TIPEIL LLP-LDV/TOI/07/IT/019 First Transnational Workshop Athens, 7-8 February 2008 Venue: IEKEP - 34A Averof str. in Nea Ionia 1 st floor Description of products to be updated and transferred during TIPEIL – project Anna Maria Ajello & Cristina Belardi DPSS - University La Sapienza of Rome

Dear all we are very sorry not to be there with you – there are some important reasons Federica will tell you. Here are our notes:

Product 1: the digital portfolio A process elaborated during the In.Tra. Project: In.Tra. - Informal Training: recognition and accreditation Co-financed by the E.C. under the Youth programme January 1st 2002 – January 31st 2004 Partners: Solco Srl (Italy) (Belardi for Solco & Ajello for University ‘Sapienza’ of Rome) die Berater (Austria) Greta NI (France) UNAD (Spain)

Why a digital portfolio ? (1) Aim: recognition of informal competencies acquired by young disadvantaged people with a medium-low level of education Target group: known to have few literate competencies Tool/method: “user friendly”

Characteristics of Informal Learning: everyday life activities - learning result of meaningful activities (Rogoff and Lave 1984, Lave, 1988). nature partly tacit (Polany, 1967) - hard to explain verbally and not even aware. Tool/method: coherent to overcome the traditional dualism between academic and non academic knowledge Why a digital portfolio ? (2)

Portfolio: used by artists and craftsmen to show their best performances, what they are able to do; at school (e.g. standards in the USA): students select pieces of own works to demonstrate different level of acquisitions and to reflect on their learning process assisted by teachers actively involved in the process of learning (meaningful) and in making learning visible (Bjornavold, 2000) Why a digital portfolio ? (3)

The construction of the digital portfolio Interviews conducted by a tutor Computer, scanner, camcorder, etc. Help of a technical assistant able to use software such as html editor, video editing Four parts as you can see in the portfolios realised Several steps/phases The role of the tutor is crucial

The role of the tutor To make a scaffolding activity (Wood, Bruner, Ross, 1976) in a process aimed at self empowerment. To be fully aware of the characteristics of IL (to realise if she/he consider them trivial) and of situated competency. To demonstrate to be a trustworthy mediator. S/he should focus on changes and future plans.

Product 2: the handbooks A handbook written in English: a product of the InTra project. A book written in Italian by Ajello and Belardi (Carocci publishing, 2007)

The ‘original’ handbook The tutor can find the description of all phases and of the electronic tools to be used. The digital features are not specified in the original handbook because during the InTra project these issues were no standardized, so every tutor in the 4 partner centres used the softwares and the format s/he preferred/was able to use.

The book In a new manual (only in Italian version) we specified: assessment theories; European politics concerning evaluation of NF, IF and FL ; the steps to make a digital portfolio; the electronic tools to be used: an open-source software called NVU.

Main strengths If the tutor is properly trained this is a useful tool to work with young disadvantaged people who could be attracted by electronic tools – very different from how they are used to work at school. The process let the person becoming aware of all competencies s/he acquired during formal, non formal and Informal learning contexts. It also helps to think about the future as a guidance counselling process. It can be part of a guidance counselling process and of institutional assessing procedures (this was not the case of the Intra project: just making visible). The person is the protagonist of her/his assessment process: s/he is not evaluated by an external evaluator, just supported by the tutor.

Some feedback from tutors At the end of the process, tutors said that:...it helped Ms. N. to see how many different interests and hidden abilities she has, and improved her self-confidence.....it encouraged.. to continue working steadily in spite of her handicap…...it helped him to focus on his abilities, which he can possibly use in order to find an interesting and satisfying job. His self- confidence increased....this will contribute to their reintegration into society and the labour market...

Digital features: strengths & weaknesses The fact that it is a digital portfolio is both a strength and a weakness point: a digital portfolio can be updated easily and you can put in videos and photos that allow you to see both the performances and the products. But ….

Digital features: main weaknesses The tutor should be able to use electronic tools like the camera and the camcorder. The tutor needs the help of a technician to make the digital portfolio. The person who wants to make her/his e-portfolio (user) should be able to make digital photos of the products s/he wants to put in the portfolio. If the user doesn’t have a digital camera, s/he needs to borrow one – for example from the tutor. The tutor could be forced to go out of his/her centre to make the videos of performances to put in the e-portfolio of a user.

Product 3: the distance training course Carried out during the EGEIS project. Co-financed under the LEONARDO DA VINCI PROGRAMME of the DG Education & Culture of the European Commission.

PARTNERS ITALY: –Solco s.r.l. –IRS Europa –Confor Informatica –CID (CGIL) –Università La Sapienza FRANCE –Lycée Le Pleiade/Greta Nord Isère SLOVENIA –Social Chamber –Centre Spirala AUSTRIA –die Berater (GREECE) –Counselling and Career Centre of Hilioupolis

CONTEXT LIFELONG LEARNING –Recognition of non formal and informal learning –High quality guidance services

PROJECT AIMS Reduction of heterogeneous nature of guidance systems in Europe. Exchange of experiences and practices between guidance counsellors from different Member States. Development of a model training course for European Guidance Counsellors.

INNOVATIVE ASPECTS A European Guidance Counsellor should be able to give EU wide information on training and work opportunities. He/she should be able to evaluate skills that his/her “client” has acquired through non formal and informal learning: Digital Portfolio method is included in the CD Rom.

What we should keep from that Cd Rom ? The training course for learning to make a digital portfolio During TIPEIL we could: improve the part of the distance training course concerning the digital portfolio; improve the English handbook (for example translating the Italian one which is an updated and better version); make them as unique training package.

Let’s hope you enjoyed our notes and … part of our work in the past years !! Should something being unclear, please keep your questions for the Rome-lab Looking forward to meeting you in March Anna Maria & Cristina