JISC

Queen Mary, University of London (QMUL) ODL Unit has successful and rapidly expanding open and distance learning programmes in Computer Science and related ICT / Management Science disciplines. These are founded on partnerships with employers, trade unions and FE providers.

The PROSPERO project is founded on the recognition of two issues: there are substantial numbers of employees undergoing lifelong learning in the workplace, and the learning and training undergone is highly varied.

The project was proposed in an effort to develop processes to ensure efficient, beneficial and interoperable PDP practice between academic and vocational sectors.

Aims and Objectives 

PROSPERO aims to investigate requirements for interoperability between FE, HE and employer’s learning systems, to ensure that learners can make use of LIP compliant personal development records.  The project will investigate the range of PDP data that might be stored and utilised, and will pilot and evaluate its usage amongst groups of ODL students.

The two main objectives are:

1. Requirements investigation and specification into mechanisms for supporting creation, management and enrichment of PDRs.
2. Evaluation and refinement of support procedures for the maintenance, development and integration of private and shared components of the Learner Profile as it is used in the contexts of FE, HE and employment-related processes.

Project Methodology

We limit the domain and learner populations to ICT-related pre-degree, foundation degree and first degree students undertaking courses part-time from home and from their workplace. We aim however, for a study of generic processes and requirements for interoperability that can apply to several employment sectors (especially in telecommunications and distribution industries) and across both vocational and academic accrediting institutions.

Implications/ Deliverables/ Stakeholders

The principal output from the project will be the documentation and evaluation of pilot process models, operational procedures and support systems, integrated into FE, HE and employer systems in a small number of identified workplace learning centres.   The project deliverables will include a requirements analysis (focusing on the personal development planning requirements of students on the ODL foundation and degree programmes), case studies of current PDP usage and the project pilot and evaluation report. 

Interim data collations, pilot evaluations and data sets will be made available to others in the research community through a web-based resource centre; whilst a web-based collaboration tool – accessible by subscription to members of the JISC MLE community of researchers – will provide opportunities for shared contributions to evaluation, feedback and refinement of project objectives and deliverables.

The project is expected to contribute to the development of PDR specifications and to identify the potential for its usage amongst students with varied backgrounds and requirements.