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Peer-reviewed publications
Maastricht 2007
ISBN: 2-9524576-3-8
2
I. ePortfolio
Thomas Sporer, Tobias Jenert, Gabi Reinmann
Context of Web 2.0 and Bologna within the Co-Curricular Study Programme:
Problem- Solving Competencies ....................................................................................... 8
Joke Droste, Lieneke Jongeling, Gerard van der Hoorn
The Electronic Learning Dossier: a Tool for the Whole Educational Chain....................12
Deli Salini, Marinella Bernasconi
The Competence Portfolio: From a Common Background to Differentiated
Practice. Towards the e-Portfolio in the Vocational Training of Canton Ticino
(Switzerland) ..................................................................................................................... 17
Alex Haig, Karen Beggs, Ann Cadzow, Iain Colthart, Anne Hesketh,
Heather Peacock, Claire Tochel
Efficacy of e-Portfolios: a Systematic Review of the Evidence .......................................20
Anne Jennings-Bramly, Hilary Stevens, Chris King, Jo Pye, Simon Mauger
ePortfolio for an Older Worker. What Has Age Got to Do With It? ................................ 23
Debbie Carlton, Martin Hedley Taylor
Smart Use of e-Portfolios – Human Asset Management.................................................. 27
Margaret Lamont
What Are the Features of e-Portfolio Implementation that Can Enhance
Learning and Promote Self-Regulation?...........................................................................32
Isobel Braidman Maria Regan, Simon Wallis, Caroline Boggis, Tim Dornan
Online Approaches to Reflective Portfolio Learning - Initial Studies.............................. 43
Darren Cambridge
Layering Networked and Symphonic Selves with Electronic Portfolios:
a Critical Role for ePortfolios in Employability Through Integrative Learning............... 48
Federica Oradini, Gunter Saunders
Introducing e-Portfolios Across a Paper-Dominated University:
Student and Staff Views Together with Attitudes to the Value of Change ......................62
Alexander Christmann, Ingo Dahn
The e-Portfolio City........................................................................................................... 71
Rob Peterson, Jan Herrington, Deslea Konza, Mira Tzvetkova-Arsova,
Krassen Stefanov
Investigating the Role of ePortfolios and Online Courses in a Community of Practice:
Assisting Bulgarian Special Educators with Lifelong Competency Development........... 80
Table of contents
3
David John Hornblow
Towards Employability: The ePortfolio as a Link Between RPL and PFL......................92
Janke Poortinga, Sanne Meeder
The Use of ePortfolios within Academic Programs.......................................................... 97
Olga Firssova, Desireé Joosten-ten Brinke
Portfolio for Assessment of Prior Learning: Design Issues............................................109
Betül Arap
The Use of Electronic Portfolio in Initial Language Teacher Training as
an Assessment and Evaluation Tool ............................................................................... 115
Pier Giuseppe Rossi, Patrizia Magnoler, Lorella Giannandrea
From an ePortfolio Model to ePortfolio Practices. Some Guidelines............................. 119
Samantha Slade, Yves Otis
The Competence Portfolio: Reflection for Organisational Renewal .............................. 132
Karen B. Andrews, Joan E. Leichter Dominick
Folio Thinking for First-Year College Success & Career Maturation:
Partnering the KSU Online Career Portfolios with the KSU 1101:
First Year Seminar........................................................................................................... 136
Angelika Buehler, Jörg Hafer, Karina Blankenburg
e-Portfolio for Artists at the University of Arts Berlin ...................................................140
Jonathan Robert Freeman, Andrew Stone
Using the e-Portfolio - an Awarding Body's Perspective, Case Study............................145
Lourdes Guàrdia, Elena Barberà, Teresa Guasch, Enrique Rubio
Creating a Research Network for a Successful e-Portfolio Design and
Implementation................................................................................................................149
Volker Patent
If We Build It, Will They Come? Embedding Employability Through
ePortfolio Assessment.....................................................................................................154
Miguel Valero García, Joana Rubio López, Francesc J. Sànchez Robert
Introducing the Student Competency Portfolio in the Castelldefels School
of Technology (EPSC) .................................................................................................... 161
Susanne Neumann,Petra Oberhuemer
Early Learner Empowerment by Means of ePortfolio .................................................... 166
Marco Kalz, Jan van Bruggen,Bas Giesbers, Rob Koper, Wim Waterink,
Jannes Eshuis
A New Linkage for the Assessment of Prior Learning ...................................................175
Aurora Ricci, Guido Sarchielli
Mediation Effects of Subjective Variables: Critical Aspects in
an e-Portfolio Implementation......................................................................................... 184
4
Marc Trestini
The e-Portfolio in a Professional Training Scheme: What is at Stake and
the Limits of the Scheme................................................................................................. 189
Lise Agerbæk
A Cross Section of e-Portfolio Use in Danish Education From Primary
School to University........................................................................................................ 198
Brigitte Roemmer-Nossek, Charlotte Zwiauer
How Can ePortfolio Make Sense for Higer Education? The Vienna University
ePortfolio Framework Taking Shape............................................................................... 206
Angela Smallwood, Sandra Kingston
New Vocational Pathways and Workforce Development: Nottingham’s
Engagement with New ePortfolio Agendas Bridging the Education and
Employment Sectors for Regional Development in the UK ...........................................215
Serge Ravet
For an ePortfolio Enabled Architecture: ePortfolios, ePortfolio Management
