Facilitating Independent Learning using e-Portfolios and Associated Support Systems
Lead Contact: Paul Mahoney, pmahoney@uclan.ac.uk
JISC Programme: DeL Regional Pilot Projects
Lead Institution and Partners: University of Central Lancashire - UCLAN (L), Blackburn College, Burnley College, Carlisle College, Cumbria Institute of the Arts (now part of the University of Cumbria), Furness College, St Martin's College
Project Dates: April 2005 - March 2006
This case study illustrates Lifelong Learning, Application, Application to Employment, PDP, Supporting Learning Processes, Reflection, Collaboration, Learner Perspectives, Technologies, Open Source, Perspectives, IT Skills, Data Protection, Legal Access, Interoperability, Access, Implementation
Background & Context
What is the background to the e-portfolio initiative?
The FILE-PASS project was a collaboration between Higher Education institutions (HEIs), Further Education Colleges (FECs) and other related organisations in the Lancashire and Cumbria sub-region of the North West of England. It is based on the identification of a particular category of learners (or non-learners) who are 'isolated' from the educational opportunities offered in further, higher and related education. Access to these learners is often problematic. However, many are making tentative steps back into learning through a recognition that they need to develop their skills, either for work or personal reasons. The FEC partners, in particular, make extensive efforts to reach out to these learners through their college and outreach programmes. Such access to these learners offers clear opportunities to encourage them to reflect on their learning needs and to advise them on the many opportunities that exist to progress in areas relevant to their work and personal needs.
The project centred on the trialling and evaluation of e-portfolios with "isolated learners" from across the partner institutions in a variety of situations as a tool to enable this personal reflection and the identification of progression opportunities.
What were the aims and objectives of the initiative?
The project set out to develop, deliver and evaluate an e-portfolio service to learners who may in some way be 'isolated' from Further or Higher Education with the aim of helping them to engage with the lifelong learning agenda and to gain access to the opportunities available for personal and work-related development.
In order to achieve this, the project sought to:
- Encourage and raise awareness of educational opportunities for isolated learners who make initial steps back into education through locally-led IT courses
- Trial and evaluate e-portfolios as a way of encouraging isolated learners to reflect on their educational needs and aspirations and to advise them on opportunities for progression into and through higher education
- Identify e-portfolio software that is suitable to the needs of the isolated learner and incorporates information on how to access and apply for HE
- Share existing e-tools among partners relating to personal development and to assess their relevance to developing e-portfolio tools
- Train tutors working with the isolated learners in the use of e-portfolios and how learners can be helped to benefit from them
How was the initiative implemented?
Choosing cohorts
Each partner chose their own cohorts based on agreed definitions of isolation. Decisions were affected by the timescale of the project as it relied on the ability of the supporting tutors to build the project activities into their curriculum in a very short space of time. The groups of learners were:
- Hard-to-reach adults (on probation/with visual impairments etc)
- Mainly mature female Psychology undergraduates
- Adults seeking IT upskilling
- 16-19 ICT Certificate and Diploma students
- Foundation Degree (FD)/HND Engineers/Computing Engineers
- Access Art and Design students
- FD students in Performance, Festivals and Events
- Masters students in Contemporary Fine Art
- Mature female Health Sciences (Complementary Medicine) undergraduates
- Various ethnic groups and non-native English speakers on Foundation Certificate in English for University Study
Evaluation
The initial part of the project sought to evaluate four aspects: the learner experience, the tutor experience, the impact on the institutional policy of each partner and the project as a whole. The initial learner evaluation was based around a series of 4 'jottings' sessions. The 'jottings' (a repeated questionnaire) were designed as an easy way for students to note down their thoughts on using the e-portfolio as they encountered it. The sessions were themed by tasks:
- Entering data into the portfolio
- Finding and using resources
- Building and sharing a presentation
- Reflecting and improving
Support requirements
The project team provided training both on-site and in a group session to the partners in the use of the software. Due to time restrictions, an 'unadapted' version of the software was used for training tutors. Although it did not allow for a full understanding, it did give tutors the opportunity to feedback ideas as the software to be used was being adapted.
