ePortfolio research at QMU (2005 onwards)

• HSaP mini-project
• First-year learners' experience
• ePortfolios and health science
• ISLE project

Between January and December 2009, a team from the Centre for Academic Practice (Susi Peacock and Dr. Sue Murray) and Radiography (Alison Scott) at QMU undertook a mini-project for the Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre (HSaP), Higher Education Academy (HEA): Exploring the learner experience of ePortfolios for formative and summative feedback in the health sciences.

The study investigated whether, and in what ways, learners engage with formative and summative feedback delivered through ePortfolios. We explored, through focus groups, the benefits and barriers of health science learners receiving feedback through ePortfolios and how this compared with their previous experiences of feedback. An outcome of this project is the development of a model for educators to help improve learner engagement with feedback through ePortfolios.

Our findings have been disseminated through a project blog, as well as through the HSaP, the HEA, and JiscInfoNet.

Examples of dissemination include:

Presentations and workshops

• A workshop entitled ‘Exploring health learner experiences of, and attitudes to, feedback through ePortfolios’ was presented at ‘eLearning in Health 2011 Conference’, Aston Conference Centre, Birmingham, 27th and 28th June 2011. An abstract is available in the conference proceedings (Workshop S5W1, ID: 94);
• A workshop entitled ‘Exploring health learner experiences of, and attitudes to, feedback through ePortfolios’ was presented at a Netskills event, Newcastle University, 30th March 2011;
• A workshop entitled ‘Exploring health science learner experiences of formative and summative feedback in a networked environment through ePortfolios’ was presented at the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning’, Aalborg, Denmark, 3rd and 4th May 2010. The abstract and full paper are available in the conference proceedings;
• A presentation entitled ‘Exploring the learner experience of ePortfolios for formative and summative feedback in the health sciences’ was given at the ‘eLearning in health: working together to enhance learning conference’, University of Warwick, 16th and 17th July 2009.

Posters

• Key findings and recommendations were presented at e-Assessment Scotland: Marking the decade, University of Dundee, 3rd September 2010;
• Key findings and recommendations were presented at the Festival of Learning, at Edinburgh Napier University, 30th and 31st March 2010;
• An outline of preliminary findings was presented at the Learning and Teaching Conference, 'Graduates for the 21st Century', held at QMU on 27th November 2009;
• A basic overview of the study was presented at the QMU research conference held on 8th January 2009.

An executive summary outlining the findings of this study is available on the HSaP web pages.

The study report is available on the project webfolio

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QMU is a member of the fourth cohort of the Inter/National Coalition for Electronic Portfolio Research (2007-2010). During this three year period we undertook research focussing on the student experience of using ePortfolios and presented some of our early findings at conference:

ED-Media, June 30 - July 4, 2008, Vienna, Austria. 20th Annual world conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications.
Abstract (PDF 51KB): Initial Findings from a Large-Scale, Longitudinal Study of First-Year Learners’ Experience of ePortfolios. Authors: Susi Peacock, Sue Murray and Kate Morss. Presentation (PPT 285KB)	Presented at ED-Media 2008 by Susi Peacock (QMU) and Sue Murray (QMU)

Eifel, 22-24 October, 2008, Maastricht, the Netherlands. ePortfolio 2008: Employability and lifelong learning in the knowledge society
Presented at Eifel 2008 by Susi Peacock (QMU) and Sue Murray (QMU)	Abstract (PDF 25KB): Digital identities in ePortfolios: the first-year experience in a higher educational institution. Authors: Susi Peacock and Sue Murray. Presentation (PPT 3.12MB)

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ePortfolios and health science

Susi Peacock (Cap) and Jane Hislop (Physiotherapy) have worked on a publication with John Cleak (SHU) and Claire Morgan (SHU), which discusses the use of ePortfolios with health professional learners to develop their digital identities for learning and continuing professional development. Susi and Claire presented this at the Eifel conference - ePortfolio 2008: Employability and lifelong learning in the knowledge society (22-24 October 2008, Maastricht, the Netherlands).

Abstract (PDF 23KB): Using ePortfolios with health professional learners to develop their digital identities for learning and continuing professional development. Authors: Susi Peacock (QMU), Jane Hislop (QMU), John Cleak (SHU) and Claire Morgan (SHU). Presentation (PPT 604KB)

Presented at Eifel 2008 by Susi Peacock (QMU) and Claire Morgan (SHU)

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ISLE project

QMU has been exploring how ePortfolios are being used and their role within the curriculum for over three years. Initially we were a partner in the ISLE project (Individualised Support for Learning through ePortfolios 2007) and undertook research into staff development and ePortfolios. We produced a final report focusing on staff development and ePortfolio implementation. A paper reporting on staff development in ePortfolios drawing on over 20 interviews with tutors in FE and HE is in progress.

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