E-portfolios are becoming increasingly popular around the world as a tool to enhance learning and assist with personal career development.

The VET E-portfolios Showcase will bring together leaders in education and training from across Australia to discuss how the national training system can best utilise e-portfolios. Participants will have the opportunity to:

• gain an understanding of how e-portfolios can help to realise key vocational education and training (VET) initiatives, such as:
  • lifelong learning
  • RPL (recognition of prior learning)
  • fast tracking apprenticeships and traineeships
  • retention and reintegration
  • work-based learning
• establish dialogue and networks with key e-portfolio stakeholders
• access e-portfolio examples and resources through case studies, presentations and discussions, which they can embed into their own organisation.

This event is an opportunity for teachers and trainers; as well as managers of teaching and learning, e-learning and ICT; to discover how e-portfolios can be implemented in training and assessment, and used to support learner transitions beyond formal training. The showcase will include a range of guest speakers and break-out sessions, to encourage collaboration and sharing of ideas and experiences.

Call for presenters

The national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), is currently seeking submissions for presentations on the way e-portfolios are being used in the Australian VET sector and within organisations and agencies which support lifelong learning.

Presentations are encouraged within the following themes:

• Training and assessment in VET – ie RPL (recognition of prior learning); apprenticeships, trainees and work based learners; re-engaging learners; developing 21st century digital literacy and media skills.
• Transitioning from VET – ie gaining employment; self/small business promotion; licensing, admissions or professional association processes.
• Lifelong learning – ie reintegration and reclassification of employees; professional, personal and career development; performance management; regional e-portfolios.
• Other sectors and agencies – examples from schools, adult community education and higher education or other agencies which support learning.

Presentation summaries of 250 words or less should be submitted online at http://tinyurl.com/lm39xr by Thursday 30 July. Please contact Allison Miller, Business Manager for the Framework’s E-porfolios Business Activity on 0400 732 270 or email allison.Miller@tafesa.edu.au for further information.

In order to develop my own skills in the use of different digital media I have made this video to explain what needs to happen if e-portfolios are to move beyond an emerging technology into the mainstream to support life long learning.

The video, 6.36 mins in length, looks at what’s required if we are going to successfully move from our traditional ways of capturing and managing life long learning into digital spaces, such as blogs, wikis, videos, audio and digital images, faciliated through an e-portfolio.

Four areas which require action and attention are:

• development of digital literacy skills
• changes to policies, and access to technology and storage
• capacity building of people who can faciliate life long learning
• space and time to learn and experiment

The E-portfolios business activity will continue to enable each of these area through its work.

What implications do these areas of action and attention have for learners, teachers/trainers, training organisations, teaching & learning and ICT managers, employers, our government and other support agencies?

After an enquiry about whether it was possible to share files directly from Google docs in Mahara I did a bit of research.

It appears that you can share a link from Google Docs as a hyperlink in Mahara, and if you are already signed into any of the Google suite (ie Google Reader, Google Mail/Gmail etc) it will take you directly to the shared document, ready for you to edit or comment upon.

You will however, need to give the user access to the Google Docs file beforehand ie the owner will need to ’share’ the file first.  If you don’t have shared access to the Google Docs file, the link will open up the document as a HTML (non-editing) page.

Here is an example using an old “Innovations Task List” I created in Google Docs a while back.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dcd255wp_0qxmksjf2&hl=en

If I have shared this document with you (by invitation in Google Docs) then you will go directly into the document.  This will enable you to edit the document and save it.  This is great for collaborative projects ie writing a paper or application.  If you don’t have ’shared’ access in Google docs you will see the document as a web page.

This means you increase the amount of storage you have to support your e-portfolio ie by leaving the documents in Google Docs - which supports about 7 gig of storage.

Or alternatively, the collaboration and editing can occur in Google docs, with the final ‘polished’ version uploaded to Mahara.

This makes perfect sense when you don’t want to save EVERYTHING in Mahara, only the polished items worth keeping and/or sharing.  The version uploaded into Mahara can be in Word or PDF, Text, HTML etc.

The Australian Flexible Learning Framework is committed to investigating the development and implementation of e-portfolio systems which support a learner’s ability to easily move into vocational education and training (VET) and beyond.

