Lessons Learned
The project learned that e-portfolios are powerful tools that capture the added value that goes beyond purely 'academic learning', they promote and sustain interaction between students and staff, facilitate ease of access to technology and the contents of an e-portfolio for both students and tutors and open up more efficient storage systems for evidence.
PDP proved to be most effective and valuable where it was embedded into programmes of study or into specific modules or used to underpin student support and progress. This led to PDP being respected by students as an integral part of their studies, not least because many of these activities were summatively assessed or credit-bearing. In contrast, there is some evidence that PDP proved less effective where it was piloted as a voluntary or additional activity. The voluntary approach seems to be associated with 'less important'.
Staff workloads meant that it was hard to give PDP the time they wished to commit despite initial enthusiasm. Activities which were programme specific were given priority over voluntary PDP work. However, some partners take a long-term view of e-portfolio implementation, realising that staff and student buy-in is not going to happen quickly.
Key factors for successful implementation of PDP supported by e-portfolio in ISLE:
- Support/commitment from the institution
- Networking and sharing of practice between practitioners and institutions
- Flexibility allowed for different contexts/needs (avoiding a 'one size fits all' approach)
- Integration into ongoing learning activities
- Relevant to the stage of learning
- Regular activity, introduced at the beginning of the programme
- Owned by students, who are involved in the development
- Staff provide consistent advice and guide the reflective process (even those not directly involved)
- Focus on the process and not the tool, minimize paperwork
- Frequent and flexible access to the e-portfolio system
- Good back-up support, both technical and pedagogical
- Good resources for flexible delivery
- Good induction for students into the PDP process and the e-portfolio system
- Good staff training and an enthusiastic coordinator to 'kick start' the process and maintain momentum
- The e-portfolio system that supports the PDP process should be simple, reliable and easily integrated with other technologies used by students within their course.
- Do not assume that students have the required IT skills.
