e-Portfolio for Lifelong Learning

1. e-Portfolio Reference Model Dr Angela Smallwood Centre for International e-Portfolio Development, University of Nottingham Peter Rees Jones JISC-CETIS e-Portfolio Feasibility Study V2 2006 07 17 PRJ/AJS

2. Background • JISC funds UK colleges, universities and their partners to undertake strategic innovative technical work that they could not otherwise afford. • 2003: UCAS became a partner in the Specifying an e-portfolio Project led by the University of Nottingham • This differentiated 2 key types of e-Portfolio used by every learner: • 1) Personal e-Portfolio for collecting learning evidence • 2) Presentational e-Portfolio developed by the learner for a particular audience and purpose • The UCAS application of the future can be regarded as a presentational e-Portfolio

3. 2004 - Schwartz on the first Nottingham Project “The JISC project…. is reviewing how admissions staff use information and evidence. The project aims to make information and evidence available in an accessible electronic form that can be customised to support the admissions process and give feedback to the applicant. The Project is specifically examining the potential of entry criteria and course information to structure the personal statement. This would allow academic staff to set prompts for their own courses….UCAS and other admissions services should also consider the inclusion of additional information to produce a fuller transcript of applicants’ achievement. A more informative application form may in itself reduce the need for additional testing” (Stephen SchwartzFair Admissions to higher education: recommendations for good practice p. 48; E9; 2004 09 00)

4. Key Project Propositions • High quality course entry profiles should function within new web-based systems to • Provide structure and guidance for customised personal statements – Fair admissions • Enable admissions staff to provide feedback • Ability to hot-link assertions in the personal statement to evidence in the Personal ePortfolio  richer information about borderline candidates  reduced need for tests / interviews • Application for transition will express prior learning and inform post-admission learning

5. E-Portfolio for Lifelong Learning Reference Model Project • 2005: UCAS was a partner in the e-Portfolio Reference Model Project which led to… • discussion of a UCAS – JISC partnership agreement • 2006: Consultants advised DfES to prioritise the implementation of e-Portfolio for transitions (from school to college, to university/employment) • September 2006: JISC to publish ITT for projects on aspects of e-Admissions to HE

6. Framework for technological innovation, including admissions • eFramework – JISC + DEST (Australia) • Set of generic web services capable of many different combinations to support a wide range of processes in learning, research and administration • Impact on approach to supporting transitions along lifelong learning pathway = simplification and affordability • Via reusability and repeating patterns

7. Formative use of Course Entry Profiles for the Personal Statement WS 1 calls the entry profile for a particular course at a particular HEI into a blank Structured Personal Statement

8. Formative use of Course Entry Profiles for the Personal Statement WS 2 helps me link assertions and activities to evidence in my e-P to create a Personal Profile in terms of the entry requirements

9. Formative use of Course Entry Profiles for the Personal Statement WS 3 helps me link assertions and activities to evidence in my e-P such as a section of a project

10. Formative use of Course Entry Profiles for the Personal Statement WS 4 allows my adviser to formatively assess the statementand give me feedback. I repeat the process to make a formal application to this course. The Structured Personal Statement could be presented to an HEI as a single block of text … OR

11. Structured Personal Statement assessed by admissions staff …the HEI may follow common HR practice and summatively assess the Stuctured Personal Statement: . Other web services will be specified to repurpose the information so that an admissions officer can make effective use of richer information at no extra cost in terms of staff time

12. Structured Personal Statement and feedback to unsuccessful candidate In HR the formal assessment of a structured application against a person spec may be scored by a panel. . This pattern allows HE staff to give feedback to unsuccessful applicants on areas in which they can improve their profile of themselves – in addition to formal qualifications & tests.

13. Successful candidate: Structured Personal Statement as Induction Profile • Induction and retention • Incoming student and adviser use personal statement to optimise personalisation of programme of study and fit of option choices to student, ref: • any areas of relative weakness e.g. WP students • Special interests e.g. of high achievers

14. Service Use Case for UCAS

15. JISC ITT will seek proposals from colleges & universities for work on: • Course Information • The Structured Personal Statement • Feedback • Testing processes • APeL • The relevance of established practice in other domains, in particular HR, to HE. A formal partnership agreement between JISC and UCAS is being negotiated.