E-portfolio in schools and universities …

1. Learning and teaching with E-Portfolios:Experiences in and Challenges for Adult Educationpresented at the ICL Conference, 24th September 2008by Dr. Gerhard Bisovsky, Die Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH, Austria& Dr. Sandra Schaffert, Salzburg Research, Austria

2. E-portfolio in schools and universities … http://www.flickr.com/photos/wadefromoklahoma/2330247929/ … nearly everything is said ;-)

3. … but what‘s about e-portfolio work in adult education? http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidroethler/2295975258/

4. Agenda • What‘s adult education and what‘s special about it? • What do we know about teacher (tutor) competences, needed to work with e-portfolios? • How did we identify needed competencies for adult educators working with e-portfolios? • So … what’s new, what’s next?

5. What‘s adult education … and what‘s so special about it?

6. Adult education “all forms of learning undertaken by adults after having left initial education and training, however far this process may have gone” (European Commission 2006)

7. Projects and initiatives dealing with (e-) portfolios in adult education • the European Language Portfolio • A project with women after their family phase at the Open University UK (Herman & Kirkup 2006) • the German ProfilPass initiative and instruments (DIE et al 2006) • the Austrian project “Du kannst was” (Bauer 2007) http://www.flickr.com/photos/21706937@N04/2105881550/

8. Advertisement for the ProfilPASS: „You know more than you think.“ http://www.profilpass-online.de/

9. e-portfolio in adult education • Deals with the stengthening of self organised learning activities • Is often dealing with the idea to identify or assess informal learning activities • Is often used for non-employed persons • Can give sense to low educated people

10. What do we know about teacher (tutor) competences, needed to work with e-portfolios?

11. Is technical competence important? Equipment used to capture evidence for an ePortfolio by JISC http://www.flickr.com/photos/rscnorthwest/2755824087/

12. Teacher in schools, using e-portfolio should be able to … • “provide technical support, • organize the contexts and communities of learning, • formulate organisational objectives, • facilitate the structure of portfolio contents, • facilitate reflection, • guide and monitor the students advancement through the integral cycle of investigative learning, • help in the evidence of competences, • support planning, • interact an conduct conversation with the students, • plan an assess the overall process“ (Attwell 1997)

13. But … • What makes a good e-portfolio teacher in adult education?

14. Some hypothesis … • As a teacher/tutor working [with e-portfolio] in adult education • You deal with adults who pay for the course and expect success • You deal more often with motivated people • You have to do with people with minor experiences in using computer and internet • Informal learning plays an important role in adult learning • Adult learners have different experiences and backgrounds (learning, occupation, daily life, …) • The learner‘s abilities to work with self organised learning methods could, but have not to be better

15. How did we identify needed competencies for adult educators working with e-portfolios?

16. Institutional background • Adult Education Centres in Vienna • Die Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH (a non profit limited liability corporation) • Programme oriented towards the European Key Competences for Lifelong Learning • Dezentralisation & centralisation • 18 centres & 4 competence centres • Languages • Migration • Active citizenship • Learning with the media of the information society

17. Concept of our study • Bottom-up view, what do teachers need? • 4 experts from the adult education centres [experienced (e-) portfolio trainers] • 1 ICT-Teacher, 3 Language Teachers • 3 female, 1 male, 40 + • Focused interviews, transcripts • Arrangement of the listed, explained and emphasised competences and abilities according to the UK-FENTO standards (http://www.aptt.freeuk.com/articles/FENTO991.pdf)

18. Key areas (FENTO Standard)

19. Arrangements • Knowledge • Skills • Didactical skills • Social skills • Reflective skills • Attitudes

20. E-Portfolio related knowledge, skills, attributes • To guarantee standards • Learners types • Learning styles • Learning techniques • Providing institution: community, culture

21. E-Portfolio related knowledge, skills, attributes • Didactical skills • Learning guidance, supporting learners • Imparting learning goals and objectives • Beginners situations, final situations • Transparency • Feedback in time, online feedback • Evaluation of learners‘ competences • Monitoring tuition, mentoring teachers

22. E-Portfolio related knowledge, skills, attributes • Social skills • Communication, rhetorics • Conflict management • Moderation techniques • Organisational competences • Time management • Team competence • Coaching learners • Leading groups • Evaluation of learning in a sensible way • Coping with emotions

23. E-Portfolio related knowledge, skills, attributes • Reflective skills • Learning by doing • To reflect and to change • Own role, boundaries between teachers and learners • Coping with differences • Openess for corrections and self-critics

24. E-Portfolio related knowledge, skills,attributes • To appreciate learners • To like people and his/her learners • To live authentically what has to be taught • Treat people respectfully • Encourage the self-esteem • To estimate learning

25. Conclusions, findings – Teachers‘ views and needs • Experts knowledge as a basis for professional teaching • Technical questions and competences as a matter of course • Didactical and methodological competences • Personel and social skills, attitudes • The work with the [e-] portfolio is an attribute, it is an appreciation of learners.

