Abstract:

The contemporary interpenetration between university, society, and technologies significantly influences how students manage their personal learning environments (PLEs) (Traxler, 2009). These sociotechnical systems encompass the networks, learning resources, and technological means employed by students to communicate, collaborate, and develop their knowledge (Henri, 2014). However, their PLEs are shaped by strategies that respond to tensions determined by their environments. To fully understand this negotiation process, there is a need for a critical exploration of the porosities and inter-influences between PLEs and the social and institutional contexts in which students operate (Heutte, 2014). This presentation aims to socio-technically and critically (Denouël, 2019) address the negotiation of PLEs by students within their technological, social, and institutional environments, considering the tensions and strategies that arise in response to their diverse realities.
The comprehensive exploration was done using a sociotechnical approach (Denouël, 2019), an ethnographic data collection to obtain rich and detailed insights into the experiences and behaviors of the participants (Gaudet et Robert, 2018), and grounded theory methodology for the identification of mechanisms and interrelationships within the collected data (Glaser and Strauss, 1967). The grounded analysis allowed for the development of a substantive theoretical model describing the tensions experienced by students and the strategies they employed to negotiate and manage their PLEs, thus providing a comprehensive framework for understanding the complexities of PLEs and the negotiation processes undertaken by students.
The results highlight how the identified tensions include tool manipulation difficulties, information overload, conflicting learning conditions, personal limitations, and system challenges. Similarly, the strategies in response are organized within stances, tool role allocation, flow regulation, system optimization, and handling of unexpected situations. By examining the negotiations students undertake in navigating their different social, institutional, and technical realities, this study contributes to a better understanding of the interplay between technologies, academic stakes and personal needs.

References:
[1] Denouël, J. (2019). D’une approche sociocritique à une approche sociotechnique critique des usages numériques en éducation. Formation et profession, 27(3), 36.
[2] Gaudet, S., & Robert, D. (2018). L’ aventure de la recherche qualitative : Du questionnement à la rédaction scientifique (K. Lavoie, Trad.). Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa.
[3] Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory : Strategies for Qualitative Research. Transaction Publishers.
[4] Henri, F. (2014). Les environnements personnels d'apprentissage, étude d'une thématique de recherche en émergence. Sciences et Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication pour l'Éducation et la Formation, 21(1), 121‑147.
[5] Heutte, J. (2014). Persister dans la conception de son environnement personnel d'apprentissage : Contributions et complémentarités de trois théories du self. Sciences et Technologies de l'Information et de la Communication pour l'Éducation et la Formation, 21(1), 149‑184.
[6] Traxler, J. (2009). Learning in a Mobile Age: International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning, 1(1), 1‑12.

Keywords:

Personal learning environments, sociotechnical systems, grounded theory methodology, ethnography, tensions and strategies, social and institutional environments.