Why e-portfolios; why now? (In twenty minutes …)

Because e-portfolios can connect to… Policy agendas Institutional agendas Subject agendas Individual agendas

Beyond the honours degree classification (2007) (Burgess Group Final Report). The Employer Engagement Agenda – which requires employee engagement. A personal perspective

‘the UK honours degree is a robust and highly-valued qualification but the honours degree classification system is no longer fit for purpose. It cannot describe, and therefore does not do full justice to, the range of knowledge, skills, experience and attributes of a graduate in the 21st century.’ (my emphasis) ‘We recommend developing … a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) as the key vehicle for measuring and recording student achievement… the main formally documented outcome from higher education.’

And the Proposals… By …2010/11… a Higher Education Achievement Report (HEAR) will be the central vehicle for recording all university-level undergraduate higher education student achievement in all UK higher education institutions. The HEAR will be a single document, based on, and developed from, the current academic transcript, and incorporating the European Diploma Supplement. The HEAR will contain information which the institution is prepared to verify. Further work should be done on how to measure and record skills and achievements gained through non-formal learning but this, along with other student-generated/driven information, should be part of Personal Development Planning (PDP).

However… many employers … regard a first degree as the minimum requirement at which point other supplementary evidence of capabilities and achievements come into play. …  what do we need to do support students in representing their own learning’?  What learning are we talking about?  Where do e-portfolios fit in this richer picture…

PDP and employer/ee engagement Working hypothesis: effective engagement requires the 1.development of effective and worthwhile learning practices within 2.distributed learning environments (the workplace) which are 3.simultaneously personalised to the learner and 4.appropriately connected to organisations and organisational needs and requirements.

In this world… E-portfolios have the potential to support learning, feedback and assessment for distributed groups of learners in workplace settings. E-portfolios can support community building amongst such distributed groups. Such approaches tend to emphasise reflective practice and may be characterised by a more expressive paradigm, emphasising shared individual experiences and ethical dilemmas as much as integration of theory and practice; The asynchronicity of online group discussion offers time for critical reflection and processing of ideas.

Why e-portfolio: links to institutional agendas… Admissions. Retention and Progression (inclusion). Connecting/supporting distributed learners. Learning, assessment and attainment. Employability and Continuing Development.

Personal agendas… add your own… But also recognise what we can learn from ‘sticky experiences’… ‘it appears that e-portfolios are initially more empowering for some students than others: whilst some are already using them to develop a positive, holistic view of their progress towards specified goals and their confidence as learners, others appear to have focused more narrowly on their weaknesses and shortcomings.’ Bufton et al Using e-portfolios to help students reflect upon and improve their learning: A longitudinal research project. (PDP-UK Newsletter Issue 12 December 2007)

And (almost) finally, what e-portfolio might not be… The ‘magic bullet’ solution to all our problems. The solution to the ‘we’ve got to get PDP in place by 2005 and we have not quite managed it’ problem. Something which all students will warm to. Useful for the majority of students in a ‘stand alone’ system. A means of creating demand/an ‘audience’, e.g. amongst employers who may have their own selection processes.

A community of practice – in action… If you are making use of e-portfolios within assessment (very broadly defined) tell us… We are interested in: –Real experience (rather than aspiration) –Range of experience (so including self- assessment, peer assessment, staff assessment etc.) –Practice (not necessarily best practice) –Practice rich in learning, (perhaps that has started and stopped).