Adapting and contextualising webfolio templates

Loretta Newman-Ford

The ENHANCE Project

The ENHANCE project was designed to:

• enhance the application of JISC outputs and outcomes.

• contribute to UWIC’s Technology-Enhanced Learning Plan by helping to meet its objectives, including: - improving staff skills for technology enhanced learning - encouraging more widespread use of new technologies - embedding the evaluation of technology in normal processes.

• Complement UWIC’s TEL WFD JISC project by implementing tools and technologies that can be used to support the wider objectives of WBL

The Building Capacity process

Identify a need:

Identify JISC-funded projects with the

potential to address the need

Contact relevant projects and work with teams to find

ways of adapting/adopting project outputs at

UWIC

Implement the new project at UWIC

Every undergraduate student enrolled within UWIC’s School of Management must complete the Experience Through Work module:

UWIC’s Cardiff School of Management work placements

• credit-bearing • work-based• most placed within local SMEs.• requires learners to maintain a reflective log of their work-based experiences and learning (10%), which is used to inform an end of placement report (90%)

The Work Placement Centre chose to use an e-portfolio tool called Expo in Campus Pack, an add-on tool within Blackboard.

Technology

Developed customised templates that structure the reflective process and prompt the learner to follow a plan-action-review cycle of learning e.g.: • What have I learnt today? • On reflection, would I do anything differently in the future (change or improve)?• What do I seek to achieve for my next work placement day?

Templates

Example Reflective Log

However…

1. Templates, although helpful in the beginning,

can become restrictive2. Visually unappealing, not always

intuitive3. Frustration moving between learning

content and blog 4. Isolation during placement period 5. Lack of scaffolded tasks/learning

content

Whilst there were some clear advantages to the approach adopted (e.g. familiarity with Blackboard, existing accounts) there were also a number of limitations:

Some students struggle with the assessment requirements of the module, specifically:

Reflective thinking/writing Experiential learning, relating theory to practice

The solution:

The ePPSME model was designed to take into account the particular conditions of SME employment.

Principles: context-sensitive learning content all-in-one service using a PebblePad webfolio (website) easy to use and intuitive supports formal and informal learning transferable and portable 3 types of blog: activity blog = scaffolds learning personal blog = critical reflection collaborative blog = learning community

ePPSME website – useful resources (e.g. demo webfolio, videos) , research evidence

Project team, Alison and Emma, provided advice and guidance whenever needed

Adapting and contextualising the model

The PebblePad team offered technical support

LTDU and School of Management worked together to produce learning content, activities and design

http://pebblepad.co.uk/uwic/viewasset.aspx?oid=672&type=webfolio

Feedback

Students:- attractive and appealing , increases engagement- all in one place, easy to use, can move between blog and module documents - the learning content and activities help to develop reflection skills - the tool offers more options to add additional evidence of work-based learning- collaborative tasks are fun, promote peer support during the transition into their work placement and could potentially help students to learn from one another's’ experiencesTutors:- module tutors and workplace mentors offer students regular feedback quickly and easily- well organised learning content guides students towards the learning outcomes- potential for improved attainment and retention

Conclusions

In conclusion: Although the model was initially developed to support existing employees of SMEs, by using the same principles, the template was transferable to other WBL contexts

the model enabled us to develop an e-portfolio template that fully combines a virtual learning environment and personal learning space

It is important to guide students by providing sufficient resources to help them learn and develop independently, particularly during transition phases between education and employment when students can feel ‘lost’/isolated.

Activities that direct students towards common learning goals, but also supports their unique needs, workplace activities and professional development are key

Developing the webfolio was useful for generating conversations with staff about how students learn and how they can be better supported whilst in the workplace