In March 2009, the Framework released the E-portfolios for RPL Assessment report which includes the outcomes of an environmental scan and two trials commissioned by the Framework and identifies the benefits and future development needs of using e-portfolios to support RPL (recognition of prior learning) in VET.

The Framework has now released application details for seed funding which will build on and broaden the scope of this report.

Funding overview

This seed funding aims to identify the contributing factors and resources required to support the use of an e-portfolio system to verify an individual’s current competence which will enable a learner to quickly and effectively transition between educational sectors, job roles and industry areas.

The funding provides the opportunity to implement an e-portfolio system to generate, manage and validate evidence for learners from skills shortage areas, and/or to assist in the fast tracking of apprenticeships or traineeships.

Preference will be given to project applications which focus on one or both of the following areas:

* investigating the potential of an assessor or ‘group’ e-portfolio which integrates evidence validation and results recording to support quality assurance requirements
* examining the use of an e-portfolio system to manage the generation of ‘live’ workplace or work-ready evidence ie using audio recordings, video recordings or point of view devices to capture the skills of an individual while they carry out a workplace task, such as an apprentice electrician completing some wiring

The trial teams will produce the following outputs, which can be accessed by other registered training organisations and practitioners from the E-portfolios Resource Bank. This will include:

* written reports which detail the key stages of the trial
* support resources for learners and assessors

The E-portfolios business activity was featured a number of times in the April edition of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s (Framework) Flex-eNews and media releases.

1. Former Flexible Learning Advisory Group Chair supports e-portfolios

“E-portfolios are set to revolutionise the way VET deals with RPL (recognition of prior learning) and enable smooth transitions between VET and higher education, as the Bradley Review of Higher Education stipulated” states former Flexible Learning Advisory Group Chair (FLAG), Jim Davidson.  To read more click here.

2. Supporting e-portfolios – the inside track to managing learner information

Electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) are the talk of the ‘VET town’. As a relatively new e-learning tool they provide unprecedented opportunity for learners to produce up-to-the-minute records of their work history, training and life experiences.  As with most developing technologies, questions are being asked about how to manage e-portfolios use, to ensure they are used to their full potential and are not open to exploitation….. to read more click here.

3. E-portfolio implementation trials - funding available

On Thursday 30 April 2009 the Framework will release the application details for seed funding available to Registered Training Organisations to identify the contributing factors and resources required to support the use of an e-portfolio system to verify an individual’s current competence, which will enable a learner to quickly and effectively transition between educational sectors, job roles and industry areas. To read more click here.

4. E-portfolio resources for everyone!

Two other major e-portfolio reports, detailing the benefits of e-portfolios for the school, VET and higher education sectors, are now available for download.

The E-portfolios in Australian education and training report contains the key strategic directions and issues from the 2008 National Symposium on E-portfolios, including recommendations for developing, implementing and using e-portfolios in schools and VET.

The E-portfolio use by university students in Australia: Informing excellence in policy and practice report outlines the outcomes of the 2008 Australian e-Portfolio Project. This project, funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council, analysed e-portfolio use in the higher education sector and provides guidance on future development opportunities.

To read more click here.

5. E-portfolios at inaugural AUPOV conference

Point of view (POV) devices, such as camera glasses and video cameras, are an emerging technical innovation in the vocational education and training system. So much so that the inaugural AUPOV conference being held in Wollongong on 19 June will focus solely on how POV devices can support education and training.

E-portfolios allow learners to create a dynamic and engaging electronic account of their skills and work experience and will feature in the keynote address of the conference.  To read more click here.

What’s e-portfolio activity are you aware of???

This article comes from the March edition of Flex e-News:

A new report has identified electronic portfolios (e-portfolios) as a key tool to support COAG’s (Council of Australian Governments) RPL (recognition of prior learning) initiative, which aims to build RPL quality and good practice for the national vocational education and training (VET) system.

The E-portfolios for RPL Assessment report, from the national training system’s e-learning strategy, the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (Framework), finds that e-portfolios provide a timely and client focused approach to recognising existing skills during the RPL process.

COAG supports RPL as an important system to solve national skills shortages, as RPL acknowledges a worker’s informal prior learning and skills, helping to reduce the time spent in training.

