Core activity 2.3: E-Portfolio Case study

Core activity 2.3: ePortfolio case studies

Case Study – West Cheshire College (WCC) Electronic NVQ

West Cheshire College electronic  NVQ, QIA Excellence Gateway. Available from: http://excellence.qia.org.uk/page.aspx?o=137813 (accessed 25 May 2010). 

The Electronic NVQ project run in conjunction with the WCC aimed to reduce the burden of paperwork created by the necessity of evidence based proof.  The project aimed to make the learning events and subsequent capture of evidence paperless by utilising mobile phones, digital cameras, email and audio devises.  In addition, the paper based system required periodic flurries of interaction between the tutor and candidate followed by periods of no interaction.  An anticipated benefit of using an e-portfolio system would be the re-connection of tutor and candidate leading to a higher quality of feedback and appraisal.  Also learners who were failing to adequately engage could be identified and remedial steps taken earlier. 

Limitations included the provision of adequate infrastructure, for staff, students and assessors, network security restrictions which hampered internet access and competing time pressures on students. 

The e-portfolio users in this instance had ownership of their portfolios.  Submissions to it were via readily available technology in terms of mobile phones.  The candidate’s employer could be more involved and working patterns did not negate attendance or engagement as the physical access to the college was replaced by College on line portal where, advice and guidance were available outside of college hours.  Candidates could be remotely monitored by tutors, verifiers and workforce development co-ordinators. 

The learners benefited from a doubling of the retention rate.  What is not clear from the text is whether this ‘retention’ is of learning or retention of candidates on the course as the text goes on to use retention in terms of financial benefits to the college.  Nonetheless, the key messages from the text are;  the increased engagement of learners, their subsequent increase in achievement and that learning through ICT can be fun. 

The eNVQ case study appears driven by the desire to remove the paper based evidence burden rather than implementing e-portfolios specifically.  In this instance e-portfolios appear to be more of an easily accessible repository of evidence rather than exploiting the wider benefits of e-portfolio use.  This starting premise may explain why the wider teaching and learning implications outlined in the Key Drivers document by Group X are absent from the text.  I would suggest the primary driver cited above (the reduction of paper work) seems inconsistent with the degree of change required to implement the eportfolio system in this instance.  As relevant though not explicit was the colleges desire to ‘develop an integrated approach to the planning and delivery of vocational provision’ which utilised digital technology to capture evidence.  These drivers sit more comfortably with the UK element of the template.