Overview An e-portfolio is perfect for apprentices, work-based learners and anyone undertaking training, as you can replace paper evidence of competence with videos, photos and voice recordings, and the portfolio is always available, both offline and securely on the Web. An e-portfolio can be regarded as a learning record that provides actual evidence of achievement. They can facilitate students’ reflection on their own learning, leading to more awareness of learning strategies and needs.
From apprenticeships to professional development, an e-portfolio can be used to track, manage and deliver all types of work-based training. You can monitor learner progress, assess remotely, generate real-time reports, and send online feedback anytime, anywhere, on any device – even when you’re offline. The entire audit trail is recorded online and completely transparent, so you always have the evidence you need for internal and external inspections.
01
Learner
Recruitment
The learner is recruited to the programme, undergoes initial assessment, and is then registered with the awarding organisation.
Start
Journey 02 Induction
The learner is inducted into their learning and development programme where their record of prior learning is reviewed.
03 Planning for learning
and assessment for learning The learner agrees learning targets. Plans are made for how these will be achieved and are recorded in an individual learning plan (ILP). The ILP is adaptive and can be our own generic ILP or built by the provider.
04 Learning and development
The learner undergoes training and development until they can consistently perform to the qualification and standards under a variety of conditions at work.
05 Assessment planning Assessment plans are made by the provider with templates of evidence to link standards, qualification units and criteria. This highlights to the learner what is required and at what point throughout the framework.
06 Assessment against the
standards and qualifications The learner receives ongoing assessment through visits, reviews and learning logs and, where required, further training is delivered.
07 Gateway to EPA
(end point assessment) The learner is assessed to see if they’re ready to progress toward the EPA.
08 Completion and certification
The learner receives their certificate of achievement from the awarding organisation.
ForSkills SkillsPortfolio Unlike anything you have used before, SkillsPortfolio is a user-friendly and comprehensive electronic portfolio that has the capacity to upload and store your organisation’s QCF qualifications/standards. It guides users through the assessment framework, reducing the cost of qualification delivery and, most importantly, engaging your learners. It will track and monitor a learner’s progress through their qualifications/standards and their 20% ‘off the job’ training. No more dull paperwork or filing. With SkillsPortfolio, you can upload photos and videos, record discussions and collect observations as evidence for the full qualification spectrum. SkillsPortfolio includes our unique IQA and EQA sampling plans that allow plan periods to be set in advance, capturing all appropriate evidence types within a qualification/standard. In addition, links allow evidence to be viewed for every learner and then selected as needed. The sampling plan overview clearly shows the number of pieces of evidence sampled and those yet to be sampled.
360o Personal Development Assessment SkillsPortfolio comes with a unique 360o behaviour and personal development assessment. The assessment will analyse essential skills for work-based learners such as working with others, developing relationships and building trust. The unique feature is that not only does the learner sit the assessment, but also their assessor, their employer, functional skills tutor or any other key worker gets to provide their opinion about the learner’s development too. The scores are then aggregated and presented in a colour-coded report.
The benefits for the organisation
The benefits for the learner
The benefits for the tutor
The benefits for the employer
The benefits for the QA (Quality Assurance)
The benefits for the EQA (External Quality Assurance)
ForSkills Go allows assessors and learners to use their ePortfolio offline and access our huge bank of innovative SkillsBuilder video resources in English, maths and ICT as well as help and tips videos. Assessors can download the e-portfolio for selected learners and then add and update evidence, map it against qualifications and criteria, update ILPs and create and update visits. Learners can download their own portfolio and can work on it offline and, as with the assessors, they can upload any changes made.
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In Between the Learning.
Glossary / Key Accreditation - Certification for a specified period of time of a provider as having the capacity to conform to a standard or fulfil a particular function specified by the certifying body. Assessment - The process of making judgements against specified criteria to meet national standards of competence on the basis of evidence collected by a learner. Assessment criteria - A set of criteria showing what a learner must do in order to meet the learning outcomes. Assessor - The person undertaking the assessment process. A centre staff member who assesses a learner’s evidence. Awarding organisation - The organisation registered by Ofqual for the assessment, quality assurance and certification of VQs. Credit - Each unit within a qualification has a credit value which shows how much time it takes to complete – one credit represents approximately 10 hours. Credit value - The number of credits a learner will achieve on successful completion of the unit. Credit value is calculated by taking the notional learning time required to achieve the specified outcomes and dividing it by 10. Diploma - A term used to describe the size of a qualification. A Diploma is a qualification of 37+ credits. EPA - Instead of being assessed throughout their course, all apprentices must now complete an end-point assessment to complete their qualification. The EPA will grade each learner according to their performance. EQA - Employed by an awarding organisation to approve, support and monitor the work of centres where candidates are to be assessed. See Quality assurance. (used to be called EV – external verifier) Gateway – By monitoring your apprentices’ progress throughout their course and when you and the employer agree, the apprentice can enter the gateway where they can take mock tests prior to the EPA. When an apprentice gets to the gateway, they must have passed English and maths at the level set in the standard.
ILP – Individual learning plan – Set up at the start of the qualification/standard/programme. An individual learning plan or ILP is a learnerspecific strategy of learning that takes into consideration the learner’s strengths and weaknesses. IQA – The person who monitors the assessment of learners carried out by the assessment centre on behalf of the assessment centre or on behalf of an awarding organisation (used to be called IV – internal verifier). Learning logs – This can include visits, attendance logs, user logs and off-the-job training. Mandatory units - These are the units of a qualification that a learner must achieve in order to meet the requirements for that qualification. Off-the-job training – Currently 20% of evidence is required away from the learner’s job role. The 20% timeframe is calculated from the start to end of their qualification. Normally set by the ILP. Ofqual - Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator - Is a regulatory body recognising awarding organisations to award vocational qualifications. Quality assurance - The process of monitoring assessment centres to offer quality assurance for VQs. Standards - The new apprenticeship standards show what an apprentice will be doing and the skills required of them by job role. Trailblazers - A Trailblazer is a group of employers who work together to design new apprenticeship standards for occupations within their sectors. RPL - Recognition of prior learning. The assessment of an individual’s previous experience and achievements against national standards (replaces APL). VQ – Vocational qualifications – what the learner is going to learn and achieve. Visits/Reviews – Details of dates and information recorded when assessors have visited and met with the learner.