Systems and Organisers................................................................................................... 219
Wolf Hilzensauer, Martin Prokoph, Markus Ulrich
Mosep- More Self Esteem with My e-Portfolio Supporting New
Competencies for e-Portfolio Tutors............................................................................... 230
Pedro Pablo Sanchez-Villalon, Manuel Ortega, Asuncion Sanchez-Villalon
Implementation of an EDossier for the European Language Portfolio ........................... 238
Lex van der Sluijs
Our Journey Toward a Next-Generation Digital Portfolio Product................................245
Simon Cotterill, Paul Horner, Sue Gill, Tony McDonald, Paul Drummond,
David Teasdale, Anne Whitworth, Geoff Hammond
Beyond the Blog: Getting the Right Level of Structure in an ePortfolio
to Support Learning.........................................................................................................255
Victor McNair
A Multi-Agency Approach to Developing the Northern Ireland Teacher
e-Portfolio........................................................................................................................ 261
Lori L. Hager, Eric Schiff
Preparing Arts Leaders in 21st Century Skills: a Case Study for the ePortfolio
Project in the Arts and Administration Program at the University of Oregon................ 267
Dolors Sala
A Portfolio for a Project-Based Learning Telecommunications
Engineering Course: a Case Study..................................................................................273
Harriet Richmond, Dorothy Oakey, Helen Hemaya
Sink, Swim or Dive In? The Experience of Piloting an ePortfolio Tool
in Employability and Lifelong Learning Contexts.......................................................... 280
5
Hilary Stevens
The Impact of e-Portfolio Development on the Employability of Adults Aged
45 and Over ..................................................................................................................... 290
Serge Ravet, Graham Attwell
POLE: Personal & Organisational Learning Environment ............................................. 299
Jenny Bimrose, Sally-Anne Barnes, Alan Brown, Gareth Dent
Reflective e-Portfolios for Continuing Professional Development and
Organisational Change .................................................................................................... 303
Angela Smallwood, Elizabeth Hartnell-Young
The Importance of Acknowledging Learning Processes in Assessing the
Impact of ePortfolios.......................................................................................................311
Peter Rees Jones
Breaking out of the Box: Demand Led e-Portfolio for Employability............................ 319
Siti Fatimah Mohd Yassin, Nor Sakinah Mohamad, Hamidah Yamat
Developing W-Portfolio Culture in Computer Education for Teacher
Education.........................................................................................................................327
Dorinda Fung, Winnie Lee, Charlotte Chow
A Feasibility Study on Personal Development Planning Process Embedded
at the ‘Special’ ePortfolio for Generic Competencies Development..............................332
II. Digital Identity and Privacy (DIP )
Marek P. Zielinski
Balancing Privacy and Information Utility in Data Anonymisation...............................341
Marek P. Zielinski
Overcoming the Limitations of k-Anonymity Through Association Rule
Hiding.............................................................................................................................. 346
Katrina Maxwell, Albert A. Angehrn,Bertrand Sereno
Increasing User Value Through Professional Identity Profiles, Profile-Based Connection
Agents and Games........................................................................................................... 355
David Chadwick, George Inman, Nate Klingenstein
Authorisation Using Attributes from Multiple Authorities – a Study of
Requirements...................................................................................................................366
Sabine Delaitre
Identity Representation In Digital Interactions ...............................................................379
6
III. HR Technology
Clementina Marinoni
Competence and Job Profile Frameworks....................................................................... 383
IV. Related papers
José Janssen, Adriana Berlanga, Hubert Vogten, Rob Koper
Towards a Learning Path Specification .......................................................................... 389
Peter Van Rosmalen, Francis Brouns, Peter Sloep, Liesbeth Kester,
Adriana Berlanga, Marlies Bitter, Rob Koper
Question-Answering Through Selecting and Connecting Peer-Students........................ 395
Tim Sodhi, Francis Brouns, Yongwu Miao, Rob Koper
Supporting the Non-Expert in the Authoring of Personalized Learning
Using IMS LD................................................................................................................. 404
Luís Barreto, Alexandre Vilaça, Cláudia Viana
NetStart – Achieving New Abilities with ICT................................................................412
F. Brouns., M. E. Bitter-Rijpkema,P.B. Sloep, L. Kester, P. van Rosmalen,
A.J. Berlanga,R. Koper
Personal Profiling to Stimulate Participation in Learning Networks.............................. 417
Tim de Jong, Marcus Specht, Rob Koper
ContextBlogger: Learning by Blogging in the Realworld .............................................. 425
Adriana J. Berlanga, Bert van den Berg, Rob Nadolski, Hendrik Drachsler,
Hans G.K. Hummel, Rob Koper
Towards a Model for Navigation Support in Learning Networks................................... 434
Adriana J. Berlanga, Peter B. Sloep, Francis Brouns,
Peter van Rosmalen, Marlies E. Bitter-Rijpkema, Rob Koper
Functionality for Learning Networks: Lessons Learned from Social
Web Applications............................................................................................................ 443
Christian Glahn, Marcus Specht, Rob Koper
Processing Learner Profiles for Smart Indicators ........................................................... 454
Cameron Esslemont, Van der Laan, S., Dean, G.
