Lead Contact: Garfield Southall (garfield.southall@btinternet.com)

 

JISC Programme: JISC e-Learning Capital Programme

Lead Institution and Partners: Cheshire and Warrington Lifelong Learning Network, Greater Merseyside and West Lancashire Lifelong Learning Network, Greater Manchester Strategic Alliance, Edge Hill University, South Cheshire College, Liverpool University, Phosphorix, University of Chester, Liverpool John Moores University, West Cheshire College

 

Project Dates: October 2006 - September 2008

 

Case study tags: online learning, e-portfolios,cheshire and warrington lifelong learning network, e-portfolios for assessment, e-portfolios considerations - implementation,e-portfolios considerations - interoperability,lifelong learning drivers for e-portfolios, e-portfolios for cpd and pdp, widening participation drivers for e-portfolios

 

Background & Context

 

What is the background to the e-portfolio initiative?

 

The Project arose from the need to support the learners who would be undertaking learning activities under the auspices of the newly created Lifelong Learning Networks (LLNs) in the North West of England, and how this type of learner could be supported in planning, choosing, recording and applying learning opportunities across a range of institutions at different times in their careers.

 

SOLVS extended the work of three JISC-funded regional pilot projects in the North West developed under the Distributed e-Learning Programme. The Manchester Self-Directed Learning and e-Portfolios (MANSLE) and the Facilitating Independent Learning using E-Portfolio and Associated Support Systems (FILE-PASS) projects focused on supporting learners and e-portfolios in HE and FE contexts. The Learning Matrix (LMX) project included a PDP component, but its key focus was to pilot an approach that would be able to support subsequent lifelong learning networks in the region and nationally.

 

What were the aims and objectives of the initiative?

 

Key aims:

• To support the development of personalised learning within a work-based environment
• To embed PDP into the pedagogy within representative specific areas of practice in response to the particular needs of the employer's sector and responsive to the needs of the individual learner
• To standardise practice for part-time applications through an e-portfolio, and to provide online learner support in preparing applications
• To provide standards-based technology allowing participating institutions (a) to publish learning opportunities to a learning bank, and (b) to receive standardised learner applications to courses

 

Specific objectives are:

• Develop tools to assist in the design of PDP activities tailored to specific employment sectors
• Use the tools developed to design activities and e-portfolios to support applications for enrolment on courses for two sectors
• Build searchable Learning Banks of learning opportunities from LLN institutions
• Link to information, advice and guidance resources
• Deploy those tools and resources with vocational learners within learner portals specific to the sectors
• Evaluate and report on the experiences

 

How was the initiative implemented?

 

The aims and objectives of the project were formed into work packages:

 

Work Package 1 - Tools for building and customising PDP activities. Objective - Extend ioPortal 'sequence builder' as asset of tools capable of creating vocation-specific PDP activity cycles

 

Work Package 2 - e-Portfolio based standardised part-time course application for LLN partners. Objective - Trial e-portfolio supported application process

Work Package 3 - Work-based Learner Portals. Objective - put in place learner portals supporting work-based learners in the two sectors

 

Work Package 4 - Aggregation of course information. Objective - To make information about partner institutions' courses available for aggregating in the learner portals

 

Work Package 5 - Using the systems with learners from two sectors. Objective - Monitoring of end-to end use by LLNs of systems developed

 

Three pilot projects were set up - at Edge Hill University, South Cheshire College and Liverpool University. Two focused on Course Applications and one on vocational information and guidance.

 

Regular project communications and meetings were integral to the project's success.

 

JTRAC was introduced during the project as an issue-management system. Each of the issues raised could be commented upon by all interested parties and their resolution tracked. This became a key system in the project.

Networking with other JISC projects, both as part of the e-Learning strand and others, became a rich source of inspiration.

 

Technology Used

 

What technologies and/or e-tools were available to you or did you seek to develop?

 

Development of SOLVS and ioNW2.

 

SOLVS is a web-based portal based upon the Phosphorix ioNode technology. It allows users to create an account and then utilise the various features the portal offers.

 

A key part of the SOLVS portal is the Activity Builder (AB). This enables supervising staff to modify and configure the portal for each particular deployment. Activities can be switched on or off and the text for the PDP sequences is entered here.

 

JTRAC software was used for issue management system for the project.

