Understanding and Supporting the Creation of More Effective PLE France Henri Centre de recherche LICEF, Télé-université/UQAM, Canada henri.france@teluq.uqam.ca Bernadette Charlier Centre de didactique universitaire, Université de Fribourg, Switzerland bernadette.charlier@unifr.ch Freddy Limpens Edelweiss, INRIA, Sophia-Antipolis, France freddy.limpens@sophia.inria.fr Abstract This paper reports on the results of the first stage of an exploratory research on the learning potential of Personal Learning Environment, not simply as a technological artifact but as an instrument to support the learning process. Firstly, we present PLE as an enriched concept. Secondly we identify the roles a PLE can play to improve the quality of the learning process. Thirdly, we explore ways for optimizing the learning potential of PLE from pedagogical, technological and institutional perspectives. Before concluding, we present very preliminary results that confirm the need for a better understanding of PLE. Keywords Personal Learning Environment, Self-directed Learning, Lifelong Learning, Collective Learning, Instrumental Approach, Instrumental Genesis. 1. Research background Research undertaken to help people creating more effective PLE is twofold. From a technological perspective, developers seek to offer process tools to support PLEs’ creation process rather than imposing prefabricated PLEs that would challenge the essence of PLEs as individual and personal instruments created by users themselves. From an educational technology perspective, researchers try to build better understanding of the PLEs creation process and their role in the learning process. They try to grasp their potential and to suggest means to evaluate and improve them. Both research perspectives are essential and should be coordinated. 1.1 Supporting PLEs’ creation process, a challenge for developers Most research agrees that PLE emerges from the learning experience of the learner. Mödritscher, Wild and Sigurdarson (2008) go further considering PLE to be the outcome