“Meaningful Learning” Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff …
…...………………………
464
7
I. ePORTFOLIO
ePortfolio 2007 Conference
18
th
and 19th October 2007
8
CONTEXT OF WEB 2.0 AND BOLOGNA WITHIN THE CO-
CURRICULAR STUDY PROGRAMME: PROBLEM –SOLVING
COMPETENCIES
Thomas Sporer, Tobias Jenert, Gabi Reinmann (University of Augsburg)
Background
The term Web 2.0 describes a new understanding and utilization of the Web as a medium for
social networks and communities. It represents a technology-induced movement which can
produce change in the conception and practice of higher education. Its participatory nature
promises a resourceful concretization of constructivist learning concepts and implements them
through the use of ICT. Thus we consider Web 2.0 an important guiding idea indicating the
challenge to learn and construct knowledge in a self-organized manner. This view of learning
differs from other approaches as it highlights heterogeneity and favours an internal locus of
control resulting in a high degree of autonomy for the learner.
Bologna refers to a process that aims at building a homogenous European Higher Education
Area and strongly changes the landscape of our universities. This process requires accreditation
and certification of various programs and institutions in order to offer comparability and
transparency. In contrast to Web 2.0, it does not primarily refer to the level of the individual
learner, but to the level of the university as an institution. Homogeneity in terms of
comparability requires methods to evaluate the competencies that students acquire and results
in a focus on the assessment of learning outcomes. Thus, striving for comparability via
educational quality standards, Bologna is an important force in reforming the organization of
higher education that adopts an external locus of control.
At conferences and meetings one can distinguish these two trends and might even argue that
there is no connection between them. But the actual experience of students and teachers who
want to meet the demands of both these trends differs from these opinions. Apparently certain
requirements and expectations are inconsistent with each other. Resulting from this tension
between the affordances of Web 2.0 and the constraints of Bologna, we face the challenge to
resolve potential conflicts con-cerning the design of assessment, curriculae and incentives:
Because if both trends influence our educational practices and are important for students and
teachers alike, the important question is how to bridge the gap between them. At the University
of Augsburg we try to couple the inherent structures behind Bologna and Web 2.0 with-out
breaking the logic of both systems (see Reinmann, Sporer & Vohle, 2007).
Objectives
This proposal shows how we use E-Portfolios as an assessment instrument in the co-curricular
study program “Problem Solving Competencies” (see Sporer, Reinmann, Jenert & Hofhues,
2007). Since assessment marks play an important role in attaining future job opportunities,
students strive for certification and good grades. This is why they expect to learn and be taught
in a manner that suits the prevalent forms of assessment. Educational practices like project
learning and reflective thinking may thus be high educational goals, but problem-solving skills
and social engagement are hardly assessed by typical forms of standardized performance tests.
Context of Web 2.0 and Bologna within the Co-curricular Study Programme…
9
The problem for the acceptance of new learning scenarios like project-based learning
communities, in our view, is that how we assess strongly influences how students behave
(Biggs, 2006). To overcome structural resistance due to inapt assessment methods, we try to
foster the engagement of students in innovative educational approaches via E-Portfolios. Thus
the aim of our current work is to develop an infrastructure for the integration of E-Portfolios as
an assessment method into higher education that leverages the benefits of Bologna and Web
2.0: On the one hand assessment of competencies is a necessary element of external evaluation
and quality management along with Bologna (assessment of learning). Reflection and peer
reviews as self-assessment can be integrated in the philosophy of Web 2.0 on the other hand
(assessment for learning).
Results
So far we have set up a platform that functions as a portfolio tool and implemented it in the
program “Problem Solving Competencies” (see Sporer, Jenert, Strehl & Noack, 2007).
Currently we are working on the development of a theoretical framework of competencies
underlying the program and refining the structure of the portfolio tool. Although E-Portfolios
are a useful multifunctional assessment method which can mediate between assessment of
learning and assessment for learning, both functions are difficult to be realized at once. To
combine assessment of learning with the assessment for learning, we thus designed a three-
staged portfolio process which is based on different portfolio types (see Barrett & Wilkerson,
2004):
1) Working-Portfolio. With the Working-Portfolio students collect all materializations of
knowledge (even very small artefacts) unfolding during the learning process. In this phase they
document their working experiences within their learning projects which is a form of reflection-
in-action (Schön, 1987). Weblogs and podcasts are used to reflect experiences in a simple
manner that doesn’t require systematic arrangement. In addition the learner can comment on
learning “products” such as text documents, drawings and photographs. This “private space”
has no intention of beginning a dia-logue with others and therefore reduces the timidity to
articulate oneself (perspective of 1st person).
2) Story-Portfolio. With the Story-Portfolio students transform personal experiences into shared
knowledge within a project group and arrange the collected materializations of knowledge. In
this stage of the portfolio process a personal learning story is constructed presenting a form of
reflection-on-action (Schön, 1987). This contextual embedding forces the learner to reflect
more intensively and to structure the individual learning process along the meaningful
dimensions of a coherent story. The social software system underlying the portfolio tool
enables reciprocal commenting of the learning stories. This interconnection of the contents of
the learners’ stories builds a “shared space”. The stories thus make personal learning
experiences understand-able for others and initiate dialogue with a real or fictive counterpart
(perspective of 2nd person).
3) Test-Portfolio. The Test-Portfolio consists of the collected materializations of knowledge
which the students choose to be used as indicators for achieving defined learning standards.
Building on the previously described portfolio phases, this is not a form of reflection-on-action,
but rather a form of reflection-on-reflection (Schön, 1987). Thus students make reflective
decisions about what artefacts should be subject to the evaluation through a third person. In this
context you leave the private as well as the shared space and finally enter a “public space” that
gives a transparent account of your learning process and the resulting learning outcomes
(perspective of 3rd person).
