What's happening nationally in the world of e-portfolios? The one-stop shop for the HE Progress File

e-portfolio for UKHE: a ‘just good enough for today’ sort of definition? personal development planning (‘a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and/or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development’); leading toward personal development records detailing the formative and summative outcomes from the pdp process and covering curricular and (as appropriate) extra-curricular achievements; and supported by ‘ee’ - electronic evidence, in the form of an archive of material held digitally within a repository, which is available to the learner to draw upon in presenting themselves to others, whether within programmes or at points of transition. ‘Good practice’ in e-portfolio implies:

What e-portfolio might not be.. The ‘magic bullet’ solution to all our problems. The solution to the ‘we’ve got to get pdp in place by 2005’ problem. Something which all students will warm to. Useful for the majority of students in a ‘stand alone’ system. A means of creating demand/an ‘audience’, e.g. amongst employers who have their own selection processes.

How we got here, a reprise The 80s gave us… Locally derived add-on systems for some (local records of achievement). The 90s begat.. Centrally derived systems add-ons for most school pupils (the National Record of Achievement). Centrally dictated systems for all (ILPs for all on LSC funded courses). Centrally developed freestanding systems for individuals to use (DfES Progress File). The terms Personal Development Planning and Recording in HE. The beginnings of a vision of support for lifelong learning.

So how come we are still at it.. Benefits: at transition (UCAS data, QAA research); to pedagogy (EPPI data); to inclusion (means of connecting individuals to organisations, especially in more distributed learning environments and differentiated curriculum/life pathways, so increased flexibility in 14-19, modularity in HE, support for postgraduate research students, portfolio careers especially for the knowledge economy).

Transitional Benefits: Outcomes from the HE (UCAS) applications process TOTAL APPLICANTS TOTAL WITH RECORDS OF ACHIEVEMENT AVERAGE NUMBER OF OFFERS WITH ROA AVERAGE NUMBER OF OFFERS WITHOUT ROA YEAR OF ENTRY N/A

Transitional Benefits: PDP and Student Employability... Work with employers undertaken for the QAA confirms that Personal Development Planning processes can contribute to: initial applications, particularly when responding to questions which require reflective understanding; preparation for assessment centres; development within organisations (Appraisal and CPD); more effective performance in application and interview “Connecting PDP to Employer needs and the world of work. 2001”

PDP and effective learning PDP enhances learning i.e. there are positive outcomes when the process of learning involves reflection and action planning. Gough, D.A., Kiwan, D., Sutcliffe, S., Simpson D. and Houghton N (2003) A systematic map and synthesis review of the effectiveness of personal development planning for improving student learning. Report on-line at /review_groups/EPPI/LTSN/LTSN_intro.htm /review_groups/EPPI/LTSN/LTSN_intro.htm

Significant drivers…an incomplete list HE Sector agreed implementation date for Personal Development Planning (2005/6) Tomlinson review (14-19) and the support for ‘personal review, planning and guidance’ within ‘core learning’ and the e- transcript Schwartz review of HE admissions. Burgess – Measuring and Recording Student Achievement Scoping Group within HE. Anticipated outcomes from the e-learning strategy consultation, particularly in the context of the ‘unified learner support’ strand. European developments (Europass, including the Certificate and Diploma Supplements) JISC funding for the Regional Development of MLEs for LLL/ HEFCE/LSC LLL Networks initiative.

Developing towards…. Clearer sense of ‘e-portfolio(s)’, and the functionality of different systems, in order that organisations (and learners) can make informed choices. Making sense through ‘scenarios of use’. Connectivity:  to evidence;  horizontally;  vertically. Recognising the importance of differing affiliations at different times in the lifelong learning journey. Underpinned by stronger dialogue between Practitioners/Managers/Technical colleagues.