Portfolio Development Group

1. Portfolio Development Group Portfolio Development Centre Belleville, Ontario 613-962-0754 Pfolio@on.aibn.com Contact: Rose Marie Reid

2. Portfolio Development Centre Group • The Portfolio Development Centre in Belleville Ontario supports a group of candidates in the Quinte region to complete portfolios for submission to Athabasca University Bachelor of Professional Arts – Human Services degree program through the Gateways project. • 5 Hastings County employees – employer sponsored • 15 community members

3. Background • Began November 2004 to April 2005 (employer sponsored) and to June 2005 (remainder of group) • The group is a mix of ECE and SSW grads along with candidates with no formal post-secondary education but many years experience from a variety of backgrounds related to human services (Nursing, employment counselling, administration in human services, post-secondary education) • Some group members are trained PLA Practitioners

4. Group Process • Group meets periodically to discuss competencies, review each others’ drafts and provide feedback and support • Once the task, competencies and PLA process were understood, the individual work (writing) began • The large group split into smaller working groups with similar backgrounds i.e. ECE group, Career Counsellor group, Hastings County employee group. Some candidates chose to work independently

5. Group Process - Challenges • The mixed background of the group was a challenge because members initially could not relate to each others’ work experience • Scheduling meetings with 20 busy people is a challenge

6. Group Process - Benefits • Working together as a group helped members to identify learning they would not otherwise have been aware of or seen relevant to the HSRV Skill set • Much learning occurred from seeing human services from a variety of perspectives

7. Gateways PLAR Process Benefits • The reflection required to prepare the portfolio was empowering and increased candidates’ self esteem and confidence • Transferable skills and previously unconscious skills were identified

8. Gateways PLAR Process Barriers and Challenges • Practitioners have difficulty seeing “what I do” as relevant to academic learning; they tend to devalue learning from work experience and describe it in practice language • Academic language in the skill set is difficult for learners who have gained learning from experience to relate to • Time; the writing requires blocks of time to work on which are difficult for many to find

9. Barriers and Challenges Continued • Seasoned practitioners who applied without a College Diploma were hurt/disappointed when their initial transcript assessment phase resulted in the necessity of using PLAR for entrance requirements. This put them at a disadvantage compared to candidates with a College Diploma but less field-related experience and learning. • Fear of submitting the portfolio-there is a tendency to want to continue to add to and improve it • Timeline: issues that arose during the process included death, illness, family issues, job loss, family member illness, workplace stress

10. Rewards of PLAR Group Process • A strengthened network of practitioners who know more about the services each offers • A professional/personal support network has formed • Increased understanding of the power of PLAR in unleashing potential • Increased commitment to PLAR as a social justice tool to increase access of non-traditional adult learners to post secondary education

11. Rewards Continued • Self-esteem of candidates has been built – some are changing career goals as a result of increased awareness of skills, knowledge and opportunities • Increased skill and confidence in academic work • Renewed enthusiasm/commitment to excellence in human service work as a result of reflection and discussion of the skills and competencies along with the connectedness of the network

12. Recommendations Emerging recommendations from the group include: • Athabasca review and revise the initial transcript assessment phase to enable candidates with no formal credential but upper level competency to be treated equally • Athabasca University recognize Portfolio development as significant and upper level University learning through an upper level portfolio development course

13. Recommendations Continued • An Autobiography be included in the Portfolio as an exercise that assists the candidate to become conscious of their total learning and to assist the assessor to view learning holistically • The skill set descriptions be clarified and level descriptions more concrete • Sample portfolios be provided • Opportunity be provided for the group to take courses together with instructor/tutor support