Benefits (and drawbacks) of E-Portfolios in Work Based Learning

[rscwe...@googlemail.com]

Just stumbled across this document posted on Innovate entitled "What
Work Based Learning Providers are Saying about E-portfolios"

http://rscwbl.jiscinvolve.org/files/2008/07/wbl-providers-eportfolios.doc

The document was produced by Carolyn Lewis (RSC National Work Based
Learning Co-ordinator) with information sourced from feedback to RSCs,
The Excellence Gateway, ALP and City and Guilds.

It lists a number of positive benefits of using e-portfolios in work
based learning. Thought it might also be interesting to note any of
the drawbacks/issues that providers have experienced? Cost, staff
comittment and training, ownership to name but a few...?

[Ray Tolley]

An impressive list indeed!

But you hint at the downsides - what downsides?

1. Plastic folders or boxfiles, printing of photographs etc are all
much more expensive than approx £2.50 per year for a fully-featured e-
Portfolio!

2. Staff training is negligible with an intuitive system with drop-
downs for all assessment points.

3. As with any e-Portfolio, if it is to be of use for CPD and from
one job to another, portability is only realistically possible at this
time if it is owned by the learner.

The list tended to look at conventional summative assessment practices
and did not mention the inestimable benefits of formative assessment,
staff better able to understand the 'whole learner', and of course,
the pride of ownership etc of the learner.

Best Wishes,
Ray T

On Feb 13, 9:05 am, rscwestm...@googlemail.com wrote:
> Just stumbled across this document posted on Innovate entitled "What
> Work Based Learning Providers are Saying about E-portfolios"
>

> http://rscwbl.jiscinvolve.org/files/2008/07/wbl-providers-eportfolios...

[derri...@googlemail.com]

Aplogies for long post...

I am delivering a workshop at present showing how to use the Mahara e-
Portfolio platform to track NVQ progress. The Controlled Groups
facility within Mahara allows a Mahara User with STAFF Status to:

- Force users into their Assessed Learners Group
- Allow users to submit a view containing the Unit evidence for
assessment - Once submitted this view cannot be edited by the learner
until the Assessor releases it. The assessor may release it with
feedback explaining what still needs to be done in order to
achieve....OR the Assessor may keep it locked until the IV has
verified it.... and can keep it locked for longer still when this is a
requirement for their records.

This means that, subject to EV approval, Mahara can serve as a pretty
useful tool for NVQ Assessment. It is a much more secure, flexible,
fun and interactive approach to digital portfolio recording than would
be a USB stick or a DVD. Accrediting body documentation can be kept
in a user file and progress can be tracked on a simple spreadsheet.

Despite this..... WBL providers are often reluctant to adopt Mahara
as an e-Portfolio. Want to know why?

It hurts me to say this but it IS interesting to note that WBL
providers I meet are often (not always) less interested in BIG and
IMPORTANT ePortfolio issues such as:

- User OWNERSHIP of their own files and artefacts
- User-centric ACCESS CONTROL where we decide for ourselves who gets
to see what
- Portfolio PORTABILITY as we migrate between our learning
institutions and employers in our LIFELONG LEARNING journey
- Opportuinities for REFLECTIVE LEARNING via blogs, learning/career
goal-setting
- Opportunities for SOCIAL NETWORKING in groups with forums
- Opportunites for PERSONALISED SELF-PRESENTATION

Nor are they particularly interested in personal freedom issues such
as:

- People's right to know that SOMEONE has access to the SOURCE CODE
detailing what actually happens to the portfolio information they
process
- Organisations' right to avoid LOCKING IN their own AND their
learners' personal data into a PROPRIETARY data format which belongs
to a particular Software Company

Nor are they (at least for the present) interested in technological
advantages of the Mahara model such as:

- Its open source nature means that it can be EASILY TAILORED AND
THEMED to suit your local bespoke requirements
- It is written in PHP, a SIMPLE WEB-PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE which lots
of people understand and can use
- It is MODULAR - meaning that the base Mahara platform is easily
extended with particular modules which serve niche interests
- It has an INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY OF DEVELOPERS - meaning we can all
jump off each other's shoulders
- It integrates beautifully with MOODLE - Moodle, let's face it, is
already to VLEs what Google is to Search Engines. It is not the only
platform.... but it is.

....but the WBL providers are more interested in practical WBL
delivery issues such as:

- Is the portfolio approved by their accrediting body?
- Can the portfolio integrate with their Management Information system
(MIS)?
- Can the assessor control who submits what, when?

Personally, I believe these concerns to be short-sighted but they are
too often overwhelming me in my desire to promote Mahara adoption in
the sector. I am currently (perhaps incorrectly??) arguing that:
- If the EV approves a well-structured assessment process, who cares
if an accrediting body has given the particular e-Portfolio system a
badge of approval or not?
- in the future, won't a user's freedom to personalise, control access
to and migrate their data at least equal the WBL providers right to
schedule, control and maintain a record of a learner's submissions?

....and I am looking into MIS integrations.

Can anyone out there give me useful guidance?

Derrin.

On Feb 13, 9:05 am, rscwestm...@googlemail.com wrote:

> Just stumbled across this document posted on Innovate entitled "What
> Work Based Learning Providers are Saying about E-portfolios"
>

> http://rscwbl.jiscinvolve.org/files/2008/07/wbl-providers-eportfolios...