VLEs and E-Portfolios

[BKGarry]

Ok Guys and Gals,

 

I am looking into a solution for e-portfolios, but would like to have potential for VLE, and Posibally a SIMS intergration somewhere along the line.

 

I need something which will update automagically from my Vanilla 2003 servers, and is easy to use, manage and ad resources to.

 

Anyone got any suggestions,

 

Don't mind having to pay for a solution, as it will come out of the specialist schools money.

 

Gaz

[tosca925]

Microsoft Learning Gateway.

[BKGarry]

Any other suggestions

[wesleyw]

The Microsoft Learning gateway is good especially as web parts from capita and class server allow you to link everything up. Capita also has it's own VLE so you could buy this and sharepoint to give you the functionality you require. Moodle can be adapted to connect with sims at least in part. There are quite a few VLEs but E-Portfolio systems are more difficult to come by you could use the "course module" option in a VLE to create a course for each pupil that they could use as an E-Portfolio.

 

Wes

[Geoff]

Moodle?

[BKGarry]

This is all interesting stuff, all be it a bit overwelming, I can remeber that BECTA says Moodle is NOT a VLE, with this in mind the school would rather avoid it.

[wesleyw]

I'm sure Becta does have any objections to using Moodle as a VLE we are using it here and several schools i know of use it.

 

 

Wes

[BKGarry]

Going to put the Lid on the worms before they all come out, but now i would like to see all of the ways of doing it, the Learning Managers (yuk) here are very pro SIMS/Capita Solution they Want to put all the Eggs There.

[GrumbleDook]

MSLG and stick Moodle Web Parts on too.

 

This is what we are going to do (on a slightly large scale though)

[wesleyw]

Moodle Web Parts?

 

 

Wes

[Geoff]

http://www.codeplex.com/Moodle2003WP

[mighty.grey.eagle]

Have you got a definition of an e-portfolio? As far as I can see no-one has defined it so no-one can provide a solution.

[BKGarry]

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio, or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence (artifacts, including inputted text, electronic files such as Word and PDF files, images, multimedia, blog entries and Web links etc.) assembled and managed by a user, usually online. ePortfolios are both demonstrations of the user’s abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some ePortfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.

 

An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan, an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest and organizations.

[BKGarry]

A Virtual learning environment (VLE) is a software system designed to facilitate teachers in the management of educational courses for their students, especially by helping teachers and learners with course administration. The system can often track the learners' progress, which can be monitored by both teachers and learners. While often thought of as primarily tools for distance education, they are most often used to supplement the face-to-face classroom.

 

These systems usually run on servers, to serve the course to students as internet pages.

 

Components of these systems usually include templates for content pages, discussion forums, chat, quizzes and exercises such as multiple-choice, true/false and one-word-answer. Teachers fill in these templates and then release them for learners to use. New features in these systems include blogs and RSS. Services generally provided include access control, provision of e-learning content, communication tools, and administration of the user groups.

 

Organisation that support and enable electronic learning on a wider scale. In fact a rather pedantic reading of the term MLE could be extended to encompass the physical environment in which learning takes place (i.e a school). Also the use of VLE avoids confusion with the use of LMS to mean "Library Management System" (which is more commonly referred to as Integrated Library System, or ILS, in the United States).

 

Becta, in the UK, have coined the term learning platform to cover both MLE and VLE as used in the schools sector. 'The term learning platform describes a broad range of ICT systems used to deliver and support learning. Through a learning platform, hardware, software and supporting services are brought together to enable more effective ways of working within and outside the classroom. At the heart of any learning platform is the concept of a personalised online learning space for the pupil. This space should offer teachers and pupils access to stored work, e-learning resources, communication and collaboration with peers, and the facility to track progress.' - DfES Making IT Personal leaflet, March 2006.

 

The renowned Woodhouse College is one notable user of the VLE system, where it is used extensively by both students and members of staff

[MkII]

Our God Josie Fraser once recommended Elgg as the way to go with e-portfolio systems.

 

Elgg features

 

See her launch of ElggSpaces interview here

 

As a school with very little cash to spend on such ventures, we've been exploring this option with a few others.

 

Moodle (as a fully fledged VLE - BECTA shall be hung for that statement (does that really still stand??)) developers have worked on the latest releases of Elgg and the two will interoperate.

 

And there is development on a Moodle - SIMS connector (Q Geoff).

 

We have found Elgg to be the best system so far, offering the same benfits of comercial systems we've trialled.

