Using e-portfolio in Vocational Education.Michelle ReillyCollege of Education

History of using e-portfolio

• My personal journey in e-learning began in 2009, when I attend an internal Professional Development course. This was known as

“e-fficient” which went for a period of one semester and contained units related to e-learning that were encompassed in the Diploma of VET.• Myself and a colleague were the first in our team to be

trained in e-learning strategies and was very exciting at the time.

Our journey

• 2010: introduction of e-portfolios in our classes from Certificate 3, through to year 1 and year 2 of Diploma course.

• Students used “ thoughts” on e-portfolio to communicate with teachers or write a reflection. Eg: I would show a movie and then ask students to reflect on its content and send that to me in a thought.

Our Journey continued

• Students then began using webfolios to keep a journal of their placement experience.

• 2nd year Diploma students also designed a career portfolio via webfolio, where they addressed graduate capabilities, this also housed their CV and selection criteria which were a task toward the end of their study.

• As teachers we would use webfolio to house resources students may need whilst on placement.

Our journey

• Since the introduction of e-portfolio into our teaching we have also utilised Web CT to teach at our Diploma and Advanced Diploma level courses.

• Teachers have been trained by myself and or blended learning team. There has been a general shift toward blended learning which is proving to be a great approach for teachers and students.

Examples

• If people are interested I can show you examples, but I am unable to upload them due to confidentiality reasons.

• Questions so far?

Training the staff

• Staff were at very different skill levels utilising technology. I was able to train some staff very quickly with a few sessions.

• Other staff needed much more support and the Blended earning team scheduled formal training and informal drop in sessions.

• Some staff were reluctant at first about e-portfolio, but have since embraced the idea.

Inducting the students on e-portfolio

• When first introducing e-portfolio teachers would book a computer lab for students, we developed a powerpoint for the log on process as that was sometimes complicated, with enrolments etc.

• Teachers would normally conduct this induction over 2 hours or so. We would give students a simple task, like to add the teachers to their page and then send us a thought. This would show us that they had understood what was said in induction.

• Teachers would utilise students in the class with a high skill level to assist other students.

Who are our students? Certificate 3 In Early Childhood Education and Care.

• Groups normally 20-25 people aged 17-55 yrs, mostly female.

• Groups normally consist of young people who have exited highschool early, ESL learners who were highly educated in their own country, mature aged women changing careers or returning to the workforce.

• Students attend campus 5 days per week and complete work placements.

Who are our students? Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.

• Groups normally 25 people aged 19-55yrs, mostly women.

• Students have completed a certificate 3 qualification prior to Diploma. Students attend classes 5 days per week. Some have worked in industry. Our part time students work in industry 15 hours a week and attend classes 2 nights per week.

Aims of the Introduction of e-portfolio

• To engage students in a creative way using technology.

• To create a more flexible mode of study for students to access at Certificate 111 and diploma level. Students commonly access their e-portfolio via their phones on their train trip to University etc.

• Students will have access to teacher’s support via their placement journal via webfolio.

• To be less paper based and more sustainable in our teaching practices.

Positive Outcomes of Using e-portfolio• Great learning journey about e-learning strategies for teachers.• Flexibility for students and teachers to attend to tasks when

and where convenient.• Provides certificate 111 students with an opportunity to

develop a skill they will utilise in future employment or study.• Can be a time saver for teachers if managed correctly.• Saves students money printing out pages and pages of

placement journal and is more sustainable.• If students are having difficulty whilst on placement this has

been flagged in their journals and teachers can See that student in industry earlier than planned.

Difficulties using e-portfolio

• Enrolment processes at the University, can make student access to e-learning spaces extremely difficult. We have needed to work with the Blended Learning team to ensure students have a “dummy” password to enter the student portal.

• Occasional technical issues where student portal has been down or inactive.

• Poor time management from teachers and not always answering students in a timely manner.

Words of advice

• Ask your blended learning team, or colleagues for help if you need it, don’t be proud!

• When students are on placement instead of your class use that time to respond to their e-portfolio tasks.

• Attend any training that is offered at your workplace, keep up to date.

My Details

• Michelle Reilly• Teacher - Children's Services • College of Education

Victoria University, Werribee CampusPhone 61 3 9919 8236

• Email: michelle.reilly@vu.edu.auWeb www.vu.edu.au

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