1. Rose Papworth Hull College Using e-Learning to Help Employers Contribute to Work Placements

2. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project 2006 / 2007 Foundation Degree Software Design and Development One-day-a-week work placements Regular, but infrequent tutor visits

3. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Issues: Limited support/feedback for students and mentors Hard to keep track of progress Personal Development Planning –Standard documents = chore –Blogs can = diaries Non-traditional students

4. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Project rationale - use an online environment to: Facilitate tripartite conversation between learner, employer and tutor Increase support for all parties via online provision Provide an online placement contract to keep track of progress Develop personal reflection via blogs and mentor/tutor comments (PDP) –social constructivist perspective Use an e-portfolio to facilitate widening participation via personalisation

5. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Elgg environment – free-to-use, open source: Individual and community blogs with comments Flexible e-portfolio space Access controls Open source to develop an online work placement contract Good feedback on usability

6. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Elgg environment – online placement contract: Check boxes to sign off progress by each party

7. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Elgg environment in use: 11 second year students as focus group Work placement project At least 12 blog entries during placement (weekly) Employers and tutors read posts and commented - students respond E-portfolio space used to share documents as required

8. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Conclusion - evaluation of use: Most students posted regularly –Harder to get employers to comment Students enjoyed using blogs as more immediate and aided reflection – better than standard PDP documents E-portfolio helped share documents Outcomes and progress more easily monitored Enabled better communication and support

9. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project For the future!: Students indicated that employers needed reminding to comment and that the quality of employer comments varied –Better mentor training on the use of comments to aid reflection Two-year JISC-funded project –HE in FE e-learning strand –Using Elgg in the same manner with other subjects at Hull College

10. HEA ICS HE in FE Mini-Project Further information: HEA page: http://www.ics.heacademy.ac.uk/HEinFE/HullCollege_ MP.htm JISC page: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/programm e_elearning_capital/el_heinfe/helpp.aspx JISC Project web site: http://helpp.hull-college.ac.uk/