Conference Abstract

Everything seems to have gone quiet the last couple of weeks. That's because we are all into the next TMA (tutor marked assignment) at the moment. It's in 2 parts: 

1. Short conference abstract
2. Extended abstract - goes into more detail about the project, sources that will be drawn on, and how networking has contributed to the project's development.

This is my 2nd draft of the short abstract. The aim is to give enough information about the presentation to advertise it and get people to come and listen. I'm not really happy with it at the moment because I would like to turn it round and have information about the conference at the beginning and the rest following after. Try as I might, I haven't managed to do that and for it to still make any sense.

If you would like to comment with some constructive feedback, I'd be very grateful. Comments are moderated, just to eliminate spam but as long as any criticism is worded constructively and doesn't contain any swearing, I'll publish it.

Individual Learning Plans: from paper to online

How many things can you think of, that were once only available in paper form but are now online? Every day, we undertake a variety of tasks using the Internet, which only a decade ago were predominantly paper-based: banking, job applications, travel timetables, sharing photos, to name but a few. There is now a public expectation of being able to input and access key information online.

In education, the primary and secondary sectors have largely kept pace with innovative technologies and online provision, using it to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As well as many proprietary software products being marketed, there has also been a surge of open source material, which has enabled schools to adopt and adapt products for their own needs, without a large financial outlay. Further education may, however, have been left behind in this respect, so that what is now the norm for schools could still be considered an innovation within the field of adult education.

In further education, tutors encourage their learners to set personal goals and short-term targets to direct and focus their learning. It is important to recognise and record progress and achievement, and on government funded courses, this is done through the use of Individual Learning Plans (ILPs). Many providers are still using paper forms for this, which tutors and learners tend to regard as tedious and bureaucratic. Could an online interactive eILP be more relevant and engaging for 21^st century learners?

This multimedia presentation offers H818 conference delegates the opportunity to decide for themselves the extent to which an eILP gives learners an innovative and engaging alternative to current paper documents. It will begin by examining some of the shortfalls of the existing paper ILP, and the learner and tutor feedback that led to the desire to create an eILP. I will then demonstrate the process of creating such an eILP within the open source Moodle virtual learning environment (VLE). I will show how activities within Moodle, such as the database activity, can be used to create an eILP. Reflections of the lessons learnt along the way will be shared, including learner and tutor feedback through recorded interviews.

Other further education providers have participated in related projects but many of these have focussed more on the e-portfolio than an eILP. Gloucestershire Council began to capture evidence of learner progress in the form of video and audio portfolios but stopped short of developing the ILP itself. Similarly, the National Star College has adopted the use of e-portfolios with pictures, podcasts and video to record the achievements of learners with learning difficulties. My project adds to and extends the work of these by attempting to revitalise and modernise the underpinning paperwork - specifically the ILP.