Lessons Learned
What are the lessons learned from the project?
The overall conclusion would be that while e-portfolios are of benefit to learners and their organisations, more work is needed to investigate the feasibility of the passport model which links stages of learning through practical application. Users need to have a clear demonstration of the longer term benefits of using an e-portfolio. The wide scale adoption by employers could pull through demand along the whole chain. Mentoring as a support process is also key to embedding the concept at a number of levels.
Acknowledgement of different entry points for teachers depending on belief in the value of reflection in learning, the nature of the curriculum, their student cohort, and the opportunities, constraints, intentions, and learning outcomes sought, are all fundamental elements of successfully enabling use of e-portfolios in the curriculum.
The key issues identified for the use of e-portfolios as evidence for transition include: admissions tutors' time; establishing equitable criteria for evaluating e-portfolio submissions; authenticity; levels of entry; diversity in subjects, disciplines and professions; incorporation of authenticated transcripts.
For learners, the key factors which have been observed are perceived relevance; motives, incentives; available time of teachers' and students'; group factors; social networks; lifestyle/peer influences. A key expectation of project participants was "what happens next?"
The methodology used to upskill teachers, to embed the e-portfolio use into the curriculum, and to introduce and support learner use worked well.
The implications for the IT infrastructure and processes in institutions of secure preservation, storage and access is key. The main issues identified are: access and authentication; interoperability, storage; confidentiality; data security; trouble-free operation of underlying authentication protocol to underpin user connection. The earliest possible consultation with the relevant IT support departments is essential, even before principal signatories commit to participation. Resolution of all relevant technical mechanisms well before users engage would be ideal.
The significance of ePISTLE for the future is that despite variations in user experience across the project, there was general acceptance that the principle of an e-portfolio was a useful one, particularly when underpinned by concepts of PDP, CPD and so on. e-Portfolio owners expressed an interest in ownership of their work independently of institutional obligations of continuation, and school students particularly appreciated that they could showcase their work and progress effectively. If the central principle of individual ownership can be combined with institutional benefit in incorporating this into evaluation and admission processes, then this would be a good foundation for future development.