26. So … what’s new, what’s next?

27. Expectations towards teacher training • Possibilites for exchange • To enable reflection • Professional mentoring • E-Portfolios as a tool for professional development

28. Next steps … • Investigation on the use of e-portfolios in adult education/adults‘ learning • Modifying the MOSEP tutorials to requirements of adult education • Strategic developments and planning

29. Institutional strategies (Volkshochschule Wien) … • Bottom up: work out an e-portfolio model with teachers, clear commitments • Top down approach: e-portfolio model for the (pedagogical) staff, clear commitments • Modification of train the trainer courses: working with computers, internet and (e-) portfolios as an integral part • Strategic planning, professionalisation, standardisation (NQF) & diversity of learners and learning contexts

30. Thank for your attention! • Dr. Gerhard Bisovsky Die Wiener Volkshochschulen GmbH, Volkshochschule Meidling Kompetenzzentrum „Lernen mit den Medien der Informationsgesellschaft“ Längenfeldgasse 13-15, 1120 Wien, Austria gerhard.bisovsky@meidling.vhs.at • Dr. Sandra Schaffert Salzburg Research Forschungsgesellschaft Jakob Haringer Str. 5, 5020 Salzburg, Austria sandra.schaffert@salzburgresearch.at

31. References • This presentation is based on our full paper:Bisovsky, Gerhard & Schaffert, Sandra (2008). Learning and teaching with E-Portfolios: Experiences in and Challenges for Adult Education. Full paper in the Proceedings of the Interactive Computer Aided Learning Conference (ICL) in Villach (24-26 September 2008) – a preliminary version is available via: http://sandra.schaffert.ws/?p=121 • Attwell, Graham (1997): New roles for vocational education and training teachers and trainers in Europe: a new framework for their education. In: Journal of European Industrial Training. Vol. 21, Issue 6/7, p. 256-265. • Bauer, Fritz (2007): DU kannst was! In: Tagungsband Du kannst was: http://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/cps/rde/xbcr/SID-F9C0D1F1-01532F3D/ooe/BI_EB_Tagungsberich2007.pdf (18.9.2008) • Commission of the European Communities (2006): Communication from the European Commission. Adult learning: It is never too late to learn, Brussels. URL: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0614:FIN:EN:PDF (2008-06-26) • Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung (DIE), Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung (DIPF), Institut für Entwicklungsplanung und Strukturforschung (IES) (2006): ProfilPASS – Gelernt ist gelernt. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann. • Herman, Clem & Kirkup, Gill (2006): Returning to work, working to return: using ePortfolios to increase women’s employability in gender segregated occupations. In: Proceedings of the Conference “eStrategies for empowering learners” of EIfEL (European Institute for E-Learning) Oxford, 11.-13.Oktober 2006. • This presentation is based on our full paper:Bisovsky, Gerhard & Schaffert, Sandra (2008). Learning and teaching with E-Portfolios: Experiences in and Challenges for Adult Education. Full paper in the Proceedings of the Interactive Computer Aided Learning Conference (ICL) in Villach (24-26 September 2008) – a preliminary version is available via: http://sandra.schaffert.ws/?p=121 Attwell, Graham (1997): New roles for vocational education and training teachers and trainers in Europe: a new framework for their education. In: Journal of European Industrial Training. Vol. 21, Issue 6/7, p. 256-265. • Bauer, Fritz (2007): DU kannst was! In: Tagungsband Du kannst was: http://www.land-oberoesterreich.gv.at/cps/rde/xbcr/SID-F9C0D1F1-01532F3D/ooe/BI_EB_Tagungsberich2007.pdf (18.9.2008) • Commission of the European Communities (2006): Communication from the European Commission. Adult learning: It is never too late to learn, Brussels. URL: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2006:0614:FIN:EN:PDF (2008-06-26) • Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung (DIE), Deutsches Institut für Internationale Pädagogische Forschung (DIPF), Institut für Entwicklungsplanung und Strukturforschung (IES) (2006): ProfilPASS – Gelernt ist gelernt. Bielefeld: Bertelsmann. • Herman, Clem & Kirkup, Gill (2006): Returning to work, working to return: using ePortfolios to increase women’s employability in gender segregated occupations. In: Proceedings of the Conference “eStrategies for empowering learners” of EIfEL (European Institute for E-Learning) Oxford, 11.-13.Oktober 2006.