Context of Web 2.0 and Bologna within the Co-curricular Study Programme…
10
Conclusion
During the implementation of the portfolio platform in the program “Problem Solving
Competencies” we learned that there are several barriers for the successful integration of new
assessment methods in the every day life of students. Although students generally long for more
practical engagements in higher education, problems concerning the use of E-Portfolios as an
instrument for the reflection of learning experiences arise. On the one hand these barriers seem
to stem from a lack in student’s skills and motivation for reflective thinking. On the other hand
there are still some organizational structures/conditions that highly impact students’ acceptance
of innovative learning and teaching approaches. Both barriers mutually influence each other:
a.) Capabilities for reflection. To reflect on their own experiences seems to be quite difficult
for students. For many students, learning in educational institutions still is synonymous with
memorizing pre-digested content in traditional classrooms. Hence they tend to focus on the
instructed material rather than build the metacognitive capabilities necessary for reflecting
one’s own experience. Because the “cash value” of reflective thinking is not immediately
understood by them, this difficulty is reinforced unless reflective exercises are directly
imparted into assessment strategies. Adding to these problems of inexplicit profitability and the
added workload for students, motivation for reflective practices can be impaired by usability
problems of the portfolio software. Summarizing our experiences with the deployment of E-
Portfolios we notice that students use the portfolio system primarily as a tool for knowledge
management within their project groups. If the benefit of using the portfolios is clear to them
(for example to document the results of a group meeting), students find it much more easy to
post articles in their weblogs.
b.) Organizational structure. Another barrier for the implementation of E-Portfolios is the
curricular framework of the Bologna reform. Due to the modularization and its inherent logic of
the ECTS-system it can become difficult to build coherent units of learning contents that enable
students to engage in project groups that usually go beyond the standard unit of one course in
one single semester. Busy time schedules for students further complicate the matter. Unless
such basic conditions are adjusted the implementation of assessment methods like E-Portfolios
remains problematic As long as portfolio work is not institutionalized into the formal
curriculum, the value of portfolios is not fully grasped by all students. Especially students with
high levels of motivation for achievement may have to face the decision whether they should
invest time and energy in portfolio work with a blurry outcome or if they should fulfil the
calculable standards of traditional assessment measures.
To fully exploit the potentials of the trends outlined above for improving higher education, we
argue for an increased use of E-Portfolios. The sole implementation of technology, however,
does not automatically result in improved learning and teaching conditions. Didactical and
institutional frameworks also have to be altered to meet the introduction of new technologies.
References
1. Barrett, H.C.; Wilkerson, J. (2004). Conflicting Paradigms In Electronic Portfolio Ap-
Proaches. Available Online at http://electronicportfolios.org/systems/paradigms.html,
[Access: 31.8.2007].
2. Reinmann, G.; Sporer, T.; Vohle, F. (2007). Bologna und Web 2.0: Wie
Zusammenbringen, Was Nicht Zusammenpasst? In: R. Keil; M. Kerres; R. Schulmeister
(hrsg.). Euniversity - Update Bologna. Education Quality Forum. Bd. 3., s. 263-278.
Münster: Waxmann.
3. Schön, D. A. (1987). Educating the Reflective Practitioner. Toward a New Design for
Teaching and Learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Context of Web 2.0 and Bologna within the Co-curricular Study Programme…
11
4. Sporer T.; Jenert, T.; Strehl, B.; Noack P. (2007). Einsatz von e-Portfolios zur Föderung
von Studentischen Lerngemeinschaften. In: C. Rensing; G. Rößling (hrsg.). Proceedings
der Pre-Conference Workshops der 5. e-Learning Fachtagung Informatik Delfi 2007, s.
19-26. Berlin: Logos.
5. Sporer, T.; Reinmann, G.; Jenert, T.; Hofhues, S. (2007). Begleitstudium
Problemlösekompetenz (Version 2.0): Infrastruktur für Studentische Projekte an
Hochschulen. In: M. Merkt; K. Mayrberger; R. Schulmeister; A. Sommer; I.V.D. Berk
(hrsg.). Studieren neu Erfinden – Hochschule neu Denken, s. 85-94. Münster: Waxmann.
Authors
M.A. Thomas Sporer,
B.A. Tobias Jenert Prof.
Dr. Gabi Reinmann
Institute for Media and Educational Technology (University of Augsburg)
Universitätsstraße 10, D-86135 Augsburg
Email: {surename.lastname}@phil.uni-augsburg.de
12
THE ELECTRONIC LEARNING DOSSIER:
A TOOL FOR THE WHOLE EDUCATIONAL CHAIN
Joke Droste, Lieneke Jongeling, Gerard van der Hoorn (CINOP / Elektronisch Leerdossier)
Context
The introduction of new educational developments in the Netherlands, such as
‘competence-based education’ and the emphasis on stimulating talent and preventing early
school leaving, requires a more efficient exchange of student-related information on learning
and learning results. In 2008, the ELD (‘Electronic Learning Dossier’) programme will make
this feasible throughout the educational chain. ELD contributes to the notion that every school
is an essential link in a long chain. And that standardisation and better collaboration is essential
to be able to realise a continuous learning process.
The object of the ELD Programme – started by secondary schools in 2004 and funded by the
Ministry of Education as the ELDvo project – is to develop a national standard and
infrastructure for the digital exchange of validated student-related information on learning and
learning results throughout the educational chain in order to facilitate a continuous learning
process for the student from primary education to higher education. The solution: with one
press of the button, the information for the ELD is collected from one or multiple system(s) at
the delivering school, converted into a standard format, secured and sent through the National
Switch Point to the requesting school(s).