E-portfolios can be developed quickly and easily in the workplace to capture live evidence through the use of mobile phones and point-of-view devices, and can include a range of digital evidence such as audio, video, photographs and blogs.

The Framework’s report includes the outcomes of two trials which identify the benefits and future development needs of using e-portfolios to support RPL in VET. Key findings from the trials include:

* Digital evidence can be easily captured, uploaded, organised and identified on a dynamic and ongoing basis.
* E-portfolios support ongoing dialogue between RPL candidates and assessors, allowing assessors to view and provide advice on evidence as it is generated.
* E-portfolios are particularly useful where geographical or time differences prohibit face-to-face or real-time communication or validation of evidence.
* E-portfolios have many benefits beyond the RPL process. They can be used to build a skills profile; support identified gap training; and manage workplace performance, including recognising, rewarding and reclassifying employees.

The Framework’s E-portfolios Business Manager, Allison Miller, said the report includes recommendations to encourage the ongoing adoption of e-portfolios to support RPL in VET.

“The report recommends setting national standards for capturing, presenting, managing and validating evidence in e-portfolios. By offering new ways to establish these standards, the Framework is supporting COAG’s RPL initiative.

As well as the trial outcomes, the report includes examples of RTOs who are already using e-portfolios to support RPL:

* Charles Darwin University collaborated with Desart to use e-portfolios to help art workers achieve a Certificate III in Art Administration via an RPL process and appropriate gap training.
* Lifeline (Hobart) used e-portfolios to support RPL in the Certificate IV in Telephone Counselling for its volunteer workers.
* Swinburne TAFE blended e-portfolios and RPL for learners completing the Certificate IV and Diploma in Aviation Safety Regulation. Learners uploaded evidence and identified when they were ready to be assessed.

For a full copy of the E-portfolios for RPL Assessment report:

http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/e-portfolios

I was recently asked by Michele M Martin about job seeking e-portfolios.  

Attribution: Image ‘Jan. 1‘ 

Here is my response:
“As you are aware Michele, a lot of the work around e-portfolios at the moment has more an ‘educational’ focus than a job seeking function - ie students developing skills, self assessing/reflecting, gaining ‘accreditation’ ie nurses, teachers etc, and promoting lifelong and lifewide learning.

The Dutch Government is keen, however, for every employee to have their own e-portfolio as an ‘inventory’ of their skills to aid in skill development, retention or finding new employment - as outlined in their ‘Towards a Future that works‘ report

Some examples of ‘job seeking’ e-portfolios include:

- Queensland University of Technology (QUT) - has a ‘student example‘ -
- Maximise-ict have 5 examples on the bottom of this page -  they are using a specific e-portfolio tool called ‘e-Folio’ - but that isn’t necessarily required and could be replicated in a wiki or other self web-paging applications like the following:

- Jessica’s - student
- Sarah Stewart’s - midwife
- Nirvana Rose Watkin’s - teacher

The use of e-portfolios for job seeking is being picked up by the adult community education sector in Australia - however, their examples are ‘private’ at present.

Europass has resources to help people create their electronic CV to enable them to gain employment in Europe - however, these resources would still be useful for others looking to do likewise -

E-portfolio tools often have ‘Resume’ or ‘CV’ templates/builders within them.

A question which is often asked is how do employers respond to electronic portfolios - there are mixed feelings about this - but this article details how more employers are starting to ask for them.

Australian e-Portfolios Symposium 2009 - Establishing an e-Portfolio community of practice – was held at Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove Campus on 9 – 10 February 2009

“Findings from the research undertaken as part of the Australian ePortfolio Project revealed that there was a high level of interest in the use of e-Portfolios in the context of higher education, particularly in terms of the potential to help students become reflective learners who are conscious of their personal and professional strengths and weaknesses, as well as to make their existing and developing skills more explicit.  There are some good examples of early adoption in different institutions, although these tended to be distributed across the sector.  This means that e-Portfolio practice in Australian universities (and Vocational Education and Training - VET) is currently fragmented.

