The New Kid on the block

There are many technology platforms out there all for e-Learning. This discussion is about the eAssessment and ePortfolio Platform (aka The New Kid On The Block)

Why Assessment Requires a Portfolio of Evidence

I am receiving incredible discussions, and feedback, from this "Assessment of Learning" series I am writing at present. I have also been engaging with both our seasoned, and our new clients, learning a lot about where their challenges are. Based on all of these comments and discussions there is a clear request for me to demystify what a "Portfolio of Evidence" is, and WHY it is so important.

Coupled to this is why P4P is changing the assessment landscape with our focus being on solving the historic and current need of the Business, who is asking "why must we train our staff on what they can already do?" vs. the training dialogue - "because we have been doing it this way for 50 years and we need to tick a box."

1. What a Portfolio of Evidence is - and how to build it

2. Why a P.O.E. is so important."

1. WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO OF EVIDENCE (P.O.E.)

Like anything in life, everything that we do creates experience, and this experience is what helps to shape the way we approach the task again into the future. The experience is what makes us better at what we are doing, and you cannot train experience.

You cannot train experience

A Portfolio is a collection of items (these can be anything from written tests, product samples, testimonies, video’s, pictures and images, Gifs, audio, spread sheets, etc…) that demonstrate how well someone can perform a task/competence/training outcomes. To build a successful P.O.E. there needs to be a defined set of standards, and these are created for the employee/learner to demonstrate their:

1. Knowledge: Knowing WHAT to do.

Assessment tools: best assessed through a "written test" or "interview" and Questions and Answers. The questions need to be aligned to the learning content provided.

2. Understanding: Knowing WHY we do it.

Assessment tools: best assessed through a "written test" or "interview" and different Questions and Answers – but it MUST be linked to the " Knowledge" component of the content. (see point 1 above.)

Skills: Being able to physically do it (Gross motor ability).

Assessment Tool: best assessed through "observation," and using an observation checklist of some kind.

Desire/Attitude: The WANT to do it.

Assessment tools: This is a little more tricky to assess, as research from the ATD shows that between 80% – 88% of poor work performance is due to attitude / lack of desire. (culture issues usually). and this is not for today's discussion.

2. THE "AhHa" MOMENT

The "ah ha" here is that if you build a P.O.E. that demonstrates your skill first (not written knowledge) – this opens the opportunity to not need to assess knowledge through a written test. And of course this saves time and expenses. (I leave a question here - when companies pay for employees to attend training for which they already have years of experience, why would the company value the results of the written test - 2 hours in a classroom or online - over the demonstration of the skills live in the workplace?)

3. Why a P.O.E. is so important?

P4P is the cloud-based platform that enables both the uploading of P.O.E.’s ready for assessment and moderation for the learner to achieve a training course and/or qualification, AND the uploading of Portfolio of Evidence to measure the “Competency” within a role of the business. We enable a continual and fluid approach to the demonstration of life-long learning through skills, as opposed to the current static approach to only one assessment at the of a training course/school grade/university year. With your marks being a once off result of “now you are done writing a 3 hour exam, you are competent.” ...requested by a businesses at assessment times - NEVER... because in the world of business, the job competencies change very often and in some cases every six months.

So the skills sets of yesterday (and the written tests to prove them) are no longer valid nor needed as the required skills of today. This is the challenge most training providers, workplace chief learning officers (CLO's), training managers, operations managers, CEO’s etc have, and this is creating the following quandary:

1. Training for Experience: – you cannot train experience. Only by applying skills can a person build experience. The tick box exercise of the classroom/e-Learning training is not effective and is very expensive if the employee already possesses the knowledge, understanding and skills. If the employee is doing the job every day – the training is not needed. (very costly)

You cannot train experience

1. Measuring real-time Competence gained from Experience:- Classroom / E-learning knowledge offers a limited opportunity to measure, if the learning will enable a real time application of competence - where is counts - in the workplace under the real pressure with the real deadlines.

P4P enables you to solve both of the quandary challenges whilst decreasing the costs of assessment because workplace assessment is expensive if you are paying a training provider to do it, (and of course the validity of the assessment is questionable, as most trainers are no longer on the “coal face”, and therefore their skills are no longer as sharp as the live supervisor / manager to assess). Companies are therefore instructing the training providers to “wrap up the training (and assessment) in the training room.” – losing credibility for the training as the learners are being declared competent after a classroom/e-Learning training (knowledge assessment or even simulation) - not based on applied competence in real time in real pressure with real environment.

The P.O.E. is the way to solve this challenge – and remain within governance. When the assessment criteria is well designed, the artefacts required are prescribed (directly linked to workplace requirements) and the process is simple to follow, every person (employed or not employed) now has the opportunity to demonstrate their competence (not just create an inaccurate CV/Resume) -and P4P allows your company to SEE what they can do – not just what a CV or Psychometric test says what they should be able to do. Ultimately helping the learner / employee account for the 80% of what they have learned live, not in a training venue.

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER IF YOU ARE USING AN eLEARNING PLATFORM ONLY:

1. Does your system allow for panel reviews and multiple assessors simultaneously?

2. Does your system allow learners to upload, word, excel, ppt, jpeg, audio and video evidence of their performance as POE artefacts?

3. Does your system allow the learner, assessor, moderator and administrators- safe and closed access to all reports, completed summative assessments and POE artefacts after the training is closed - up to 40 years?

PREVIOUS DISCUSSION on THE "ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING" SERIES

• The Electronic Portfolio of Evidence (E-P.O.E.) (419 views)

• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)  (203 views)

• Roles in RPL and E-P.O.E.'s (94 views)

• The hybrid of a High Tech & Low Tech P.O.E. (12 views)

I'll show you how you the monetary values of claiming the grants within the Learnerships (qualifications) in the South African context and how to decrease the time to claim and competence, as well as how to think through a Competency development P.O.E. framework

If you would like to chat about your projects and how you too can use P4P to save you costs on Portfolios and enable your RPL: please feel free to reach out and contact me, and we will gladly assist where we can.