Both the ELD and the ePortfolio focus on the digital exchange of information on learning and
learning results. Both tools aim at the facilitation of continuous learning processes. One of the
essential differences between an ELD and an ePortfolio is that in the ELD, the school validates
the accuracy, integrity and completeness of the information agreed on, whereas the student
decides what information the ePortfolio will include. However, since students frequently
include validated learning results in their portfolios that are also part of the ELD, there is often
an overlap of information.
It is our conviction that the two tools can be used as supplements by schools, labour market
institutions and students. That is why we have harmonised the standard and specifications for
the exchange of similar information with other projects in the Netherlands, such as ePortfolio,
Studielink and e-Government. The use of tools that facilitate the continuous learning process
should connect seamlessly. There should be interoperability in terms of inter-institutional
transfer of information. The ELD, based on the ‘IMS Specifications Learner Information
Package (LIP) and The Reusable Definition of Competences and Educational Objectives
(RDCEO), makes that feasible.
When e-portfolios are not only used to facilitate the coaching of the learning process in a
specific school, there are some issues to solve that ELD had to reflect on:
how to protect information that schools have to store by law,
what is the best place to store an e-portfolio when students follow courses on different
schools or in the school and on the job,
how to guarantee that external parties have access to an e-portfolio (life long
learning),
how to facilitate the logistic processes.
The Electronic Learning Dossier: a Tool for the Whole Educational Chain
13
Objectives
Seamless educational careers
The ELD programme aims to enable the seamless progression of students through their
educational careers by facilitating the smooth transfer of student/learning process-related
information among schools in the educational chain. ELD will reduce administrative burdens
and facilitate continuous learning processes. It supports the policy of the Dutch government
aimed at student dropout prevention and talent stimulation.
What effects will this programme have in 2008 and later years?
The ELD programme will result in the unambiguous, transparent, efficient and secure exchange
of validated learning data. These exchanges will occur at the main junctions in the educational
chain: from secondary to higher (vocational) education and from secondary (vocational)
education to labour market trajectories. Although schools and institutes accredit the dataset,
parents or the student (>18) must approve the exchange of an ELD before it can be sent to the
next school or institute.
The architecture sets the stage for an even broader exchange of information, e.g. between
schools and municipal government officials or healthcare institutions. In 2008, the first batch of
schools will have access to the necessary data with one press of the button. The next batch will
follow in 2009 and this will continue until 2011. The ELD will be a powerful tool for the early
identification of talented students and students at risk. The effects will increase as schools
refine the information on competences and guidance.
(Reference) Architecture
The reference architecture focuses primarily on exchanges among schools and institutes and
does not concern itself with the structures within the institutes. However, the institutes must
meet certain requirements, e.g. upholding certain agreements made on technical aspects of the
institutes’ connection to the system and the way the exchange is secured. The reference
architecture is in line with the Netherlands Government Reference Architecture (NORA).
ELD exchange is facilitated by a number of joint services, which are consolidated under the
National Switch Point (LSP) for education.
A few of LSP advantages:
cheaper and more efficient: the high degree of privacy and security in the transfer of
information requires an advanced technical infrastructure (certificate for the school,
encryption, BSN/student number, which is needed for opening (files, etc.) It is not
necessary for each individual school to provide for the expensive security that is
needed for the connection with every other school, but only for a secured connection
to the LSP,
reduced workload: with one press of the button the bulk of the graduation records are
sent to the LSP, which stores them until they are called up,
dossiers are available for students (and their parents when they are < 18) by way of
the web,
dossiers are always available: also in the summer with varying holiday periods,
option to add ‘reference documents’: to elucidate (and assess) test results or
competences that cannot be interpreted in just one way,
option available for collecting management information: e.g. information on school
transfers.
The Electronic Learning Dossier: a Tool for the Whole Educational Chain
14
Proof of Concept
In 2007, the concept of the digital exchange of ELDs through a national transfer and service
centre (LSP) will be tested by a proof of concept (PoC) involving a group of pilot schools and
11 developers of software systems/commercial suppliers who cover the educational chain.
The PoC project is to prove that the infrastructure for the electronic exchange of learning
dossiers is functional and technically sound in the primary-secondary, secondary-secondary,
secondary-senior secondary vocational, secondary-higher professional and secondary-university
educational chains.
All pivots will be demonstrated in the demo. The schools and suppliers were selected based on
their representation of the field.
Summary of results
Key milestones
2004
The project starts with a survey of national and international developments. The
results are available on www.eldvo.nl
2005 and 2006
Development of, testing of and agreements on the standard and the sets of data at each
transfer point with study groups, expert groups and pilot schools from the whole range
of the educational chain.
Development of the reference architecture.
2007
January: official agreement on the standard ELD and the sets of underlying data.
Besides formal personal information, the ELD also contains information on school
career, learning results, apprenticeships, competences and pedagogical approach
(coaching/counselling/guidance),
January: Official Agreement reached on the reference architecture. It remains frozen
until the first phase of the proof of concept is completed,
Test of the digital exchange in a proof of concept with suppliers and schools
throughout the educational chain. The chain test results will be supplied at the end of
the year,
Start of project ‘preparing implementation’. An impact research report on business
processes provides information about the aid/facilities that we should give schools,
Refined datasets on ‘competences’ and ‘guidance/coaching’,
Standards and datasets on new transition points (secondary education-jobcentre,
senior secondary vocational education- senior secondary vocational education and
senior secondary vocational education - higher professional education),
Validating the standard ELD 1.0 version and policy on further development and ELD
standards administration, the architecture and the LSP,
Preparation of a Declaration of Intention to stimulate the use of ELD with the sector
organisations: Netherlands Association of Schools of Secondary Education,
Netherlands Association of Schools of Senior Secondary Vocational Education,
Netherlands Association of Agricultural Training Centres, Netherlands Association of
Universities of Professional Education and the Association of Universities in the
Netherlands.
