Table 1: Exemplars of e-portfolio use (White= no evidence found, green = developing practice, blue = effective practice). 

Select the links to the exemplars in the table   

Table 1 provides an overview of implementation and links to examplars of effective e-portfolio use. Effective use was judged using the ePI framework.

A narrative summarising the provision shown above

Cross institution use:

Exemplar 2: A Personal Learning Plan for all students on all courses is collaboratively developed within the College VLE using Moodle PLP developed by the University of London. This sits outside of any student e-portfolio that is used as this needs to be institutionally 'owned'. Thanet College believes that every learner will have a better experience of studying and achieving if we are able to make plans to support learning that are personalised for, and personal to, the learner. There are many ways learning can be personalised but we want to use a Personal Learning Plan in particular to formally record how that learning journey looks. Like any plan, it must contain elements that make it clear to all those concerned, and primarily the learner, the measures of success for a given learner and the ongoing progress made towards achieving success. The PLP must state what is required, where the learner’s journey starts, what needs to be done and what has been done in order to make sure the goals are reached in a timeframe.

Exemplar 3: The use of mapping e-portfolios to support students completing NVQs:  Mapping portfolios are one of four types being used at Thanet to support learning. Mapping portfolios are specifically designed to support the collection and mapping of evidence to performance criteria for the purposes of completing the administrative burden of gaining an NVQ.

Exemplar 7: In-folio use by students with learning difficulties or disabilities. These students need a simplified interface and also need to have their e-portfolio use supported  by staff and In-folio has been designed to meet these specific needs.

Work Based Learning

Exemplar 1: The use of e-portfolios to support the idiosyncratic learning outcomes of a local employer September 10 - April 2011: Colleges are required to meet the exact needs of local employers that may not match even remotely a formal programme of study already on offer via an awarding body. Employers sometimes ask for unique training packages. We have used the personalised nature of a portfolio to match the needs of the employer so that each employee (student) is able to present a portfolio demonstrating a unique learning journey set against specific outcomes specified by the employer, in this case: Food hygiene, Health and Safety, Welcome Host, Art Appreciation, Understanding of Curation, First Aid and Customer service. Each element given over to a page in a webfolio that is published to the employer on course completion. Employment opportunities were available at the end of the course. Thirty unemployed learners to make up the course, most of whom have limited formal education beyond school. 

Continuing Professional Development of staff:

Exemplars 4 and 5 : Each of the College's tutors are given an online PebblePad account for personal use. Initial training and explanation of the project is provided to all, backed up with relevant papers shared inside the Thanet community within the VLE (Exemplar 4).  The use of these e-portfolios includes Institute for Learning (IfL) Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills [QTLS] (Exemplar 5). 

Exemplar 6: Completing a City & Guilds ITQ in Participative Technologies using PebblePad as a reflective portfolio. This is an example of the use of an e-portfolio to support a course that runs beyond the VLE. The course is ITQ in participative technology, completed by 7 college staff. The qualification is designed by JISC TechDis and offered by City & Guilds.