Saturday, 26 September 2009
E-Portfolio
Still very much trying to get my head around this. Looking at some of the details suggested on the QAA website and then thinking further about possible content highlights one particular question I need to answer viz. Who is going to read the E-Portfolio? I suspect there are several potential audiences...the subject of the portfolio obviously, the institution responsible probably (but is this a continuing contact?) ; current employers maybe; future employers possibly. Given the potential audiences I wonder what the implications are for transparency compared to confidentiality. It seems that there is a fairly obvious tension here. I am not sure I would want my employer, even less a possible future employer, to see a transcript of all my marks for different assignments...this is the sort of information the QAA website has as part of the samples at the end. If I make reflections how much control do I have over who sees those reflections?
E-portfolio drivers for change
The University of Minnesota Experience
Acker, S. (2005) ‘Overcoming obstacles to authentic e-portfolio assessment’ (online), Campus Technology. Available from:http://campustechnology.com/articles/2005/03/overcoming-obstacles-to-authentic-eportfolio-assessment.aspx?sc_lang=en (accessed 27th September).
Reflection, Representation and Revision, so student can demonstrate learning has occurred
Reflects constructivist approach students have multiple starting points
From the UK The Centre for Recoding Achievement on this page http://www.recordingachievement.org/eportfolios/default.asp
you need to open the link for further information.
E-portfolios to enable:
- Presentation
- Assessment
- Supporting learning
- Personal/professional/career development
- Linked to the same site for University admission e-portfolios: http://www.recordingachievement.org/downloads/20070308NCurrant.pdf
Students found it helpful in developing ‘thinking’ (no evidence to support this)
Schools reported it developed independent thinking and provided structure (a rather interesting combination, again no evidence).
In another study at http://www.recordingachievement.org/downloads/20070316JPondWmin.pdf
E-portfolio used to develop PDP
Student participation had to be ensured by embedding marks for completion: so students essentially forced to complete e-portfolio!!
QAA Guidelines for HE progress files.
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressFiles/guidelines/progfile2001.asp
Drivers/rationale
· To help make the outcomes or results of learning in higher education more explicit
· To improve the quality of learning so that the basis for academic standards will be clearer
· To support the idea that learning is a lifetime activity
· To strengthen the capacity of individuals to reflect upon their own learning and achievement and to plan for their own personal, educational and career development
The QAA is in the position of having an overview of the way HE institutions are functioning in the UK. However each university is responsible for its own academic standards. I am not sure how ‘powerful’ the QAA is as a player in driving change in the HE sector. I do not hear it talked about much in the corridors where I work (unlike the TDA and Ofsted). This is the place from whence that useful chart in the course resources that appeared attached below.
Drivers for E portfolios in Teacher Training: this is from Vuorikari, R. (2006) ‘National policies and case studies on the use of portfolios in teacher training’ (online). Europortfolio 2005, Cambridge, UK. Available from:http://insight.eun.org/shared/data/insight/documents/e_portfolio_teacher_training_final_10_05.pdf
In all four cases there is a strong policy drive to integrate use of portfolios. This seems such a top down process. It may be that this is because it needs national level co-ordination or it may be because without the downward push e-portfolio would not be used. If they were not used the companies that make them would no t be able to sell their products...is it conspiracy theiry to suggest there might be a link.
If we try to place e-portfolio into a framework of Personalised Learning Environments (PLE) this downward push seems even more far fetched, though the initiative does get dressed up in PLE language. I would argue that PLE are about choice and choice that is freely made.
| Norway | Reform and renewal: increase digital literacy, national imperative linked to digital competency p. 3 | |
| Finland | Reform and renewal: to promote ‘good overall and pedagogical skills…and refresh teaching methods.’ P.2 | |
| Catalonia | Europen lang. learning initiative To provide a transparent Europen record of language competancies. | |
| Italy | Reform- by ministerial decree, part of school reform | |
H808 off we go
Right the first OVERT topic is about E Portfolios...this is something about which I know little, which makes me rather cross. I have often wondered what the point is, it seems like I will be asking students to do quite a lot without much benefit to them, and if the do run an e portfolio what will they not do to create the time. Much the same would go for any time required from the University. It seems like this a project with national drivers, national direction and little discernible movement. The project was meant to be well under way now, in fact on the redrafted plan I think it was to be in place by 2010...well it is difficult to see how this is going to happen. I wonder why so little has been done?? Any ideas greatly appreciated.
The first covert topic is to work as a group, work out who will lead, and come up with some sort of collective wisdom. Well so far three people have contributed to the group, and I think that includes me limping in late after my latest ECA. So I presume something is missing here in terms of creating a community of practice.