The Electronic Learning Dossier: a Tool for the Whole Educational Chain
15
2008-2011
The Proof of Concept will be extended to include an increasing number of suppliers
and schools,
Parts of the programme will be transferred to existing organisations,
Communication campaign will be intensified to inform potential users about the
added value, convenience, profit and advantages to be gained with ELDs.
Conclusions and Recommendations
The ELD is a response to the need for more and more reliable data on the learning process and
learning results of students. Based on the concept of continuous learning, educational
programmes attempt to cater to pupils’/students’ needs in order to prevent dropout and
stimulate talent. The foundation for tailor-made programmes and guidance is having the right
data available. ELD provides the basic set of data on a pupil/student who starts at your school
or institute. You yourself or the student/employee can then build upon this set.
This is why it is important to use international standards in the exchange of information
and adhere to the ELD standard that provides the basic information on a student’s
learning process and learning results. Take advantage of the infrastructure and standard
that has already been developed:
validated information (digital signature guarantees integrity and completeness). ELD
uses a System certificate that only the managing director of an educational institution
may request; every dossier is digitally signed and it is possible to see who was
responsible.
transparency (it is clear exactly what is being exchanged). ELD includes syntactic and
semantic agreements.
only information which it is legal to exchange (privacy) is available. ELD guarantees
that the standard with the set of underlying data and the exchange process is in
agreement with the privacy laws of the Netherlands.
information is compatible with various systems (meta data insure interoperability).
ELD uses international IMS specifications that function as a kind of uniform plug
between systems that also employ these international IMS LIP specifications.
can be linked with developments/systems such as ePortfolio and Studielink. ELD
information can be linked with or in the future even integrate with ePortfolio and
Studielink information.
can be linked with other basic registration systems. The reference architecture is in
line with the Netherlands Government Reference Architecture (NORA) which makes
it possible to make connections with the Netherlands municipal basic administration
for personal data, the register for certificates of qualifications and the register for
companies.
‘Ultimately, students benefit from it because schools now have a tool to track the
student’s learning history and provide tailored educational guidance‘.
The Electronic Learning Dossier: a Tool for the Whole Educational Chain
16
Author:
Joke Droste
ELD Programme Manager
+31(0)73-6800853
CINOP
Pettelaarpark 1
Postbus 1585
5200 BP 's Hertogenbosch
The Netherlands
jdroste@cinop.nl
17
THE COMPETENCE PORTFOLIO: FROM A COMMON
BACKGROUND TO DIFFERENTIATED PRACTICE.
TOWARDS THE E-PORTFOLIO IN THE VOCATIONAL
TRAINING OF CANTON TICINO (SWITZERLAND)
Deli Salini, Marinella Bernasconi
(Istituto Universitario Federale per la Formazione Professionale)
Keywords
: Portfolio, Competencies, Vocational Training, ePortfolio developpement
Introduction
The Swiss Federal Institute for Vocational and Educational Training (SFIVET) of Lugano, has
set up – in cooperation with the public administration of Canton Ticino (Division of Vocational
Training) – a project aiming at consolidating and to coordinating some measures for supporting
the transition of the young people attending vocational courses from the school to the job
market.These measures are situated in the different phases of the training path: at the beginning
– by promoting the creation of new workplaces for apprentices; during the training path – by
promoting in the apprentices the capacity of identifying, arguing and of gathering information
about their own skills and competencies; at the end of the training path – by supporting those
who have difficulties in finding a job.
The present contribution, starting from a brief presentation of the Swiss Vocational Training
system and the mentioned projects, intends to deepen the characteristics and the modalities of
construction and diffusion of the Competence Portfolio Project in all the vocational schools of
Canton Ticino, by describing how the tool and its methodologies have been differentiated,
depending on the characteristics of each school, and by analysing its development towards an
ePortfolio.
The characteristics of the Competence-Portfolio Project
The Competence Portfolio Project aimed to the conception, to the development and to the
diffusion of a tool which allows the young apprentices to attest their competences. In this
perspective both strategies related to the traditional competence synthesis and to the learning
portfolios have been integrated. The goal was in fact to accompany in the identification of
knowledge and competences achieved in prior learning and/or extra-scholastic situations and to
allow the monitoring of those which gradually are acquired at school and at work.
At the end of the portfolio project, the young apprentices, besides to having achieved a set of
meta-cognitive and argumentative capacities, are able to produce some documents useful to
entering the profession.As support to the whole process of the Portfolio Project, a Guide and a
CD-Rom with numerous didactical activities have been developed by the teachers. In particular,
the accomplished Portfolio Project, intends to be an integration element of diverse procedures
and didactical modalities, already used in the vocational training: therefore it is a tool aiming at
the continuity and the meaning in the educational history of students and apprentices.
The Competence Portfolio: Common Background to Differentiated Practice…
18
Elaboration and diffusion phases of the project
The prior experience (2001-2003)
The Competence Portfolio Project started from the necessity to overcome some limits of a
previous unique portfolio tool that collected to the competences acquired the whole vocational
training of Canton Ticino.