The goal of the AeP2 Symposium was to begin to bring together the different pieces of the e-Portfolio puzzle to build a cohesive composition that will benefit individual students, the quality of learning and the value of higher education outcomes.

There is scope for those involved in e-Portfolios to establish a community of practice (or indeed communities of practice) that will provide valuable channels of communication between those people with shared interests and ideas, and encourage scholarship and research.  The AeP2 Symposium represents an important first step in this process.”
http://www.eportfoliopractice.qut.edu.au/symposium2/index.jsp

This Symposium brought together the experienced and the eager to learn ways to support e-portfolio activity in Australian through a community of practice (CoP).

The Symposium was kick started by Wijnand Aalderink, University of Groningen, and Marij Veugelers, University of Amsterdam – who facilitate the e-portfolio arm, NL Portfolio,  of the Dutch platform organisation for IT in Higher Education - SURF Foundation - who shared their experiences in community building in Holland, including:

15 ways for community building:
- organise a roundtable discussion to definition the focus areas and explore the potential
- establish a community develop project and make an action plan with reachable target update yearly
- appoint community manager
- create an addressable community of experts key players (linking pins) in member organisations
- identify key players to develop a community of practice at their own institutions
- facilitate a dissemination website and organise activities for a larger circle of people that is active or interested
- involve stakeholders from working field, other educational sectors, and tool developers
- explore and connect to international development
- organise expert meetings on specific topics
- capture your national e-portfolio landscape
- do a gap analysis - what do we know? what to explore?
- launch an applied research project - how will this work or going to work?
- “have a look in my kitchen” – visits to see what others are doing
- start working groups for areas of mutual interest
- present at other conferences ie IT in education, educational quality, lifelong learning, employability

Rob Ward, Director, Centre for Recording Achievement, UK – offered his wisdom on e-portfolio communities of practice in the UK, using the example of how the Centre for Recording Achievement (CRA) has developed into a CoP – as it never set out to be one.

CRA’s initial aim was to facilitate the recording of achievement for learning and promote a set of principles for lifelong learning and how that learning occurred ie learning how to learn, and discovered that an e-portfolio created rich pictures of graduates’ achievements.

Rob views the CRA’s model of a CoP as being based on Etienne Wenger - theory of CoP – whereby individuals come together around a “passion for something”, and which consists of:

- the Domain: - the what? – ie a focus of learning;
- the Community: - the who? – the people involved; and
- the Practice: - the how? ways to learn and develop together.

Community building activities used by CRA include:
- Residential seminars
- PD days
- sub-group activities – regional groups, technical-related, project focused
- User support groups
- e-Lists – info and resource sharing
- Newsletters

The Panel discussion around ‘CoP – Development and Sustainability’ involved Wijnand Aalderink, Marij Veugelers, Meg O’Reilly (Southern Cross University), Kim Hauville (QUT), Carole McCulloch (Macro Dimensions) and Allison Miller (Australian Flexible Learning Framework).

This group shared ideas on how an e-portfolio CoP could be facilitated at various levels through face to face gatherings of ‘paper bag’ lunches or wine and cheese events, to the use of virtual meeting spaces to bring people at great distances together.  The group also acknowledged that an appointed facilitator to manage the communication and activity of the group works well, and in the long term, formation of a ‘Society’, with a ‘committee or board’ could help with the sustainability of the group.  Individuals also recognised that sharing resources, ideas, checklists, manuals, examples etc which helps others get started, develop and grow their e-portfolio experiences is vital.

To create a visual representation of a CoP - numerous balls of coloured wool was thrown amongst the crowd - linking everyone together.

The remainder of the Symposium centred on the sharing of good practice and current e-portfolio activity in the higher ed and VET sector – also important is fostering a fledging community of practice.

The Australian e-Portfolios Project has established an e-Portfolio Practice community of the Australian Learning & Teaching Council website at: http://www.altcexchange.edu.au/eportfolio-practice.   Folk interested in participating in an e-Portfolio Community of Practice are encouraged to register, join and participate.

How could a VET e-portfolio Community of Practice help you/your organisation?
How could you help a VET e-portfolio Community of Practice?

