RAPPORT
WWW.RECORDINGACHIEVEMENT.AC.UK
Issue 1 (2017)
Towards the end of the presentation at the joint
CRA – AAEEBL Seminar last June where this
paper was delivered, the audience were asked to
suggest ways in which ePortfolios could provide
useful information about teaching excellence
using the model. Their responses were
categorised and transcribed verbatim (see table
2).
Table 2. Information that ePortfolios could
offer about different aspects of the learning
process.
Input factors
a.
Incoming attributes, student
characteristics
b.
Students – who they are
c.
Context of learning
2. Processes
a.
Student engagement (inc.
quantitative measures of use of certain
features), meaning engagement
b.
Experiential learning
c.
Levels of feedback
d.
Active, meaningful, collaborative
and reflective learning
e.
Personal resonance of
educational experiences, most
meaningful experiences, richness of the
experiences
f.
Support as identified by the
students
g.
Engagement with assessment
h.
Co/extracurricular activities
i.
Ongoing assessment of learning,
context of assessment
j.
Material in repository
3. Outcomes
a.
digital literacies
b.
employment pathways
c.
Outgoing attributes
d.
Knowledge, ideas learnt, skills
(reporting, professional), awareness,
motivation
e.
Progression/retention
f.
Good degrees
g.
Employment
h.
Personal development
i.
Learning gain – journeys
j.
Personal examples of
achievement
•
•
1.
As such, the potential contributions of ePortfolios
are:
• They offer a unique opportunity to access
information
regarding
learners’
backgrounds (cultural, educational, etc.),
their individual characteristics. They also
•
contain descriptions of the context of
learning, as perceived by the learners.
(input).
They contain rich descriptions of
significant
learning
experiences
(curricular, and co/extra- curricular), the
reasons
for
their
engagement
(meaningfulness), as well as the role of
teaching, including support, assessment
and feedback (process). Not proxis, but
the real thing!
They recognise and celebrate the
learner’ achievements, in terms of their
goals, and development. The latter often
illustrate the most important changes that
have happened during their studies and
also the distance travelled (learning gain)
when students compare what they were
like at the start with what they are like at
the end of the journey. They also
highlight the knowledge and skills
contained
in
institutional
learning
outcomes. ePortfolios describe career
pathways and readiness to take up
employment. These are all indicative of
the degree of effectiveness/impact of
teaching practices as much as the
learners’ effort or engagement. (output).
However, ePortfolios tend to be highly
idiosyncratic in that they privilege the
student’s views, not as averaged
responses
to
questionnaires
or
interpreted focus groups, but their
perspectives expressed as they wish to
express them.
Implementing use of ePortfolios in a TEF
submission
This exercise comprised the beginning of a
conversation regarding the possible contribution
of ePortfolios to the evaluation of TE which will
take place as a result of the proposed Teaching
Excellence Framework, particularly towards the
so-called ‘narrative’ or ‘qualitative’ component of
the submission which each institution will be able
to make in the second year of implementation.
We would like to suggest three possible versions
of how ePortfolios could be used for that
purpose.
Version 1 (‘unstructured’): In this version,
ePortfolios could be used in their present form.
That is, with their current variety of structures
and content across areas in an institution. The
first stage would involve selecting a random
sample representing all areas. The second stage
would involve a content analysis performed by a
small dedicated team of experts in qualitative
research from different areas. The aim is to
illustrate aspects of teaching excellence
associated with outstanding outcomes as
identified by the students in their ePortfolios.
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