Moving from epersonal development to eportfolios for lifelong learning

1
Moving from e-personal development to
e-portfolios for lifelong learning

• Janet Hanson, Dr Barbara Newland, Ken Bissell
• PDP4Life
• www.bournemouth.ac.uk/pdp4life
• Lifelong Learning for all e-learning from
  concept to practice
• 5th June 2006

2
Support for lifelong learning the vision

• Lifelong and personalised learning policy
  drivers propose that all learners should be able
  to develop, record, repurpose and transfer a wide
  range of information about themselves
  electronically as they progress through different
  levels and episodes of learning, training and
  employment.
• Supporting learners across the educational
  landscape. JISC Briefing Paper, 2006.
• http//www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?namepub_lifelong
  learningbps

3
Support for lifelong learning the vision

• The HE sector is invited to prepare for a world
  in which an online learner record accompanies
  learners throughout their career in education and
  work, a world in which that record could be used
  to support personal reflection and development
  through life eg Susies Journey.
• Supporting learners across the educational
  landscape. JISC Briefing Paper, 2006.
  http//www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?namepub_lifelongl
  earningbps

4
E-portfolios and personal development planning
(PDP)

• Central to this vision is the recognition of the
  value of personal development planning and the
  use of e-portfolios to support learners moving
  across the learning landscape and to transfer
  their learner record from one institution to the
  next.
• E-portfolios are owned by the learner,
  independent of any one institution and require
  standards and specifications for interoperability
  (UKLeaP).
• e-Portfolios What institutions really need to
  know. JISC Briefing Paper, 2006.
• http//www.jisc.ac.uk/index.cfm?namepub_lifelong
  learningbps

5
South West Regional e-learning project
Bournemouth University (Lead institution) Arts
Institute at Bournemouth College of St Mark St
John Dartington College of Arts Open University
in the South West University College Falmouth
University Centre Yeovil University of Bristol
University of Gloucestershire University of
Plymouth Weymouth College
6
PDP4LifeProject Activities

• Developing a specification for an extended
  Learner Record (LR) that includes formal
  qualifications and learner-generated records of
  informal learning from local PDP systems
• Testing the secure transfer of learner records
  between institutions using ioNode technology
  (http//www.phosphorix.co.uk/around/ioNode/)
• Identifying user views on PDP records, in
  particular from the Creative Industries, using
  focus groups of students, academic staff and
  employers to inform the LR
• Sharing PDP practice between 11 HEI/FEI partners
  in the South West
• Contributing PDP processes to ioPortal suite.

7
Partners PDP systems and approaches

• Some stand-alone web-based PDP systems to support
  students in developing and recording their
  achievements
• Some paper-based systems
• One HEI piloting PebblePAD
• One piloting PROFILE
• Some embedded in programmes
• Little clarity about PDP outputs to take forward
  to inform the Learner Record.

8
Schematic diagram of the accumulating Learner
Record and staged inputs from the formal
qualifications records PDP
Post honours input from University A PDP
University A
Learner inputs from work place learning, own
blogging etc
Break in formal education
Blue items covered by revised PDP4Life
specification
Yellow items covered by SHELL
Post foundation input from College B PDP
College B
Post AS/A2 input from College A PDP
Ongoing PDP inputs from local PDPs
College A
Post GCSE input from secondary school PDP
Secondary school
Accumulating Learner Record
Formal Qualifications Strand
Time Line
PDP strand.
9


Developing the Lifelong Learner Record



Personal details




Previous personal details


Delivery
Learning
Identification record
e-PDP Cycle


institution at
support



which


registered



Qualification



Reflection on formal qualifications and progress




Module






Skills
Career

Career to
Skills
Learning
CVs

Personal
Interests,
Employer/ sponsor

action
goals


date

attainmt

styles

qualities

hobbies


plan




Data cannot be edited by the learner

Multiple entries




10
Challenges for the vision The views of Creative
Industries students, academic staff and employers
on PDP, e-portfolios and lifelong learner
records
11
Creative Industries

