Competence, learning, achievement Lester Gilbert Learning Technologies Group School of Electronics and Computer Science University of Southampton CETIS Portfolio SIG

mPLAT: The problem  Background: Clinical placements, 50% of 3-year course Assess the student’s competencies  Workload of the supervising practitioner Impinges on the students’ learning Assessment processes can be fragile Audit trail inadequate  Students away from usual learning environment Difficult to access learning resources JISC-funded project: Mobile Placement Learning and Teaching

mPLAT: The toolkit  Mobile learning toolkit  Deployment on PCs, PDAs, Smartphones…  Flexible interface to Learning outcomes Methods of assessment Forms of the results How they will be recorded By whom  Create, edit, display assessment(s) (timing, feedback…)  Link learning resources to support learning outcomes  Provide adaptive information, advice, guidance on actions to be taken

mPLAT toolkit SO architecture

School   Aptitudes (“not good at mental arithmetic”)  Preferences (“likes to work in a group”)  School reports (“must try harder”)  Subject choices (Science stream)

School leaving   School leaving qualifications (subject, grade)  Personal statements (aspirations)  School references (“works well with guidance”) 

College entry   Programme goals, entry requirements (nursing professional registration, “C” in biology)  Personal profiles (“works well in a team”)  Accreditation of prior learning (carer in nursing home)  

Study & graduation   Assessments, outcomes, exit & professional qualifications (BSc 2.ii, RCN registration)  Tutor, college references (works well in teams)  Programme & course validation (RCN validated)   

Work   Industry sector requirement profiles (NHS)  Job descriptions (carer in hospice)  Person descriptions (must work well in teams)  Professional development plans & training (work towards being a nurse tutor)    

Play   Interests & abilities (played hockey at school)  Selection criteria (county team)  Achievements (team captain, county finals)    

Commonalities   What can you do  What do you want to do  What have you achieved  What are the prerequisites  What are the expected outcomes  …     ‘ 

Competence model  For underlying intentions  For exchange of achieved, current, and intended performance data  For portfolio tools for discovery, processing, gap analysis & matching, visualization ‘      

Draft information model  Competency hierarchy  Owner  Proficiency  Capability  Content  Evidence  Resource needed to to achieve competence

Thank you Questions, comments, discussion… 

Model intentions  General, coherent, interoperable, standards- based, machine-readable model for the underlying intentions or aims of any Lesson, workshop, seminar, unit, module, course, programme, curriculum, or professional qualification Teaching and learning material, resource, or asset Assessment Student, learner, or candidate

Model overview  An underlying intention may be instantiated as an educational objective, an intended learning outcome, a competency, an achievement, a benchmark statement, and so on.  A complete and coherent model of such instantiations would provide a model of competence within all domains where learning and teaching take place.  Fundamental concept: What the student can do, not what they “know” Activity, not content

Competency  The model would allow competencies to be Supported by: personal development plans, continuing professional development plans, personal statements, CVs, portfolios of outcomes and products,... Attested by: portfolio materials, awards, certificates, test results, credit points, testimonials, references, referee reports, … Referenced by: entry requirements to programmes of study, prerequisite requirements for individual courses, criteria for entry to a learned or professional society, accreditation requirements of an organisation, job and person specifications in workplace contexts, …

Portfolio  A general standards-based machine-readable model provides an underlying structure for the exchange of achieved, current, and intended performance data relating to all aspects of education and training: Institutional entry requirements and exit awards Study planning Teaching and learning materials, assessments, and units of study Records of performance Analysis …

Tools  The model would underpin the development and deployment of portfolio tools for: Data exchange Discovery Processing Gap analysis, profile matching Visualization …  For students, tutors, programme managers, examination bodies, professional societies, employers, …

mPLAT