Barriers and new participatory approaches for adopting e-portfolios in delivering employability bene Home : Annual Conference 2015

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Wed, Sep 9 2015, 4:45pm – 5:45pm
Authors: Geoff Rebbeck, Lisa Gray, and Peter Chatterton
Room: Room 1.219 (First Floor)
Theme: Participatory approaches to the development of learning technologies
Type: Long Presentation

Description

A recent Jisc-funded study (Jisc, 2015) into the use of technology in delivering employability benefits for students has identified that e-portfolios have yet to achieve their full potential in UK higher and further education as learner-owned learning spaces. Examples of use of e-portfolios UK and overseas illustrate how effectively they can be used not just to plan and record a student’s learning (life) journey and it’s outcomes, but as a tool to support students’ critical and reflective thinking and practice and showcasing their learning and skills as well as how they have applied these e.g. for creative problem solving in authentic learning scenarios. Collaboration and dialogue underpins effective e-portfolio-based learning practice with a range of stakeholders such as subject/personal tutors, peers, mentors, assessors, alumni, employers, employer/professional bodies (Jisc, 2008). The revolution in e-learning from shared technologies to personal technologies has yet to translate effectively in education, denying students the opportunity to move beyond showing qualifications to presenting their ‘rounded selves’ of which qualifications are a part.

The workshop will be in three parts:

1. Making the case for more participatory approaches for design and use of e-portfolios [plenary – 15mins]

This workshop will present a vision for how e-portfolios could be more effectively developed and used highlighting the typical barriers to their full adoption that the Jisc study has identified (in both FE and HE). It will go on to present a range of participatory approaches for addressing the barriers which institutions will need to focus on e.g. alignment of enquiry-based learning activities and assessment processes with student learning journeys and engagement/participation with the different stakeholders. We hope to show how programme teams, administrative staff, professional support services staff, students and employers can more effectively participate together in enhancing the design and use of e-portfolios – using the tools that have been developed as part of the Jisc study e.g. a set of principles and top tips for using e-portfolios in delivering employability benefits to students.

Participants will then be able to query and challenge the presenters.

2. Groups to explore barriers to participatory approaches and solutions [group discussions – 35 mins]

The workshop will then break into groups to explore a range of participatory approaches for addressing the barriers to adopting e-portfolios in delivering employability benefits for students. The presenters will facilitate the discussions and help the groups to come up with solutions. The session will produce several “solution posters” illustrating several ideas of participatory approaches and using a pre-defined A3 “solutions” template.

3. Summary [plenary feedback – 10 mins]

Feedback, summary and review of solution posters and take-away suggestions. All workshop outputs will be made available via the Jisc study site.

Participants will benefit through:

Enhanced understanding of how e-portfolios could successfully be used as learner-focused learning spaces and the barriers involved.
Appreciation of new participatory approaches for developing and using e-portfolios and overcoming barriers.
The production of solutions which they can use in their own institutions.

References

Jisc (2015) http://employabilityproject.jiscinvolve.org

Jisc (2008) Effective Practice with e-Portfolios

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