Digital tools for students

You'll use digital tools throughout your degree. The main one you'll use at Portsmouth is Moodle.

Your lecturers can use Moodle to post lecture notes online, set quizzes and assignments, link to external resources, and more. You'll also get access to a student email account an Google suite when you start studying here. These apps will help you create, collaborate and share information during your studies. 

Your Personal Learning Environment

Your Personal Learning Environment (PLE) is a collection of services and apps you use to manage your learning. Your PLE will probably include University services, and apps you're already familiar with from personal life.  

Building your PLE

Build your PLE to suit you and support your studies. Your personal and study needs are different to the needs of other people you'll meet during your course, so your PLE will be unique to you. Your system can be relatively basic or highly sophisticated.  

As a student you'll make notes, share information and collaborate on projects. Think about the tools that will support you to perform these tasks. University services like Moodle and Google apps will probably form the base for your PLE but you should add additional apps too. Consider whether you'll need to access your notes on a mobile device, a desktop computer, or both.

Your needs may change as you progress through your studies so it's important to adapt your PLE too.

Choosing your apps

The image below lists some of the activities you could complete during your studies. Consider which apps and services you'd use for each activity and click the pink plus beside each icon to reveal some suggested apps for your PLE. 

We are aware that this H5P component is not fully accessible.  If you would like a copy of this item, please email websupport@port.ac.uk. Please also refer to our Accessibility Statement

Choosing your digital tools

You'll probably use different apps in your PLE depending on your assignment, so you'll need to decide which services are right for each task. 

We are aware that this H5P component is not fully accessible.  If you would like a copy of this item, please email websupport@port.ac.uk. Please also refer to our Accessibility Statement

Advice for creating your PLE

The University provides a ready-made framework for creating a PLE: Moodle and Google should form the basis for your personal learning environment. It's a good idea that you have a really good understanding of how to use these tools.

As a student, you'll make notes, share information, and collaborate on projects – so think about the tools that might best support you to perform those tasks.

Remember that your PLE should be flexible – the components can change as you progress through your studies.

Resources