EPortfolios Student Blogs Duncan Gillespie and Robert Brown

E-Portfolios & Student Blogs Duncan Gillespie and Robert Brown

E-Portfolios & Student Blogs q Introduction o Dumfries and Galloway College has developed this tool to support students and assist them to develop employability skills and integrate work in other areas of their course. They maintain the e-portfolio and can include photographic evidence from practical workshops, and use the eportfolio to shop window for self promotion and employment. q Aims o The e-portfolio helps the learner gain skills which will have a long lasting and positive impact on their learning, improve learner retention, progression and achievement. It supports lifelong learning and encompasses the concepts of personal development planning and evaluation. 2

The aims re-iterated: q Help learners acquire skills which will have a long lasting and positive impact on their learning q Improve learner retention, progression and achievement rates q Support lifelong learning and wider participation by meeting the diverse and individual needs of learners in an efficient and effective manner. 3

At its heart: q is the belief that the ability to offer individualised support for learning is enhanced through personal development planning using an e-portfolio. q is that learner groups are supported in the PDP activities by an academic member of staff. This is achieved by: o Incorporating PDP activities into the learner tutorial hour OR o Incorporating PDP activities into a suitable unit(s) that is part of their existing programme e. g. employability skills, personal development planning, career planning, freelance working skills, personal awareness and development. 4

E-portfolios & Student Blogs - Examples q q q Blank eportfolio as created. Blank eportfolio Stevenson College Blank eportfolio Angus College. HND Computing Student. Int 2/Higher Engineering Student. Int 1 Engineering Student. Pre-Apprenticeship Construction Student progressed to apprenticeship. Motor Vehicle Student. Sport Student progressing from Access to BTEC level 3 5

E-portfolios & Student Blogs - Examples q Support blogs are used to support whole class activity. q They provide the learner with access to lesson plans and lesson material without the need for logins and therefore breakdown barriers. q The global translator plug-in is used to support learners who’s first language is not English. q Used to support inhouse, external and school classes. q Examples o o Dumfries High School Hospitality School Provision Media Studies School Provision HE and professional qualifications in Computing Sport 6

Staff Training q Specific training with individual staff members or programme area cohorts. q Generalised initial lesson plan to get new staff started. q Requests to train class groups where their tutor is also present. q Development of Staff Development online course. 7

HELP q Changing our mindset to include and accept that evidence can be used from an e-portfolio. q How do we know what is acceptable in demonstrating evidence? q Will External Verifiers accept e-portfolio evidence? q Do External Verifiers know what an e-portfolio is? 8

Thank You – Any Questions? 9