Success Factors

What are the key outcomes of the initiative?

A total of 5 modules within 3 foundation degree programmes were piloted during the project with a specific implementation of the MANSLE tool created for each of these 5 instances. A total of more than 80 students were supported during the project by tutors within the partner institutions. The extent to which each of these students engaged in the project varied from superficial engagement (primarily due to time and other personal commitments) through to a significant and detailed use of the tool to support a wide range of aspects of the curriculum.

The major tangible outcomes of the MANSLE project have been:

• In relation to the wider JISC community, MANSLE has demonstrated that the web service approach provides a powerful, rapid and easily implementable approach to a diverse range of learning and teaching contexts. Additionally a number of issues relating to the definition of web services in general, and the definition and implementation of portfolio services in particular, have been highlighted for further development within the sector
• A cohort of learners, academic staff and workplace mentors who have engaged in the specification, development, implementation and evaluation of e-PDP, e-portfolio and e-mentoring tools and have thus been able to explore, identify and comment on the potential utility of these systems in supporting the further development of foundation degree programmes and the work of the GMSA in support of lifelong learning
• Identification of a number of issues which need to be addressed when planning the design and implementation of personal development planning and portfolio development approaches within the curriculum - irrespective of whether these are technology-supported or not
• Stimulation of discussion across a diverse group of staff relating to the ways in which portfolio development, personal development planning and mentoring can be embedded within the curriculum and operationalised with learners in order to enhance the overall learning experience. This would not have occurred had MANSLE not acted as the catalyst for these discussions
• Recommendations at individual pathway, institutional and GMSA level on the effective ways in which personal development planning, portfolio development and mentoring need to be developed, implemented and facilitated in order to effectively support learners in a range of lifelong learning contexts
• One particular area of interest where the MANSLE tool has found significant utility and could play a major role in supporting lifelong learning and student progression is in relation to support for learners in the clinical practice setting. Practice tutors within these settings are responsible for overseeing student competency claims, and the making and validation of such claims needs to be efficient and feed directly into enhancing the skills repertoire. The use of tools such as MANSLE to facilitate this activity is likely to provide significant benefit to learners, tutors and the trusts within which they are employed

The extension of the project allowed for a shift in focus from technology to pedagogy, and in particular, from focus on tools to produce e-portfolios, to focus on technological habits that learners require to produce e-portfolio artefacts, and the teaching and learning issues involved in the acquisition of those habits.

As pedagogical focus has increased, so new areas for enquiry have arisen which reflect the changing technological circumstances. In particular, the challenge in addressing not only technological issues of reflective practice and lifelong learning, but also the psycho-social barriers within learners means that new pedagogies are necessary to address these particular needs.

The extension also allowed for a technological assessment of new widget-based technologies as a way of integrating technological practices for a wide variety of services.

What follow-up activity will be/has been carried out as a result of the project?

These include:

Dissemination of the work undertaken within the project and its outcomes at a variety of levels, including at an institutional level within project partners; through collaboration with other JISC DEL and related projects; at a regional level through the GMSA and North West Universities Association, and at a national level through Foundation Degrees Forward, CETIS, the Centre for Recording Achievement, JISC and presentations at a range of conferences and in journal articles.