Task 2.1 My first summary - phew!

I offered to review one of the supplementary resources (The Centre for Recording Achievement) to identify what will be some of the drivers that will lead to a greater adoption of the use of e-portfolios.

The study that I focused on (rather selfishly, I have to admit) was a review that looked at the use of e-portfolios in supporting employer engagement and workforce development.
The 68 page report looked at evidence (both literature and practice) from a very wide range of Higher Education and Professional institutions of the relevance of e-portfolios to adult learners who are in employment. There is also a fairly cursory review of evidence from outside of the UK.

If I had to sum up the findings of this report, I would say that e-portfolio practice has not yet demonstrated relevance to adult, employment based learners. The report admits in its executive summary that although there is a great deal of evidence about work based learning, “literature about existing e-portfolio practice implemented with work based learners is sparse!”

There was evidence in the report of a number drivers that, in theory, ought to stimulate the adoption of e-portfolios. I would group them into four categories; government and higher education policy and practice, employer policy and practice, professional institution policy and practice and learner practice.

Successive UK and EU governments have identified the critical importance of developing a highly skilled workforce that can maintain the competitiveness of European business. The constantly changing economic landscape and relentless global competition mean that citizens of the EU must be encouraged to see lifelong learning as a condition to embrace. Hence, the UK government has targeted the Higher Education sector to engage more actively with employers, supporting them in developing programmes that are relevant to employers and employees alike. This has led to HE establishments finding ways to give academic accreditation to work based learning, and to the adoption of the use of Personal Learning Plans for many vocational learners. But whilst these are helpful developments for employees and employers alike, they have not yet stimulated the adoption of e-portfolios as common practice.

Professional Institutions such as the Institute of Physics, and the Institute for Learning report more positive attitudes to e-portfolios. Such Institutes demand that members demonstrate ongoing professional development and apply professional standards to their work. E-portfolio platforms offered by the institutes enable members to create a personalized record of their professional development that can be used in their work life, as well as validating their membership of the institution. Since there is clearly a benefit to professionals for maintaining and submitting their e-portfolio to their professional institution, this would seem to be amongst the most promising drivers for workplace learners to adopt the use of e-portfolios.

Employers, who have been on the receiving end of the Government’s encouragement to invest in employee training and development, are driven predominantly by strategic and operational demands, and these demands can be at odds with the priorities of employees and/or the Higher Education Institutions. For those employers who do see the value of recruiting the best people and then deploying and developing their careers, the e-portfolio certainly offers a valuable tool, but few to date have embraced the opportunity. We can only speculate as to why this would be, but a lack of awareness of the potency of this medium must play a part in this lack of take up. Another important factor is that the creation and maintenance of an e-portfolio is totally driven by the employee, and requires their willing engagement for success. So, whilst the information available in an employee’s e-portfolio would undoubtedly be useful to an employer, it may be difficult for them to mandate its use.

Finally, the learners themselves could become key drivers in the adoption of e-portfolios. An e-portfolio is an excellent way of demonstrating to potential employers the broad range of professional and personal skills that have been developed over an individual’s career. Work based skills can be more effectively recognized and it can be a tool to help to develop personal aspirations. The fact that e-portfolios are as yet little used in work based learning situations probably reflects the fact that the digital technologies are constantly developing and employees may have had no awareness of their existence, let alone their usefulness. As the e-generation of young people join the active workforce, their facility with web based interactions will increase the acceptability of e-portfolios as a part of working life.

Here is my sense of how e-portfolios may eventually become mainstream learning tools;

1. Government policy will continue to emphasize personal development/lifelong learning as a priority for the country.
2. The HE sector will continue to model the way and develop best practice in e-portfolio platforms and practice and any learners taking part in HE programmes will be exposed to the methodologies
3. Professional Institutions will progressively enrich their common practice of using portfolios for professional ongoing assessment by shifting to e-portfolio platforms and providing their members with advice, guidance and space for their storage and use.
4. Employees who graduate from HE programmes and who are members of professional institutes will begin to submit e-portfolios for interviews and assessments with their employers. Their employers will be impressed!
5. Employers will discover the benefits of e-portfolios and will encourage all employees to adopt this practice.