Introducing the RPL Support Systems Trial 1

An extract from the E-portfolio Blog on the Australian Flexible Learning Framework site

Introducing the RPL Support Systems Trial 1: ‘Evidence of Learning for ACE: An E-portfolio for Recognition of Prior Learning’

September 8th, 2008

As part of RPL Support Systems research brief being managed by the E-portfolios Business Activity we are sponsoring two trials to investigate ways e-portfolio systems can support the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process. Two organisations have been invited to participate in this trial.

This first posting introduces the Adult Learning Australia (ALA): ‘Evidence of Learning for ACE: An E-portfolio for Recognition of Prior Learning’ Project.

ALA is the peak adult learning organisation drawing membership from community education and training providers, individual practitioners, community colleges, TAFE institutes, universities and government departments across all states and territories.

ALA has extensive experience in managing and coordinating national and state projects including the Australian Flexible Learning Framework’s (Framework) E-learning Creative Community Partnerships project from 2005 to 2007. This project worked with communities for each state and territory to provide a platform to enhance, and grow, community capacity building through effective skills development.

Mary Hannan, the Framework’s ACE E-Learning Co-ordinator, will be coordinating this pilot project, with support of Janie McOmish, ALA Assistant Director.

The ‘Evidence of Learning for ACE: An E-portfolio for Recognition of Prior Learning’ pilot project will identify and trial, specifically with learners from the adult and community education sector, an e-portfolio system to support lifelong learning and explore ways the selected e-portfolio systems can support a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process.

This pilot project will be trialled in two states ie regional Victoria (led by a major ACE provider reaching out to a small cluster group of ACE providers) as well as metropolitan and rural New South Wales (the NSW sites will be across three distinct ACE providers).

E-portfolio systems identified by the trial sites will aim to ensure an efficient way of tracking learner’s skills which can have possible application with any RPL process at any level with any training provider. The e-portfolio systems will aim to support portability of learner collected evidence, to support their ability to move between training and other forms of education, between jurisdictions, and between employers and industries.

There is a growing realisation within the adult and community education sector that a well constructed e-portfolio system would deliver a range of benefits in supporting the ACE sector, particularly its use as a tool able to store a diverse range of information in a variety of forms, that will represent the ‘whole person’ far more accurately than the present system of only recording data.

There is a growing interest in a reliable e-portfolio system to support ACE practitioners however given the sector’s diversity across Australia, including the diversity in what ACE providers deliver, how and to whom they deliver, it has been an environment where ACE providers are reluctant to embrace the e-portfolio solution. However this pilot project will showcase the possibilities that an e-portfolio system can provide for individual ACE providers and how with professional development and mentoring this will provide a valuable tool in supporting a RPL process within the ACE sector.

The pilot project will identify specific e-portfolio platforms to capture learners’ information.

ALA will work closely with the two pilot sites, representing a diverse range of learners. The purpose of this pilot project is to identify and evaluate the e-portfolio tools selected by the trial sites and to measure and evaluate how the e-portfolio tool can support ACE in an RPL process for their learners. In summary the two pilot sites have identified the following key activities and learners:

Pilot Site 1: Sydney Community College, Kiama Community College and Parramatta Community College, New South Wales

Debbie Littlehales, Member Services Manager of Community Colleges NSW, will manage this pilot site.

E- portfolios are relatively unexplored amongst ACE providers in NSW. While many colleges have implemented a variety of flexible learning solutions, e-portfolios have not yet been explored in a strategic manner.
Within this project two metropolitan Colleges (Sydney and Parramatta), and one small rural college (Kiama) will trial a variety of e portfolio tools with different student groups – Indigenous learners, young entrepreneurs, and mainstream adult learners (attending a range of learning experiences).

Costs of e-portfolio tools is always a factor for the Community Colleges sector so the tools to be trial will generally be of little or no cost. Other criteria for tools includes: ease of access, portability, aesthetics, functionality. At the start of the project they aim to trial Mahara, me.edna.au, Wikispaces, Facebook, Skillsbook, and are also open to explore other options as they become available.

Pilot Site 2: Community College East Gippsland, Victoria

Jan Roberts, Program Manager of the Community College East Gippsland (CCEG) will manage this pilot site.

This trial site will involve a tutor and learners from a single non-accredited course who are undertaking a basic computer course run at CCEG. The CCEG will be undertaking the RPL process for these learners.

For practical purposes the trial will involve a non-accredited course that does obviously lead into an RPL opportunity, and which has a number of training sessions - a basic computer course.

In respect to the e-portfolio tool, they are proposing to use a wiki but a downfall of using a wikis is that wikis can’t be kept completely private using a free wiki sites and learners may be reluctant to have their evidence out there for all the world to see. Another criterion for the e-Portfolio tool chosen include: some degree of permanency, easy to use, preferably free and importantly sustainable beyond the life of this project. This pilot site is also considering using Zoho as a possible e-portfolio tool.

An introductory posting for RPL Support System Trial 2 will be posted shortly, and a mid-way update of both of these projects will be posted in October.