 

Success Factors

 

What are the key outcomes of the initiative?

 

The project resulted in a number of outcomes:

 

Because SOLVS is such a multi-faceted product, the 3 pilots could only cover a limited subset of features. However the Cheshire and Warrington LLN, recognising the potential of SOLVS, began developing projects which could extend and test these features.

 

The capability of SOLVS to support Personalised Learning is recognised in an offshoot project concerning 14-19 learners in the Chester area where SOLVS will be used to store Individual Learner Plans.

 

Distinctive and purposeful PDP sequences have been developed during the project. The ability to guide and nurture a learner (or potential learner) through their own thought processes to arrive at a clear and logical decision is powerful. It is feasible that the sequences can be dissected into re-usable components but the project did not reach that point.

 

Two of the pilots have developed PDP sequences to guide potential learners through reflective processes in order to assess their suitability for a particular course.

 

A carefully constructed PDP sequence could attract applicants who might not have previously considered this course - supporting the widening participation agenda.

 

The ability for a potential learner to self-assess their suitability for a particular course before applying is particularly powerful in terms of student retention - having undertaken this process a student should be less likely to withdraw at an early stage due to the course being unsuitable.

 

LLNs have not been in existence long enough to need to record and track a student's progression across the LLN from course to course but SOLVS is in a position to support this.

 

SOLVS is tightly bound to the eXchanging Course-Related Information (XCRI) (http://www.xcri.org/) project as Phosphorix is a partner in the main XCRI project and several of the mini-projects. The ability to display course information within the portal has been demonstrated and there is potential for this feature to be made permanent if required.

 

The pilot projects all made use of the PDP sequencing element of the portal extensively and this emerged as a strong feature of the portal, worthy of much further investigation.

 

The ioPortal/ioNode technology - nurtured via the sister project ioNW2 - proves to be a valid and reliable platform for Lifelong Learner Network use. Other Lifelong Learner Networks already employ this technology.

 

The concept of a Lifelong Learner Network-centric (as opposed to institutional) system became stronger as the project reached into the management tiers of the pilot institutions.

 

What follow-up activity will be/has been carried out as a result of the project?

 

At the end of the SOLVS project all 3 pilot institutions expressed a wish to continue use of the portal. The major issue for sustainability is funding and in order to demonstrate the value-for-money provided SOLVS will be integrated into new projects and pilot projects in order to demonstrate the potential of the portal to fellow Lifelong Learning Network members.

 

Some of the SOLVS portal projects earmarked for Stage 2 (and for which funding opportunities are being explored) are:

• PDP sequence research
• Individual Learner Plans for 14-19 Cheshire and Warrington Lifelong Learning Network initiative
• Mentor/IAG interaction
• Diploma central resource
• Placement support
• Progression Agreement
• Employer portal
• Skill Share

 

The project team also suggested that several areas of the project be explored in more detail, including:

 

• The use of bespoke PDP sequences to guide learners through reflective statements and questions has a profound effect on both retention and widening participation. This aspect was used by all 3 projects but it is suggested that the project only 'scratched the surface' of its potential
• The use of SOLVS for automatic Course Applications. Once a potential learner has worked through the guidance they can then send a proforma application form to the registration department at the relevant institution. Again, the full potential of this was only being revealed as the project closed

 

Lessons Learned

 

What are the lessons learned from the project?

 

Phosphorix was a project partner and not a supplier - deliberately - the expectation was that the portal would evolve as inspiration from other Phosphorix projects and other JISC eLearning projects was absorbed. However, this had to work alongside the focused demands of the users and this made balancing the development work difficult. With hindsight it may have been better to specify the system requirements at an early stage - as in traditional system development - rather than trying to implement a constantly changing system.

 

In the early stages a good deal of development time was spent on making the portal look attractive to users. One could argue that a pilot project does not need to look that attractive but there is no doubt that this had a positive effect on bringing the pilot institutions on board.

 

Deploying the portal on a single server meant that students at all three pilot institutions could see each others sequences. For a pilot phase this did not necessarily matter, but it would have made more sense to configure the server differently at the outset of the project.

 

Initial PDP sequences were quite long and, whilst functional, would need re-thinking in terms of re-usability.

 

Further Resources

SOLVS on the JISC website.