Organisational overview
Brisbane North Institute of TAFE (BNIT) is a leading provider in Queensland of vocational education and training services to community, business and industry.  BNIT has five community-based campuses located at Ithaca, Grovely, Bracken Ridge, Redcliffe and Caboolture. The further development of the TAFE Open Learning model, in partnership with other TAFE Institutes, will be responsible for ensuring the Institute maintains its pre-eminent role in the area of open learning throughout Queensland.

BNIT is positioned as the leading institute provider for the vocational training areas of Business, Finance, Information Technology, Telecommunications, Justice, Government – Public Sector, Floristry, Horticulture, Pest Management, Veterinary Animal Science (TAFE Queensland Animal Ethics Committee). It also has a leading role for blended and distributed learning models

A range of delivery options (online, on-the-job, on campus) enables service to customers, both individual students and corporate clients, across Brisbane’s central and northern districts, as well as Queensland, Australia-wide and internationally.

BNIT partners with community, industry and employers to develop and deliver innovative training programs that equip and upskill people for existing jobs as well as for jobs in emerging industries.

BNIT therefore has a vested interest in exploring the potential for technologies to enhance access to educational opportunities for individuals, industry and the wider community as well as opportunities to improve business processes and return on investment.

Project overview
In early 2008, Glenn Searle, Manager of Blended Learning Solutions, presented an ePortfolio Implementation Model to the Australian Flexible Learning Framework (the Framework) E-portfolio Reference Group in Adelaide and at the Australian ePortfolio Symposium at Queensland University of Technoloyg.

The essence of the model is to streamline BNIT’s RPL processes and to engage current IT industry workers by using e-portfolio software to gain full or partial RPL or a standard training pathway to a qualification. The model is specific to the IT industry but is transferable to other vocational training areas and the wider national training system.

In 2008, the Framework’s E-portfolios Business Activity sponsored BNIT to take part in the BNIT Recognition of Prior Learning Support Systems Trial to evaluate use of an e-portfolio tool that could support the RPL process.

Until recently, RPL processes have been prohibitive to potential learners as the onus had been on the learner and not the assessor to prove RPL. For learners, this meant interpreting AQTF criteria that is couched in technical language designed for educational professionals. Thus the need has been two fold:

a) to overhaul and streamline current RPL processes
b) to examine whether an e-portfolio tool is capable of supporting improved RPL processes

The aim of the project was to harness existing yet unrecognised skills of workers principally in the IT industry and lead them to pathways of a full qualification, gap training or standard training pathway. The approach was to engage industry partner Mincom in an RPL and gap training process with BNIT’s IT faculty.

Mincom is an international ICT company, based in Queensland, providing IT solutions to the global mining industry and is a ‘leading global provider of software solutions and services for asset intensive industries’.

In July 2008, BNIT began forging a partnership with Mincom to engage in RPL and the e-portfolio trial to raise the profile of skills of IT workers and help individuals gain qualifications. In October 2008, a BNIT ePortfolio Reference Group was formed as a means for BNIT managers and Mincom representatives to promote the trial and help realise the benefits of using an e-portfolio not just for RPL but for company and individual promotion.

Great interest for the project was generated amid Mincom IT staff to the extent that staff from other national offices lodged interest in participating and the project looked to be gaining great momentum. However, due to the nature of the industry the company quickly shifted focus to the emergency of the global financial crisis and was not able to give the e-portfolio trial due attention.

Headway with Mincom has more recently been gained with the finalising of a contract but this interest is more in the RPL process and outcomes itself and not in the trial of e-portfolio software or the willingness to participate in the trial. The focus therefore shifted from the original intent and has raised insight that the concept of an e-portfolio has been well received by this company but that the use of an e-portfolio tool per se has not been seen as a necessary means to an end at this point in time.

This iterates a key consideration that the e-portfolio tool will need to address specific business needs of an organisation– that the purpose needs to be explicit— in order to generate any interest in using it as an enterprise-wide solution. For individuals, the benefits must be made obvious through exemplars, case studies and information sessions.

On the positive side, the RPL model and processes can be generalised to other industry areas and it is anticipated that continued research on the trial may find keener uptake in the Community Services area, as will be discussed later.

