Early experiences with responsive open learning environments

Responsive open learning environments (ROLEs) are characterized through their openness for new configurations, new contents and new users, and through their responsiveness to learners' activities in respect to learning goals. Openness specifically encompasses the ability to include new learning material and new learning services. These can be combined either in a static fashion or dynamically, therefore allowing learners to create their own learning environments. Consequently, throughout the lifetime of a ROLE, new configurations will be created by learners, usually adapted to their needs, requirements and ideas. In this paper, we will describe first experiences using ROLEs for a course on foreign language learning at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China. Results of our trials are two-fold: on the one hand, widget, container and other enabling technologies are insufficiently mature to allow large-scale deployment. On the other hand, the results are encouraging as students which learn how to use ROLEs clearly benefit from their use. -- Personalized learning environment ; responsive open learning environment ; language learning ; inter-widget communication