• emerging sector in the South West of England
• Those industries that have their origin in
  individual creativity, skill and talent and which
  have a potential for wealth and job creation
  through the generation and exploitation of
  intellectual property. http//www.southwestrda.or
  g.uk/sectors/creative/index.shtm

12
Creative industries

• Advertising
• Architecture
• Art and antiques market
• Crafts
• Design
• Designer Fashion
• Film and video
• Interactive leisure software
• Music
• Performing arts
• Publishing
• Software and computer services
• Television and Radio

13
Creative industries - PDP research

• research into the perceptions and needs of
  creative industries students and employers in
  relation to PDP is very limited
• the nature of the creative arts disciplines might
  merit a specific approach to PDP on the strength
  of their unique educational practices (James,
  2004)
• students in the creative disciplines are able and
  willing to engage actively in the process of
  assessing, and reflecting on, their own learning
  experience using an online PDP tool (Malins
  McKillop, 2005)

14
Our focus group objectives

• Identify existing PDP practice amongst students
• Use students ideas and experiences to help
  develop extended learner record
• Identify positive and negative issues and
  priorities for extended learner record
• Contribute to understanding of issues and
  challenges of a lifelong e-portfolio.

15
Student Views

• Difficult to see far ahead-very focused on CV for
  first job-often know what want they to do.
• Only want to present best work, do not need to
  keep past work, especially from school
• Physical portfolio very important to CI, tactile,
  visual, audio
• Vary as to wanting to include non-academic
  skills, voluntary work some say Yes, some No
• More self-evaluation and reflective practice for
  CI students, often built into the course
• Not clear to them that the learner record was in
  their control, to choose to share it or not, Big
  Brother

16
Students portfolio

• Digital
• Quite a lot of my work becomes throwaway
  work, you can't keep it so it is essential for
  me to have slides and pictures.

17
Students portfolio

• Non-digital
• it is actually a portfolio and I have my
  designs that I've done in there and also the
  costumes or garments that I've made they can't be
  done on a computer
• what I'm doing here is model-making and
  anything that isn't model making I don't need
• maybe for other subjects like science or
  something maybe it's good to keep a record of
  things but sketchbooks are that for us

18
Students - portfolio

• Text/visual
• I thought you were encouraged too much to
  write. I think some people write better
  visually, some people would have preferred to
  present a DVD
• My portfolio is completely art-based, it
  doesn't have anything written in it.

19
Students - portfolio

• Academic only?
• Going through some of my old CV's there's
  lists and lists of all the little jobs I had and
  every time I do that again I always think back in
  my head and where was I and what job was I doing.
  I wish I did have something that I could throw
  it all in and it's always there.

20
Academic staff views

• Potential to be a really useful tool but how to
  get students to see the value? Students want a
  quick and easy fix
• Must be a resource for students-has to be
  meaningful to them
• Students need encouragement with course work
  learning process, without adding the need to
  complete PDP
• Role of personal or subject tutor crucial
• Often seen as additional role/work for tutors.

21
Points for Employers

• Employers wont be interested in the detail in
  the record-wont have time to read it
• Employers need proof of management and people
  skills as much as academic work
• How to change industry ideas?-many employers have
  old-fashioned approach to selection
• Evidence needed depends on job references,
  character refs. application form, personal
  statement, creative work
• SW Region- a special case-low pay, scarcity of
  jobs-many students do not realise.

22
How to change academic and student views?
One of our academic staff How long is this
portfolio useful to someone? Once youve got a
job do you then go back and review that in order
to go forward, or is it that you're actually into
the market and youre off. Surely were not
going to keep this hanging around for 20 years
after getting a job, surely youd let it go One
of our employers Some artists send CDs, but
there isnt enough time to view these, so they
tend to be overlooked
23
Questions for Group Work

• How can you motivate students to keep an
  e-portfolio going after they leave the
  institution?
• How can you persuade academic staff to see PDP as
  something other than just more work?
• How can you persuade employers to value students
  PDP evidence?
• AND What questions would you ask of each group?

