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Lifelong learning, defined by the European Commission in 2000 as “all purposeful learning activity, undertaken on an ongoing basis with the aim of improving knowledge, skills and competence” is seen as an essential policy instrument for social and economic change in our societies. Lifelong learning is regarded as the key to the creation of a Knowledge Society. Both ePortfolios and Open Content are considered key to building such a society.

This conference aimed to highlight the concept of open education and its instruments and to bring together policy makers, teachers, trainers, education managers, human resource managers, principals, school administrators, to promote the use of ePortfolio and open educational resources.

This conference was officially opened at the Silesian Parliament, Katowice by Janusz  Moszynski, Marshal and Province Chairman of the Silesia Region. The official proceedings took place at the Silesian University, Katowice. Over sixty delegates took part from over twenty European countries. Jean-Michel Boullier, Head of the Comenius Sector; Education, Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission gave the keynote speech during which he praised the work of the eComedia Network and asked that the final conference in the series should result in a set of recommendation on the themes of the conference.

All the papers and the presentations are available on the Network’s website. Follow the conference link on the Network’s homepage: http://www.ecomedia-europe.net/

I include here a summary of some of the presentations which may have special interest and relevance.

1. ePortfolios in the Austrian Education System
Christian Dorninger, Federal Ministry for Education, Science and Culture, Austria

Portfolios are personal reflection instruments in the hands of the students to enrich lectures and traditional school work. There are two main types, the process portfolio for learning, working and reflection and the application portfolio for assessment purposes and job application. They are products of self organisation to support collaborative learning processes and can deliver first insights into students achievements on the way of lifelong learning.

In Austria there are several eLearning projects at primary and secondary schools, in higher and further education and in workplaces of the civil service and industry. However, though successful eLearning pilot projects have been implemented, our society is still far from efficiently exploiting the full potential of technology enhanced learning. Tools like eLearning and ePortfolio are not commonplace yet. Efficiency and sustainability of all these efforts have to be optimized yet.

ePortfolios can capture the idea of lifelong learning, support individuals moving along episodes of school, study, training and employment. ePortfolios support the transfer of competencies from school or campus to the world of work. The educational System has also to prepare the pupils and students for an active role on the modern labour market, which requires a dynamic evaluation of competencies in the sence of lifelong learning. Due to the inherent portability of portfolios the smooth transfer of verifiable information about learning, evaluation and competences between the levels of education is ensured.

It is a general consensus that Europe is far from having achieved the targets of its “Lisbon Strategy” which aims are realising the "knowledge society". The European Commission underlines that the creation and dissemination of knowledge throughout the Union must be reinforced. Transforming the way we teach and learn requires a collective effort engaging all players fostering education and lifelong learning.

2. Portfolios, Not Tests Alone, Show What All Learners Really Can Do!
Evangeline Harris Stefanakis, Education Dept., Boston University, USA

Why Use Portfolios?

She gave the example of a student called Jaime.

Jaime’s portfolio – a rich collection of his work that is aligned to state standards – contains assignments he has completed this year, from initial drafts and subsequent revisions of his memoirs, to his historical fiction piece, to his data analysis problems in mathematics. Jaime’s portfolio clearly demonstrates the significant progress he has made since September. More importantly, it shows that he has met state standards in the work he has completed.

Unfortunately, state tests do not capture Jaime’s ability; rather, they focus on his inability to quickly comprehend what he reads in English language. Standardized tests measure children’s knowledge of “cognitive academic language”, the language of a highly literate population. Students in primarily middle-class areas are well-versed in this language. Their schools have the programs and resources to help them master cognitive academic language of tests from an early age. Not surprisingly, they score higher on standardized tests.

Students like Jaime in low-income, immigrant communities do not naturally speak, read or write cognitive academic English, even when English is their first language, because this is not the language of their community. Neither their parents nor their teachers ever speak it to them; yet, they are required to learn the language of middle class New York in order to get past state tests and get promoted. Their test scores reflect the fact that often they must literally translate as they work, either from their native language to English or from one form of English to another.