It was a complete and standardized guide, directed to all users (adults and young people of
every origin field), formulated in an exaggerated specialized language, not adjusted to the target
of the young people, lacking in didactical materials, and scarcely flexible. On the other hand the
value and the scope of this initiative were appreciated, as the guide was a first attempt to
develop an instrument for allowing everyone to process their own portfolio of competences.
Moreover, it was an opportunity to open a lot of discussions and reflections among the teachers
of every training curriculum about the changes acting in the actual professional world.
The concept and the operative proposals (2003-2004)
Taking into account the above mentioned limits and in particular the necessity of having
didactical material as a support suitable for young people, a team of work, composed by some
teachers, some institutional referents, and some specialists, has developed a project-concept
based on some principles and has constituted an operative path. The main elements could be
summarised in the following points:
A) Conditions of achievement
:
Safeguarding the inspiration principles and the finalities of the previous experience,
taking into account the tools and/or the activities (e.g. European Languages Portfolio)
already proposed in the field of the vocational training, aiming at the competence
valorisation, the orientation of young apprentices, favouring the harmonisation
among them,
Taking into account the different terminologies related to the competence concept,
existing in the vocational training,
Taking into account the fact that those who elaborate the competence portfolio need a
specific accompaniment which particularly considers the needs of those who have
peculiar personal, scholastic and professional histories or who have specific learning
difficulties,
Taking into account the importance of instituting in every school a referent for the
portfolio activities, able to coordinate them in general terms and to provide advice to
the colleagues,
Promoting some activities correlated to the portfolio training in the training
enterprises,
Connecting the tools for young apprentices and those directed to and adult target in
general.
B) Operative proposals
Considering the necessity to ‘scaffold’ both the teachers and the apprentices, in the realisation
activities of the competence portfolio, some proposals were identified:
promoting some sensitizing activities or tools related to the problematic passage
school-work,
elaborating a complete guide for teachers,
giving advice for the constitution of the personal competence dossier for the
apprentices,
The Competence Portfolio: Common Background to Differentiated Practice…
19
elaborating an official competence dossier, directed to the adults and to the young
people, with a support function for job searching.
The materials production, the experimentations, and the progressive diffusion (2004-2007)
A specific team edited in July 2004 a first version of the Teachers’ Guide, integrated with a
CD-Rom of didactical activities, both object of testing in the following years, in order to refine
them and to allow a better integration. Afterwards the official competence Dossier, entitled
“Qualifications and Competences Dossier” was developed; it is now in a testing phase with an
adult target.
In the testing phase the Teachers’ Guide has revealed the necessity of specifying and adapting
the general indications, the activation and managing modalities of the portfolio course for
different scholastic curricula so, the teachers involved were asked to analyse the characteristics
of their scholastic curriculum (differentiated on the basis of the professional sectors), to build a
discussion network of teachers of the same professional sector, in order to work out the guide-
principles for the implementation of the Portfolio course in a coherent and functional way for a
specific professional domain. In the definitive implementation a common framework with some
peculiarities and some differences among the specific professional fields will emerge. In this
specific context the necessity of introducing an ePortfolio clearly emerged, considering it as a
logical consequence of the accomplished training path. For this reason, from the scholastic year
2007/2008 an experimental and research project about e-portfolio will begin, integrated for the
moment in two schools with curricula particularly familiar with the ICTs usage.
One of the most peculiar aspects of this project was the teachers’ involvement in the
development of the project itself. Over the years different working team and teachers of
different professional curricula participated: until now about 80 teachers have been directly
involved, 12 of them with a referent function in the scholastic seats.
This allowed the gradual diffusion of the portfolio which, in the scholastic year 2006-2007, has
been covering all the training system of the Canton Ticino, in all the different sectors and
curricula of the vocational training. This means that currently the project involves the ensemble
of the vocational schools, that is 4 commercial schools, 4 artisan and agrarian training schools,
4 industrial training schools, 1 artistic training school, 3 social and nursing training schools, for
a total of about 8700 students (including both full-time school and alternation school-
enterprise) and about 1200 teachers.
The participation of the teachers with specific referent function has allowed the progressive
constitution a specific competence domain in the field of the counselling to young people for
the orientation and support in the professional and training development
Authors
Deli Salini
Istututo Universitario Federale per la Formazione Professionale
via Besso 84
6900 Lugano Massagno
Switzerland
deli.salini@iuffp-svizzera.ch
Marinella Bernasconi
Divisione della Formazione Professionale del Cantone Ticino, Centro professionale
commerciale, Bellinzona, Switzerland
20
EFFICACY OF E-PORTFOLIOS:
A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE EVIDENCE
Alex Haig, Karen Beggs, Ann Cadzow, Iain Colthart, Anne Hesketh,
Heather Peacock, Claire Tochel (NHS Education for Scotland)
Background
Portfolios are used by most health professions as an instrument and medium for formative and
summative assessment, as well as for other educational activities and processes. As portfolios
become more widespread across health and other professional sectors - and their content and
potential becomes more complex - they have increasingly migrated to electronic format.
There is now a considerable body of evidence published across the health professions,
including medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, clinical psychology and allied health, on the
utility of (electronic) portfolios; however, these single studies vary widely in both their design,
scope, quality and conclusions.
In clinical research systematic reviews are often employed to synthesise large amounts of
disparate evidence. Educational research is very rarely purely quantitative though and at the
1999 Linköping meeting of the Association of Medical Education in Europe (AMEE) a group
was formed to bring evidence based practice to medical education. The result was the BEME
(Best Evidence Medical Education) Collaboration, an international partnership that has
produced methodology to learn from both experimental and non-experimental educational
research and promote best practice.