24
Extended Learner Record

• Staff say students would not be interested and
  would need help to complete their PDP record
• Many students not interested, thought it all a
  bit big-brother
• Creative Industries are different and need a
  different structure- creativity to get away
  from records
• Useful for recording achievements all in one
  place
• Security and protection of personal information
  of concern

25
Testing the ioNode building on the SHELL legacy
University of Plymouth currently
ioHUB
Student record database
ioDatabase holding formal records
ioAgent
Bournemouth University
ioAgent
ioAgent
Portal presenting an interface with the data for
learner and administration
Student record database
Student record database
Weymouth College
UC Yeovil
26
Contributing PDP processes to the ioPortal suite
University of Plymouth currently but could be
anywhere
ioHUB
Local PDP system and repository
ioAgent
Extended ioDatabase holding formal and informal
records
Repository
Bournemouth University
ioAgent
ioAgent
ioPortal presenting multiple user interfaces with
the data (learner, employer, F/HEI
Local PDP system and repository
Local PDP system and repository
Open University
Weymouth College
27
Issues raised Technical

• Interoperability and lack of consensus on
  standards
• PDP-related records potentially unlimited
• Categorising the record information- by data
  structure or purpose
• Accessibility
• Key role for the portal offering unsupported PDP
  processes, but needs clear rationale
• System-level requirements, eg Web Services
  interfaces to institutional PDP systems
• Security and authentication.

28
Issues raised Pedagogic

• Variety of approaches to PDP and
  E-portfolio use among PDP4Life Partners
• Learner motivation generally
• Learners in the Creative Industries sector
• Motivation to access lifelong learning records
• Purpose of PDP records not clear.

29
Issues raised Political, Legal, Organisational

• Location and management of independent storage
• Security and privacy, allowing third party
  access
• Is there a role for a regional approach?

30
PDP4Life Where Next?

• Three month extension from April to June
• Working with Phosphorix to contribute PDP
  processes to ioPortal suite
• Further analysis of user views gathered through
  the focus groups
• Possibility of further JISC funding for embedding
  and piloting for one more year
• Follow-up SW PDP conference in 2007.

31
Thanks to our 11 PDP4Life Project Partners

• Arts Institute at Bournemouth
• Bournemouth University (Lead Institution)
• College of St Mark St John (Marjon)
• Dartington College of Arts
• Open University
• University of Bristol
• University of Gloucestershire
• University of Plymouth
• University College Falmouth
• University Centre Yeovil (UCY)
• Weymouth College

32
References

• Cambridge, D. (2005). A US Perspective
  Self-Directed Lifelong Learning with eFolio
  Minnesota Through Facilitating Audience and
  Ownership. PDP-UK Newsletter, 6, December 2005,
  pp7-8.
• Gough, D.A., Kiwan, D., Sutcliffe, K., Simpson,
  D., Houghton, N. (2003). A systematic map and
  synthesis review of personal development planning
  for improving student learning. London
  EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit.
• Higher Education Academy HEA (2002). Guide for
  Busy Academics No.3. Using Personal Development
  Planning to help students gain employment.
• James, A. (2004). Autobiography and narrative in
  personal development planning in the creative
  arts. Art Design and Communication in Higher
  Education, 3 (2) 103-118.
• Lorenzo, G. and Ittelson, J. (2005). An overview
  of institutional e-portfolios. Educause Learning
  Initiative.
• Malins, J. and McKillop, C. (2005). Evaluating
  GraysNet an online PDP tool for use in an art
  and design context. Art, Design Communication
  in Higher Education 4(1) 31-47.
• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) for Higher
  Education. (2000). Policy statement on a progress
  file for Higher Education, Retrieved 16 January
  2006 from http//www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastruc
  ture/progressFiles/archive/policystatement/default
  .asp

33
Thank you for your participation