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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» As part of the Jisc Technology for Employability project, a study was commissioned to provide an exploration of the role of technology in supporting the development of student employability skills.

» A report of the project findings was published in December 2015 which explores the role of technology in supporting the development of student employability - http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6249/3/Technology_for_employability_-_full_report.PDF.

» The report identifies key benefits, recommendations and effective practice examples.

» One of the challenges identified as part of the study is that making use of technology to help student employability is under-exploited.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» The report identified 5 key ways that technology is being used to support development of student employability.

1. Technology-enhanced authentic and simulated learning experiences.

2. Digital communications and engagement with employers.

3. Technology-enhanced lifelong learning and employability.

4. Technology-enhanced employability and skills development.

5. Employer-focused digital literacy development.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

Provide active and real world learning experiences.

Benefits for Learners:

» Authentic learning can be effective in developing employability skills.

» Opportunities for students to experience different working environments.

» Collaborative tools can provide opportunities to work with geographically distributed employers.

Glasgow Caledonian University Case Study (available from Jisc Technology for Employability Report, published December 2015 - http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6250/6/Technology_for_employability_-_HE_case_studies.PDF):

» Business Studies students collaborated with employers to research and problem-solve a real business issue.

» Used a wiki to record and share experiences.

» Learning and assessment activities helped develop employability skills such as team working, written communication, planning and organisational skills.

» Demonstrates how technology can help enable work related learning, employer engagement and entrepreneurship into teaching and learning.

S&B Autos Case Study (available from Jisc Technology for Employability Report, to be published December 2015 -http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6250/6/Technology_for_employability_-_HE_case_studies.PDF):

» S&B Autos provide automotive training to Apprentices based in industrial settings.

» They use augmented reality enabling learners to practice in developing skills in sustainable ways using simulation technology.

» Augmented reality software has been introduced to support virtual paint spraying, allowing students to gain basic skills and practice safety protocols before attempting spraying in real time.

Dumfries and Galloway College Case study: Stranraer cutting crew Facebook - http://www.rsc-scotland.org/?p=2163:

» A Facebook group was set up following a request from students and was a student led group.

» Secure groups created for all hairdressing courses and used initially for general communications between learners and tutors.

» Use of Facebook was expanded to focus on employability with a secure group has also been created for local salon owners.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

Digital communications and engagement with employs can:

» Identify and develop contacts and relationships with employers.

» Develop digital and employability identity.

» Develop digital evidence to help students show their skills and ‘rounded self’.

» Showcase students ‘rounded self’ to employers.

Borders College Case Study: Assessment through podcasting and video production at Borders College - http://www.rsc-scotland.org/?p=2432:

» HNC Interactive Media students created a script for broadcast purposes and filmed and edited a short film based on the script.

» The film was embedded in a site and made available to ‘clients’ (local organisations) demonstrating their employability skills via the assessment.

Reading College Case Study (available from Jisc Technology for Employability Report, published December 2015 -http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6251/9/Technology_for_employability_-_FE_and_Skills_case_studies.PDF):

» Reading College has been making more use of personal technologies for learning.

» They have switched off the college VLE and replaced it with Google Apps reflecting modern methods of working and providing students with digital literacy skills for employability.

» Move to cloud-based learning has delivered transformational change, increased student engagement and improved the quality of their work.

› Harnessed the learning preferences of students

› Empowered students to take greater ownership of their learning

› Enabled learning beyond the classroom via any device

› Facilitated collaborative peer-to-peer learning and assessment

› Improved student retention and achievement

Birmingham City University – use of e-Portfolios as part of a Personal Development module – NEXT SLIDE.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

Case study available from the Jisc e-Portfolio Guide - https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/e-portfolios/employability-and-skills:

» Birmingham City Business School – use of e-Portfolios with first-year undergraduates studying a compulsory Personal Development module - https://epip.pbworks.com/w/page/35600237/Exemplar%201%20-%20Personal%20Development%20in%20the%20Business%20School.

» Moved from paper-based to an online e-Portfolio which enabled students to evidence skills.

