Tagging diversity in personal learning environments

Tagging is a prevalent practice in the Web 2.0. It has been widely used to annotate different media like video. However, in personal learning environments (PLEs), tagging is supporting not only content indexing but also the self-regulated learning process consisting of different phases like planning, learning, and reflecting. In particular, in the reflection phase, tags support the organization of learning outcomes. We have researched the interrelations of learning content, learning processes, and learning phases to provide a comprehensive overview about diverse tagging behavior in PLEs like using multi-granular tagging, semantic tagging, community-based tagging, and expert–amateur tagging. We have exemplified these behaviors by the design, realization, and evaluation of a PLE for classical Chinese poetry.