Key features of implementing an e-portfolio into the RPL Process
Selecting an e-portfolio system for the RPL process
The decision to choose Desire2learn is based on two factors: technology integration and customisation. As to technology, this software is written in.NET and uses Microsoft MySQL as a backend. Theoretically, this allows BNIT to integrate the e-portfolio data with our existing learning management systems—Janison (My.TAFE) and WebCT (MyTAFE) –and the student database program. As to the second factor, the software allows a level of customisation, e.g. BNIT can import widgets and deploy AJAX object  ready functions. AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It is based on JavaScript and HTTP requests and is used to create user-friendly web applications.

Following a request for information from vendors and a presentation to BNIT software solution Desire2Learn was chosen as the e-portfolio tool for the trial.

Tendering for the e-portfolio tool
Vendors were asked questions regarding their product around four key areas:
•    Learner support processes
•    Access
•    Learner options
•    Portability

Tender response points and questions included:
Learner support processes
Provision of self-service support to learners will be a key feature of the pilot. Please indicate what solutions your organisation can provide or help to develop in terms of:
•    Self-directed online modules in relation to the benefits of having and maintaining an e-portfolio
•    Self-directed online modules that guide learners through key functions of the e-portfolio
•    Online help
•    Embedding self-assessment tools within the system that records and retains information
•    Building communities of practice within the system that engage learners, assessors and employees.

Access
•    What impediments exist in relation to access to the e-portfolio system for non-students?
•    How will people get usernames and passwords if they are not currently enrolled?
•    If people populate the e-portfolio but do not seek recognition within 12 weeks, can the system automatically remove access?
•    Can the system notify user and BNIT of inactivity and impending removal of access?
•    If people enrol, what capability exists to reissue passwords to match a single user login across all BNIT systems?

Learner options
•    Enabling learners to publish for multiple audiences (i.e. publish certain artefacts for a mentor/coach and a different view for an RPL assessor?)
•    Integrating artefacts stored in Web 2.0 repositories (e.g. Facebook) with those in the e-portfolio system for publishing without duplicating artefacts?
•    Facilitating feedback between learner and BNIT staff?
•    Enabling learners to manage access to artefacts through permissions?
•    Validating artefacts as authentic and original?

Portability
•    It must be acknowledged that interoperability is a critical aspect of the national e-portfolio agenda.
•    From a systems perspective, briefly outline how the e-portfolio will integrate with LMSs (e.g. WebCT and Janisons) and Content Management Systems (e.g. Equella).
•    If a learner chooses to leave the e-portfolio, how can they extract their data and save so they can retain or reload it into another system at a later date?
•    If BNIT changes vendors, how would data migrate from one system to another?

Implementing an e-portfolio system to support the RPL process
The requirements for successful implementation of an e-portfolio are as follows:

Organisational requirements: included the ability of the software to interoperate systemically with other organisational software such as student information and HR systems; and the ability to track information for audit purposes.

As many people are not aware of e-portfolios or their capabilities, the project needs buy-in at a higher level such as Faculty Director and the Director of Education and Training so that the benefits of e-portfolios can be widely disseminated to staff and students.

It is likely that timing has been a key factor in the trial and the short time frame that was available to achieve stakeholder buy-in. A future implementation would require undertaking a wide educative and consultative process so that potential users can warm to the concept of e-portfolios (and evaluate the personal and professional benefits) before being required to engage with the technology.

RPL assessor’s requirements: include ease of use, the ability to provide a means for assessors to gather evidence easily to match skills sets or snapshots for AQTF quality and audit purposes.

E-portfolio user’s requirements: include having a user friendly system that allows users to gather, organise, reflect on and present evidence and showcase skills to a variety of audiences, where learners control their content and presentation options.

Ways an e-portfolio can support the RPL process
The e-portfolio system is capable of supporting the RPL process as follows:
-    Enrolling the user in the system
-    Enabling the creation of forms or templates where users can identify the recognition requirements of the qualification they are seeking to obtain and upload artefacts to match identified skill sets.
-    Enabling tagging of artefacts for ease of searching and linking to a variety of evidence pointers
-    Providing a repository for artefacts captured in a range of digital formats
-    Enabling communication between RPL applicant and assessor
-    Enabling reflective practice for individuals, peers, mentors, teachers, assessors

What types of learner evidence was generated during the RPL process, and how was this information validated?
As yet we have not been able to see this process through, that is, trialling the e-portfolio tool using authentic learners. We hope to establish further opportunities for evaluation next year with other participants as mentioned later.