» The e-Portfolio (Mahara) allowed students to provide different views (employer, PDP, social, tutor views -http://shareville.bcu.ac.uk/bsvideo/portfolio01/index.html).

» Students need to think carefully about what to include and how to present it and the technology gives them the opportunity to include photos and videos which could be used to evidence employability skills such as team working.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» Self-directed and professional learning

» e-Portfolios can support students in capturing their lifelong learning, help them evaluate and manage their own learning

» Students need to be able to own and store their e-Portfolio data

» Feedback can be captured from range of stakeholders including employers to help develop learner self-regulatory skills

City of Glasgow College (available from Jisc Technology for Employability Report, published December 2015 -http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6251/9/Technology_for_employability_-_FE_and_Skills_case_studies.PDF):

» The City of Glasgow College has created a bespoke e-portfolio used to support stonemason apprentices who spend the majority of their learning time away from College, completing apprenticeships in stonemason yards.

» The apprentices spend 85% of their learning time with an employer yet none of the accomplishments achieved there were recorded previously as part of a digital record of accomplishment and body of work.

» 50 stonemasons have used the portfolio so far to which another 84 are about to be added and 50 more due later in the Spring 2016.

» Staff report that students have a greater sense of involvement, control and understanding of their learning from using the e-Portfolio. A learning community has been built and students now share ideas and photos via social networks.

Borders College Case Study - Open Badge Adventures - http://www.rsc-scotland.org/?p=2454

» Open Badges have been awarded to students and staff for best practice in using Moodle.

» The badges can be displayed on sites such as LinkedIn to showcase skills such as digital literacy.

Open Badges is still a fairly new and innovative concept however other colleges and universities can see their potential and are piloting their use.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

Technology-enhanced employability skills development:

» Learner skills diagnostics to support students in diagnosing their employability skills.

» Technology can play a role in identifying employability skills achieved via assessment practice. This could include the capturing of evidence of employability by video, and mapping assessment and learning outcomes against employability outcomes - https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/transforming-assessment-and-feedback/employability.

» The potential of Open Badges is being recognised by awarding bodies - http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/67688.html.

» The role of careers services in developing employability skills of students.

University of London Careers Group Case Study (available from Jisc Technology for Employability Report, published December 2015 - ):

» The University of London Careers Group have developed a careers and employability MOOC (delivered via Coursera) -https://www.coursera.org/course/career.

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» Jisc guide: Enhancing student employability through technology-supported assessment and feedback -https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/enhancing-student-employability-through-technology-supported-assessment-and-feedback

» Technology can help:

› Build employability into curriculum design (you might make use of collaborative tools and peer learning)

› Demonstrate evidence of professionally relevant learning (e-Portolios can be a useful tool to capture this)

› Simulate real work environments

› Allow students to demonstrate their digital skills

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» All the technologies mentioned can help with digital literacies defined as “the capabilities which fit someone for living, learning and working in a digital society”.

» The work of the Jisc digital capabilities project builds on previous digital literacies work and the six elements of digital capabilities is on the screen. The Jisc quick guide – Developing students’ digital literacy has some helpful information -https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-students-digital-literacy

» Students need to understand how to apply technology to employer contexts and needs. The report indicates a need to develop student technology-enhanced employability skills and t heir ‘digital entrepreneurialism’.

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» Developing student employability project - https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/developing-student-employability

» Project blog - http://employabilityproject.jiscinvolve.org

» Report: Technology for Employability - http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6249/3/Technology_for_employability_-_full_report.PDF

» Quick read report: Technology for Employability - http://repository.jisc.ac.uk/6252/4/Technology_for_employability_-_quick_read_report.PDF

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh

» Jisc guide: e-Portfolios - https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/e-portfolios

» Jisc guide: Enhancing student employability through technology-supported assessment and feedback -https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/enhancing-student-employability-through-technology-supported-assessment-and-feedback

» Jisc guide :Transforming assessment and feedback with technology https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/transforming-assessment-and-feedback

» Jisc quick guide: Developing students’ digital literacy https://www.jisc.ac.uk/guides/developing-students-digital-literacy

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Assessment Tomorrow Conference - Edinburgh