Evaluating an e-portfolio

1. Evaluating an e-portfolio Barbara Plimsaul Employer Engagement Manager

2. Introduction – why e-portfolio? • College purchased Blackboard several years ago – WBL use it for delivering some learning + as a resource library but limited • Awarding Bodies encouraging centres to offer e-portfolio route • College developed a strategic ICT plan • Reviewed WBL + produced plan

3. E-portfolio selection process Needed to : • identify key people who we needed ‘buy-in’ from • agree criteria for selection • look at benefits of the programme to justify expenditure & need • arrange demonstrations • compare and select

4. Identify key people who we needed ‘buy-in’ from It is essential to have the key people on board to support the introduction of any change & help with implementation: • Assessors & IV • IT department • Course co-ordinators • Key managers

5. Agree criteria for selection • Awarding bodies recognised the e-portfolio • Cost – initial outlay and subsequent cost • Savings – benefits of e-portfolio • Presentation – what the portfolio looked like and how easy was it to use • Flexibility in the programme – be able to adapt or add to

6. Benefits of the e-portfolio A report had to be produced to justify the expenditure & key benefits: • Learner achievement & retention rates • Savings against traditional methods • Flexibility • Quality • Ease of use • Cost of set up and running

7. Demonstrations We selected 3 packages to review – this was through being suggested them, seeing them at events & research: • Forward plus - http://www.forwardplus.net/public/displaycontent.aspx • eNVQ - https://secure9.envq.co.uk/cgi-bin/envq • Learning Assistant - http://www.learningassistant.com/

8. Compare and select All were very similar in what they could offer but there were differences that we had to weigh up in how important they were to us: • How many of the awarding bodies recognised/endorsed it • At what stage of development was the system • What the e-portfolio looked like • What the company would offer cost/support

9. Our choice – Learning Assistant • Satisfies the 3 main awarding bodies requirements • Cost much the same in set up, but licences cheaper and also had a different price for short courses A1/V1 • Graphics good, so were Forward Plus but package not as advanced • Most similar to paper-based portfolio – candidate led. For us eNVQ got you grading a piece of evidence out of 9 (not NVQ philosophy for us) • Flexibility in being able to change things and be part of the development • Uploaded a number of standards as a package - • Good support service – personal touch

10. Benefits of e-portfolio Learners complete 30-60% faster (still early days) Savings – cost of assessor & IV travel time, paperwork, reprographics Flexibility of when to work on the portfolio – IV can look at it & not hold up candidates progress or be under pressure No more bulky folders or lost evidence Increased motivation and quicker completion, reduce drop out rates (still early days) Transparency at all stages

11. Challenges As always it is never plan sailing, there will always be challenges: • Speed of opening the evidence, especially photos • Change way of working – positive & negative (if system slow) • Find out system cannot always do exactly what you can with paper e.g IV • Need to up grade our digital recorders • Audit – laptops being able to have wireless access! BUT would not go back!!!!..... Certain departments in the college now want to come on board from having delivered a training/ introduction to this (once again WBL forging the way)

12. Demonstration of Learning Assistant https://system.learningassistant.com/RUTC/ http://showcase.learningassistant.com

13. QUESTIONS? Over to you, but I might not be able to answer it if it is too technical!!!!!! Contact details – bplimsaul@rutc.ac.uk