Additional information to consider when using an e-portfolio in the RPL process
-    The e-portfolio needs to have a language pack that aligns with a VET training environment. Currently Desire2Learn’s language is associated with a higher education environment.
-    Currently as users log in to the e-portfolio, they arrive at an entry to the Desire2Learn LMS portal with links to the e-portfolio from there. Some users commented that this was a confusing feature. Further user testing is required to gauge reaction to this more broadly, hence a simple/sign sign on approach is important.
-    It has been identified that the Desire2Learn software is not intuitive for low end technical users and we will need to explore usability issues as we proceed with research.

Other discoveries identified during the Project trial
-    The ability for the e-portfolio software to integrate and search third party databases, such as AVETMISS and enrolment data, to identify any previous enrolments for the RPL applicant e.g. ACE courses, units of competency, partial qualification, would be extremely beneficial.
-    The possibility to leverage off Call Centre recording software for the recording, compressing and storage of RPL interview data and uploaded into the RPL candidate’s e-portfolio would also be beneficial.

Guidelines documentation
We developed a User Guide to assist learners to become familiar with the concept of an e-portfolio and with the Desire2Learn environment. It was aimed at IT staff users and will most likely need to be amended for low technical knowledge users or other audiences as we proceed with our research.

Future Directions
BNIT is currently working with teachers/ assessors from the IT Faculty who have engaged with IT workers from Education Queensland (EQ) who have their Orange Card accreditation and are seeking further qualifications. The Orange Card is a DETA accreditation that provides the holder with knowledge of, and elevated access to, the Managed Operating Environment version 2.0 (MOE). All school ICT Support Staff tasked with supporting a MOE network need to obtain Orange Card accreditation.

The e-portfolio can be used to assess the areas IT staff need to gain accreditation through the use of electronic forms to upload digital artefacts using a range of media. Those with existing skills can then seek accreditation or be advised of gap training requirements. The Orange Card and other evidence can be scanned and digitally stored on an individual’s e-portfolio.
BNIT have also met with representatives from the Public Sector team who showed keen interest.

The Public Sector team presented the concept and a customised example to a prospective mining client and public service agency. The public service client indicated that they would need training to become familiar with and understand the technology, but will consider its use. The mining clients were impressed with the concept but have not entered into a training arrangement with BNIT at this point.

We anticipate there may be greater uptake of e-portfolios in sectors where collection and sharing of information occurs as part of a natural communication process such as in the Community Services area. We have had renewed interest in BNIT Children’s Services where the RPL processes have already reached some maturity with the development of snapshots. Snapshots are based on units of competency couched in simple accessible language for both participants and assessors and often cluster competencies to avoid repetition.  We are exploring contacts in Victoria who are using wikis as e-portfolios for the Certificate III in Children’s Services.

As mentioned earlier, the attractiveness of an e-portfolio needs to meet a purpose such as a defined business need. In the case of RPL in Children’s Services a fairly draconian form of telephony and hand written notes are used by assessors to record interviews with participants. E-portfolios have the potential to assist both the assessor and participant by providing a means to electronically store records of interviews that can be used as evidence of competency. Therefore a business need is evident where employee’s (assessor’s) time is saved in the recording and correct interpretation of participant’s skills and abilities to match auditable requirements. Child care workers can also record processes in workplace situations in audio (and in some cases video) that can be used as evidence in their e-portfolios.

As portfolios are used extensively in the child care industry to document child development, the concept is already well understood amongst workers. The challenge in some instances will be the introduction of technology to childcare workers who are not comfortable using technology. We would therefore target early adopters and keen participants who could then lead interest through exemplar e-portfolios to showcase the utility and potential benefits of using e-portfolios

Contact Details

Glenn Searle
Manager
Blended Learning Solutions
Innovations
Brisbane North Institute of TAFE
Tel: 07 3259 4320
Fax: 3259 3007
Mob: 0413 701 431
Web: http://www.bn.tafe.qld.gov.au/