Technology supports collaboration in Nottingham
DEL regional stories
The benefits and issues involved in transferring learner data and information between institutions and sectors
| RIPPL Project |
| University of Nottingham |
| Contact |
Sandra Kingston |
| Software used |
Passportfolio |
There is now a 'true feeling of regionality in Nottingham' in educational terms. The RIPPLL Project, led by the University of Nottingham, proved that it's possible to transfer personal data between different administrative and e-portfolio systems across a range of institutions.
The data transfer was intended to encourage widening participation by providing information that supported individual learning and career journeys from school to: college, university and employers. For example, information from a learner's Y11 school review could be transferred to support their application to an FE college, or a university graduate could transfer their data to an employer to support their job application (although in this project only one data set was tested). 'It makes sense for learner data to transfer with them from school to college and beyond. Learners want to be more in control of their own data', said Sandra Kingston, the project manager.
As the project progressed, it became clear that the term 'e-portfolio' meant something different to each institution.
The project has extended an existing partnership between the University of Nottingham and the LEA to include Nottingham Trent University and local colleges, which will be valuable for future working.
Although the project has helped to break down the barriers between HE and FE locally, the two sectors work very differently and it was a steep learning curve for all involved. One of the key challenges at the outset was reaching a point where there was a shared vision of the potential of the project. This was achieved by broadening people's awareness of the possibilities, at the same time as managing expectations.
It was also found that FE colleges are often tied down by their software vendors, which poses technical difficulties. Sandra hopes that 'by working collaboratively user institutions will have a more effective 'voice' to influence change'.
A major contribution of the project was the skills development of technical staff across institutions. On-the-job training with these staff proved to be particularly effective and the project highlighted the potential for staff in different institutions to collaborate.
As the project progressed, it became clear that the term 'e-portfolio' meant something different to each institution. One way of addressing this was to use a standard way of storing and transferring information about learner achievements, and UK LeaP was the standard portfolio data-interchange format that was used. However, UK LeaP did not readily match to all the areas that people wanted the e-portfolio to cover and it was quite complex to use. 'We found that, in some ways, it is easier to look at what works already [in terms of storing data] and grow things from there, rather than mark the required areas against an existing standard'.
The project highlighted the potential for staff in different institutions to collaborate.
Standards are only effective if the people who are going to use them get involved with their development. The outcomes of the project have identified that the underpinning philosophy behind UK LeaP is correct 'but that there is a need for simplification', Sandra said.
A key aspect of the project was the collaboration related to the City of Nottingham Passport and its successor, the Passportfolio. The original City of Nottingham Passport incorporated a set of documents that were produced at the end of each key stage to reflect a student's achievement, progress and ability to manage their own learning. The Passportfolio is a web-based portfolio with three functional elements: recording of achievement, reviewing own learning (which contains games and exercises designed to improve self-awareness) and a 'presenting zone' where learners can assemble documents and other media.
The University of Nottingham worked with the City of Nottingham Passport team and representatives from FE colleges in both the city and county to progress the implementation of an electronic application to FE via an agreed common application form. This form was to be located within the Passportfolio.
This project has made the electronic FE application process within Nottinghamshire possible, providing richer data. It is hoped that this will widen participation by supporting applications to FE and by allowing communication between pre-HE and HE systems. Learners said that they really want to be able to share their data with others, particularly in university applications. 'Although we can't yet prove that there is better retention of learners who come with data, we should be working towards proving whether this is the case', Sandra said.
However, Sandra felt that if other institutions want to attempt something similar, it would be important for them to have a clearer idea of the technological set-up for each of the partners. A baseline audit of both staff skills and technology in each institution would be helpful. This would enable feasibility to be assessed in advance and training targeted where it is needed most.
At the start of the project, several major employers had expressed an interest in being involved and good relationships were built with some individuals in these organisations. Understandably, though, companies proved to be particularly reluctant to allow experimental work involving their IT systems and it was found that more time was needed to address issues and obtain buy-in at a senior level. Therefore, a college was used as the sample employer.
It is also important that any e-learning project does not become so focused on technology that learners' other needs are ignored. In this project it became clear that Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) was a necessary ingredient, as learners benefited from this type of professional, individual support when making career decisions. The extension of the project is working closely with Connexions, who will have a key role to play in sustaining the Passportfolio moving forward.
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