Getting Started

Since hearing that we’d been successful with our bid for funding from JISC under the Transformations Programme to evaluate how e-Portfolios might be used to support student participation in work-related activities, I’ve been focusing on two main aspects of the project:

Raising Awareness

My first opportunity to inform people about the project came about at an AwayDay organised by our Student Services Department to review the progress that has been made on the University’s Glam Edge initiative. Perfect timing for me as one of the key aims of this project is to use e-Portfolios as a tool to improve the current paper-based system that is being used. I was pleased that there was genuine interest in using e-Portfolios, but the myriad of questions asked, quickly reminded that it will certainly be challenging to implement them across the board. Questions ranged from the basic ‘What is an e-Portfolio and how does it differ from a Blackboard module?’ to ‘Will students be able to take it away when they leave?’, ‘How will employers access then?’, ‘Can lecturers view and add comments?’ and so forth….

Project Planning

Having now got my head around the project documentation and requirements (I think!), my next task is to explore the vast array of resources that JISC have available, providing examples of how other institutions have implemented e-portfolio use. The first set of project meetings are planned for next week aswell, so I’m looking forward to getting the ball rolling in earnest.