The solution to this problem, already employed by a number of schools and districts, is to use student portfolios as an additional (but not a substitute) means of assessment. Where standardized tests in English reveal only the “language disabilities” of students like Jaime, a growing body of research shows that a combination of formal tests and informal assessments can highlight their cognitive and academic abilities and their potential. Portfolios, in particular, capture both the process and products of students’ learning and reflect their multiple languages, multiple intelligences and multiple capabilities.

The portfolio is a window into the learning of students and the teaching of teachers because it makes learning visible in the daily assignments they both complete. For the student, it is a means of empowering their own intellectual confidence when they know each assignment could potentially be included in a portfolio – they are likely to regularly strive toward a high standard.

3. The Very Short History of ePortfolio in the EU - Erwin Bratengeyer, Department for Interactive Media and Educational Technology, Danube University.

Portfolio Definition: “A collection of authentic and diverse evidence, drawn from a larger archive representing what a person or organization has learned over time, on which the person or organization has reflected and designed for presentation to one or more audiences for a particular rhetorical purpose”. (National Learning Infrastructure Initiative, USA, 2003)

In 2003 the European Institute for E-Learning commenced an ePortfolio awareness campaign with the aim of having an ePortfolio for all by 2010.  ePortfolio dissemination since then consists of conferences, workshops, regular meetings, networking and pilot projects.

ePortfolio Activities in the UK include the ongoing development of a national ePortfolio strategy since 2005 by the Department for Education and Skills. ePortfolio use in all sectors of education in the UK has grown, driven in part by national policy and lifelong and personalised learning initiatives.

ePortfolio in Europe: Some countries are already providing ePortfolios, some are considering it and some have yet to discover its possibilities. There is however a growing level of ePortfolio awareness in Europe through the development of policies and strategies, research and implementation strategies.

4. Open Learn - The Open University - Niall Sclater, Director, Virtual Learning Environment Programme, The Open University, UK

The UK Open University is investing heavily in the development of a virtual learning environment to facilitate its online students, using the open source system, Moodle. Meanwhile the Hewlett Foundation has provided US$9.9m for the OpenLearn Initiative where the university will make 5,400 hours of its materials available freely after two years.

OpenLearn was recently launched with its first 900 hours of content and is accessible at www.openlearn.open.ac.uk. This includes 41 units under Arts and History and 35 under Education. In order to enhance use of this free material the project intends to develop learning communities around this content with the provision of online communication facilities and is also providing a space where others can deposit their own content.

 

5. English Lessons in a Virtual Classroom using Moodle
Nela Bejat Krajnc, Pod goro Primary school, Slovenia

Realising that the majority of their pupils use Internet or watch English speaking channels daily so they are almost competent users of ICT and English language at the same time the English teachers at Primary school Pod Goro, Slovenia decided to enrich lessons by providing learning activities in an e-classroom using the open source learning environment Moodle. This offered opportunities for revision, group work and communication with the teacher.

The main aim was to make learning more appealing, to motivate pupils for independent learning and to help them to take their own initiative and responsibility for learning and knowledge.

Using Moodle enabled students to develop reading, listening and writing skills, practice grammar structures and learn new vocabulary. Teachers added links to articles on the topic that was worked on during the lessons, pupils were expected to read these articles and then answer teacher generated exercises at different difficulty levels. Pupils used Moodle to send their responses to their teachers who could then supply instant feedback. New information, tasks, questions, answers and news was automatically sent to pupils' e-mail addresses.

Using the chat facility debates were organised on certain topics. The activities were carefully planned in advance as well as the rules (use of English, focus on the topic and Net Etiquette). Pupils were divided into two groups and each group had to prepare arguments for the debate. They were informed that the debate would be published in Moodle.

The pupils usually used the e-classroom for practicing and revision at home. They became independent learners. They read the Forum and announcements daily looking for new tasks, sources and lessons. The communication between teachers and pupils improved as well as the whole atmosphere in the classroom during regular lessons.

 

Michael Farry,
7 November 2007