To date, a systematic review on the efficacy/usage of portfolios - electronic or otherwise - has
never been conducted. This paper will discuss the findings of the recently formed BEME
systematic on this topic which will provide a robust and objective synthesis of the large and
increasing body of literature on this vital educational intervention.
Aims and Objectives
This research aims to combine all relevant evidence to determine the efficacy and utility of e-
portfolios as educational instruments in healthcare settings.
This would:
establish how effective e-portfolios are as instruments to support reflective practice,
summarise the strengths and weaknesses of e-portfolios for conducting formative and
summative assessment,
synthesise the evidence on e-portfolio usage in the work place and how they can further
education,
ascertain whether e-portfolios can accurately determine the educational needs of
learners.
Research Questions
Are e-portfolios an effective and practical instrument for education, particularly
formative and summative assessment?
What are the advantages and disadvantages in moving to an electronic format from
paper?
Efficacy of E-Portfolios: a Systematic Review of the Evidence
21
What is the evidence that e-portfolios are equally useful across health professions, and
can they be used to promote inter-disciplinary learning?
Methods/Summary of Work
The group has adopted the methodology of the Best Evidence Medical Education Collaboration
and first conducted broad sensitive searches for all available evidence
on the efficacy of e-portfolios in any setting; a second smaller subset of the evidence will be
examined to look specifically at the efficacy of portfolios within the health professions. The
search included the peer reviewed databases for health (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Psychlit)
and education (ERIC, TIMELIT, British Education Index), as well as a search of the grey
literature.
The combined searches produced 2775 citations potentially relevant to the review. Pairs
(blinded) then reviewed titles, and where necessary abstracts, to reduce the pool of potentially
relevant articles to 225. These are currently being read in full by two reviewers who rate them
independently for relevance against pre-determined criteria versus the review questions and
quality of methodological design. A web-based tool for detailed appraisal of the papers and
abstraction of relevant data has been developed to facilitate this process and ensure a consistent
approach.
The research will also incorporate the findings of two evaluations of the United Kingdom’s
largest e-Portfolio system for healthcare workers - the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) e-
Portfolio system, which provides e-portfolios for tens of thousands of health professionals
across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales. In 2007 separate evaluations of the NES
e-Portfolio software were undertaken by BECTA (British Educational Communications and
Technology Agency) as well as a joint project between the Mersey Deanery and the Royal
College of Physicians of London. The evidence from these evaluations will be treated as
primary research and appraised identically to the rest.
Timeline for Completion
At the time of abstract submission, the group had appraised approximately 25% of the articles.
Further potentially relevant evidence was continuing to be collected and appraised from cited
reference searches and contacting authors, though in diminishing quantities (estimated 15-20
new papers will be included).
By the time of e-Portfolio 2007 the group is on course to have all data abstraction completed
and will be able to present the synthesised evidence on each of the research questions. The
results will be written up in late 2007 for publication in early 2008.
The group continues to work with a variety of interested parties on the project and welcomes
any contact. BEME systematic reviews have a proven record of combining diverse evidence in
a transparent, reproducible and objective manner and we would look forward to presenting and
discussing our methods and findings, and their implications for best practice within health care
and beyond.
References
1. Dornan, T.; Carroll, C.; Parboosingh J. (2002). An electronic learning portfolio for
reflective continuing professional development. Medical Education, Vol. 36 (8), pp. 767-
769. [Avaliable from: www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/med/].
Efficacy of E-Portfolios: a Systematic Review of the Evidence
22
2. Hammick, M.; Haig, A. (2007). The Best evidence medical education collaboration:
processes, principles and products. The Clinical Teacher, Vol. 7 (4), pp. 42-45.
[Avaliable from: www.theclinicalteacher.com/].
3. Lawson, M.; Nestel, D.; Jolly, B. (2004). An e-portfolio in health professional education.
Medical Education, vol. 38 (5), pp. 569-570. [Avaliable from:
www.blackwellpublishing.com/journals/med/].
4. McKenzie, J.; Cleary M.; McKenzie B., Stephen C. (2004). E-portfolios: their creation
and use by pre-service health educator. International Electronic Journal of Health
Education, Vol. 7, Sep.4-Nov.17, pp. 55. [Avaliable from:
http://www.aahperd.org/iejhe/index.html].
Authors
Alex Haig,
Karen Beggs,
Claire Tochel
NHS Education for Scotland
The Lister
11 Hill Square
Edinburgh, EH8 9DR
Alex.haig@nes.scot.nhs.uk,
Karen.beggs@nes.scot.nhs.uk,
Claire.tochel@nes.scot.nhs.uk
23
EPORTFOLIO FOR AN OLDER WORKER WHAT HAS AGE
GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Anne Jennings-Bramly, Hilary Stevens, Chris King (SWOOP - South West Opportunities
for Older People, University of Exeter),
Jo Pye (Marchmont Observatory SLIM, University of Exeter),
Simon Mauger (NIACE, The National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)
Abstract
: This document outlines the proposal for a workshop presenting the development of a
work package designed to test and pilot an ePortfolio product in the context of support for older
workers wishing to review their skills and abilities in a changing employment market. The
SWOOP project is set in the context of the ageing population demographics of Europe and age
legislation introduced in the UK in October 2006.
It will outline the work of SWOOP as an ESF/ Regional Development Agency funded
programme targeted at testing and developing with partn