Widening Participation
The purpose of the 14-19 reforms is to "create opportunities for all young people to continue learning until at least the age of 18 and to give them the knowledge and skills for further learning and employment. This is important because a major weakness of the 14-19 phase of education is low participation post-16, which has a clear implication for the numbers of young people with the qualifications and aspiration to progress to HE." (HEFCE 2007)
Widening access and improving participation in post-compulsory education is high on the agenda of both the UK government and education funding councils, encouraged by the recommendations from the 1997 Dearing Report (National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education) and subsequent policy developments such as the 14-19 reform agenda.
Raising educational attainment, raising aspirations, encouraging application to HE and fair access to HE are seen as key elements to improving participation.
The HEFCE Student Lifecycle Model (2001) suggests key transition points in the learner's journey which are essential to the success of widening participation, from raising aspirations, through better preparation, to first steps in HE, to moving through, onto student success. Outcomes of various JISC projects suggest that the development of an e-portfolio culture will support planning, goal-setting learning and professional development and enable the recording and evidencing of attainment for presentation either for transition within the education sector (for example from FE to HE) or to employment or further training.
The Learning Matrix
Through a 'Higher Education Taster' service, the Learning Matrix project aimed to provide 'non-traditional' learners with a better understanding of educational progression options and practical experience of learning at levels beyond their current level. This was tested by offering a cohort of learners a choice of learning packages at six FE and HE institutions in the Cheshire and Merseyside region. All learners undertook PDP activities and enrolled on courses using an online learner portal. Although e-portfolio facilities were not fully embedded in the project, it provided a model to build on for regional lifelong learning initiatives and improving progression to further and higher education which is currently being explored in the Interoperability Network North West (ioNW2) project. (Learning Matrix Case Study)
Resources
The 2004 DfES Review of Fair Admissions to HE included a definition of 'fair admissions', drawing upon e-portfolios for richer applicant information to aid widening participation and ease transition. UCAS is now committed to moving towards entirely web-based admissions and review processes, offering enormous benefits in terms of speed, data accuracy and future developments in response to changing demands. In partnership with UCAS, JISC is supporting a number of projects to explore how technology can be used to support improved admissions practices such as DELIA and PortisHEad. This includes the piloting of applicants' use of e-portfolios to support the preparation and submission of their application, and the use of structured entry profiles.