[Geoff]

And there is development on a Moodle - SIMS connector (Q Geoff).

 

BCS in Birmingham (run by Sun IIRC) has already figured this out.

[wesleyw]

Can schools download and use it or is it still in development?

 

 

Wes

[Geoff]

I have not seen anything officially announced yet.

[mighty.grey.eagle]

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio, or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence (artifacts, including inputted text, electronic files such as Word and PDF files, images, multimedia, blog entries and Web links etc.) assembled and managed by a user, usually online. ePortfolios are both demonstrations of the user’s abilities and platforms for self-expression, and, if they are online, they can be maintained dynamically over time. Some ePortfolio applications permit varying degrees of audience access, so the same portfolio might be used for multiple purposes.

 

An e-portfolio can be seen as a type of learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. Learning records are closely related to the Learning Plan, an emerging tool that is being used to manage learning by individuals, teams, communities of interest and organizations.

 

Very good. I could have guessed at most (or even all) of these but the important thing is that Becta (or some other recognised authority) haven't defined it! We are at the same stage with e-portfolios as a couple of years ago where there were multiple definitions of Learning Platforms. We might disagree with Becta's view of a learning platform but it gives everyone something to aim at.

 

Looking back at your definition I would remove something very important ie Word files. There is no way a definition should include proprietary software.

[wesleyw]

Shame would be interesting to see how it works and if it works well?

 

Wes

[Geoff]

Shame would be interesting to see how it works and if it works well?

 

There might be someone on Edugeek who is in the BSF process in Birmingham and can tell you or at least point you in the right direction?

[GrumbleDook]

Or someone with links to Sun.

 

Oi! ... Mr Trevor ... can you ask?

[GrumbleDook]

Nope ... doesn't look like it is Sun working on it but it has raised some interest in certain quarters.

[crispinw]

An electronic portfolio, also known as an e-portfolio, or digital portfolio, is a collection of electronic evidence...

 

I think it is not just a question of definition - but of demonstrating a requirement. There seem to me to be three possible flavours of e-Portfolios and to my mind they all have unanswered questions attached:

 

1. An assessment tool. Who is going to use it - exam boards, university admissions (most universities don't seem to be bothered even to interview, let alone trawl through old essays). Where are the assessors who are clamouring for this?

 

2. A tool for reflective learning, associated with some kind of target-setting system. I suspect it is the use of this kind of system in the Open University that lay behind Diane Laurillard's support for e-Portfolios in "Harnessing Technology". But it is one thing to implement this in the Open University and quite another to do it at school. Reflective learning generally requires either motivated, self-starting students, and/or a considerable amount of individual tuition time. Do school teachers have this time?

 

3. Showcasing of work + social networking - a sort of educational Facebook. I know that it is fashionable to see social networking as the big educational idea - but I can't see it. (a) From my observation of Facebook, most of the communication that occurs between teenagers is complete drivel with little or no educative value, (b) there is already extensive networking opportunities in schools © there is considerable potential for abuse - mainly bullying and obscenity, and therefore (d) would require considerable teacher resources by way of supervision and moderation. Do school teachers have this time?

 

I am not saying that e-Portfolios cannot play a part in some form, that structured collaboration cannot be stimulating and that showcasing of work and tracking of competencies cannot be motivating - but at the moment I see a lot of possible pitfalls, a lot of drains down which a lot of public money is about to be poured, and very little empirical evidence to show any potential benefit.

 

Perhaps I have missed something. Can anyone point me in the direction of some research to show e-Portfolios providing value in schools?

 

Crispin.

[MkII]

The DiDA qualifications require you to produce an e-portfolio - a mini website containing proof of your work and evidence of how you faired, what methods you used, etc. etc.. (These are mailed off on CD to the exam board).

 

Online systems can save lots of time as well as being time consuming. Evolution will surely see universal marking systems easily applied to a students online activities. Some already exist.

 

Abuse and moderation are big issues for us techs, and something teachers fight against us about. SMTs say it's all down to classroom control and taught responsibility. We techs have our solutions: automated monitoring backed up by effective AUPs.

 

If you're talking unrestricted use of social networking tools, yes, it's mostly dross, but then that's what a lot of teenagers seemingly want to do. It's a wanted form of socialising.

 

You can set up a very similar system in an educational context. Students can share their work with a worldwide audience. Take for example Doug Belshaws' Wordpress MU blog system you mention that he set up for his history students. They did a piece on North American Indians, and an actual Souix Indian commented on the kids blog about what he'd written. I think that's fair evidence of the benefits.