of Hull, United Kingdom
Like many other Lifelong Learning Networks, the Yorkshire & Humber EastLifelong Learning Network (YHELLN), faces several challenges in the deliveryof ICT enabled services to its constituents.The iCaboodle project addressed a number of these challenges related toenabling a personalised experience for learners. The project involvedintroducing a flexible framework for the delivery of online services andcontent from partner institutions, including Virtual Learning Environments,built around a learner’s digital identity. It therefore relied uponimplementing a digital identity management solution that gives acomprehensive view of the learner.In addition to partner’s systems, learners make extensive use of externaltools and services. A recent survey within the University of Hull indicatedthat many learners use social networking tools directly related to theirlearning experience. Add to this the variety of institutional systems tosupport learning, sometimes at more than one institution, and the learnercan face a significant overhead in managing the ICT enabled aspects of theirlearning experience. This input and critical appraisal from learners hasbeen crucial in developing system iterations throughout the life of theproject.iCaboodle validated a series of widely used and mature open-source softwarecomponents, contributing to a range of tested, ready to use tools, such as apersonal development planner (PDP). The goal was to reduce the extensivecustomisation normally required by deployments of this nature and allowindividual personalisation.One means of managing the ICT experience lay in establishing amulti-institutional web-based portal, with the capability of presenting“dashboard” views of differing learning environments, together with a rangeof other tools and aggregated external services and applications.For the learner, iCaboodle offers a coherent anchor point for part of alifelong learning journey. For partners, it offers a shared framework toenable personalised web based content and services. Whilst a consistentinterface is offered to learners and other constituents, the portalframework also enables flexibility of branding on a per-institution basis.The result is a more personalised experience for the learner, placinginformation and content management firmly under their control.Reed J & Sowden D. 2008. E-systems development within Lifelong Learning networks (http://www..pdf)Haywood M, Nixon I, Bell R & Burke J. 2009. Evaluation and Review of Technical Developments to Support Lifelong Learning.