1. We do have a shared domain of interest, on the same course doing the same topic etc.
2. The community- well some of us are just not meeting together yet so there is no community as such, or at least only a very small one.
3. The Practice this takes time
In the virtual learning world how do we establish the initial connections that link people in...I wonder if the missing participants even know they are being missed? No one emailed me to see if I was going to join in or not; which might be just as well since the ECA writing makes me a little irascible, but I might have tried to turn up if only to apologise for my distraction.
Oh well enough ramblings off to do some reading. I shall start with the core text nobody had put thier name against. After reading this I shall post.
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
A few collected comment about why Twitter is found useful be some students on H800 (Open University Masters in Distance and Online Learning Course).
PhilGreaney@kevhickeyuk yes, me too - I like to see the group members within the wider context of Twitter, and the various ed-tech experts who use it
kevhickeyuk@PhilGreaney e.g. on twitter we can choose our network and are not limited to our assigned tutor groups. (although I enjoyed my group)
kevhickeyuk@PhilGreaney Yep, I think there are lots of reasons why twitter is working better that the forums, for some of us.
PhilGreaney@kevhickeyuk I have to agree about Twitter and my network. I could have done more on the forums, but never got into them away being away
kevhickeyukBTW, I feel that through Twitter I have developed a better support/ friend network than I did on my Face to Face PGCE evening course #H800
carolshergold@leshere @rosemary20 @paulc_h800 i'm in twitter because other people are here and i'm liking the #h800 eca support.
PhilGreaney@leshere always feels much broader than my tutor group; useful for sharing links, ideas and support; replaces forums for me
Sunday, 6 September 2009
FIrst Reflection H808
I suppose the most striking thing about H808 so far is the use of an apparently cut down Moodle for forums. After First Class I feel very clumsy here, I like the email notifications but find it difficult to get an overview of the eifferent forums. I am aghast at the lack of scope for personalisation. It seems to me that part of the task in the first instance is to establish an online personality. Of course we can do this with text alone, or perhaps text with a photograph or two. However it seems a shame that it is not possible to change the font or the colour of the font, nor even the size of the font. If my memory serves me right I was able to do this on JANET in 1985 so we are not talking new technologies here. In terms of design of the Moodle interface we see I was wondering who was consulted in terms of potential users since this seems fundamental to good design, providing we might hope some sort of starting point for the process.
I suppose what I am looking for here is an interface that fosters the creation of Personalised Learning Environments and gives a clear space where these can be shared. SO I could log on and see the other members of the course and then enter their personalised environment...almost a la Second life. The Wiki for blogs provides some of this but it is almost completely devoid of personality: compare entries to those on Twitter tor Facebook, where the simple addition of a small picture makes an impact...or am I alone in seeing this.
All in all it is not the course that has impressed and depressed but the Moodle environment. 'E learning' can and should be more interesting than this. Ho hum...the course fotunately seems to be covering ground well outside the OU environment which makes it seem interesting and I anticipate having some fun and games.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
This post is about part of my H800 course with the OU. We are asked:
1. What is your experience of being a learner? The question implies a separate state that I do not accept. My learning is now inextricably linked to the rest of me and is not separable. Technology has for me cut the restraints of time and place that used to confine learning: this is about emancipation perhaps.
2. What tools and resources do you use? Click on the link that is above and you will see my crude attempt. Again we seem to be asked to separate learning form other activities, but I do not do this in life. I sit here at my laptop watching preparations for YMG and completing course materials and playing a game in the background, and just checking on the weather for a trip later today…multitasking merges our worlds and our landscapes
3. What are your views on different technologies?
I found them difficult to group and was surprised by home many tools I used. No wonder that I have so little time…no wonder that this course is in a perpetual state of catching up.
I think that we have an increasing choice of tools that are easier and friendlier to access, can anyone remember using JANET?
4. Can you think of examples where technology has made a significant difference to the way you learn?
My learning is more diffuse, merged in with other aspects of my life and moving seemingly without much effort from the formal to the informal. I am freed to learn whenever and wherever I wish. I am bereft if cut from the net and go to some length to reconnect. I would find it hard to afford the cost and time involved in studying for my Masters if it involved going to Milton Keynes. I would have to spend time in the library stacks locating, reading and note taking. Technology has set me free. What about you?
We are then asked to go on and explore bad experiences, but I am not sure I can think of any apart from my frustratingly slow and old desktop in my seminar room. I resort to prayer, brute force and lots of restarts. I would be interested to hear about anyone who finds technology impedes learning.
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