As presented January 29, 2013 in Ottawa at Cannexus 2013.

1. Career Portfolio Manitoba
Essential Skills ePortfolio
for Employability
Cannexus
January 29, 2013

2. Learning Agents
Accelerated learning systems
E-learning resources & services
Learning community support
Consulting
http://bit.ly/DonPresant_ePortfolio

3. Agenda
1. What is an Eportfolio?
2. Why an ePortfolio?
3. An Essential Skills ePortfolio
4. Career Portfolio Manitoba today
5. Next steps / On the horizon

4. What is ePortfolio?
Shop window or factory?
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/e-portfolios

5. What is ePortfolio?
http://www.slideshare.net/4nitsirk/mahara-open-source-eportfolio-application

6. Benefits of “e”
• Information Management capabilities
– Collecting, archiving, sharing, making different versions
– Multimedia evidence
• Digital technology, Internet literacy
• Learning and collaboration integration
– Online research: documents, networks
– Easy to add comments, edit, mentor, coach
• Digital Identity
– Professional Profile, Personal network
• Measurement, alignment
– Link to frameworks, rubrics, track learning over time
• Systems integration and interoperability
– Learning management systems, HRIS

7. Personal Planning and Learning
Online Locker, Interactive Workbook
• Online archive
– Personal & downloaded documents, links
• Resources for self-directed learning
– Webinars, videos, self-assessment surveys
• Learning plans and tracking tools
– Set goals and track progress to them (Learning Plans)
– Keep records of learning activities over time (CPD)
• Personal journal
– Reflect on goals and alternative futures
– Keep ad hoc “notes to self”, prepare agendas, etc.
• Ongoing Personal Learning Environment (PLE)
– “Continuous Learning Environment”

8. Employment & related purposes
Demonstrate, assess & improve Human Capital
• Qualification Recognition
– Initial, formative, summative assessment
• Academic recognition
– PLAR/RPL for courses and programs
• Career Development
– Gap analysis, exploration of alternatives, building pathways
• Employment (Web CV)
– Hiring, career advancement, team building tool for employers
• Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
– Tracking ongoing learning activities and reflection on practice
– Recertification

9. Lifelong, lifewide
Before AND after getting the job
• Pre-employment
– Becoming employable, getting hired
• Workplace development
– Skills development, performance management,
career advancement
• Recognition of Prior Learning
– Challenge for credit
• Continuing Professional Development
– Regulated occupations
• Knowledge portfolios
• Life portfolios

10. Why an ePortfolio?

11. @timbuckteeth http://scoop.intel.com/what-happens-in-an-internet-minute/ 20120313

12. LinkedIn statistics: Jan 2012
• Started 2003
• Currently 175m+
• 2 new members per second
• 5m+ in Canada (+39.5% 2011->2012)
• 2m+ companies have LinkedIn pages
• Includes executives from 100% of Fortune 500
• 85% of Fortune 100 use its hiring solutions
• Acquired Slideshare in May 2012

13. Employer feedback
ePortfolio as a tool to describe skills and knowledge
• Majority in favour
– “digital matching service, living document, screening tool,
digital evidence of credentials and experience”
– “Good timing with rising skills shortages, immigration levels”
• Potential benefits:
– Accessible documents of work accomplishments vs. credentials
– Pre-employment bridging tool, linked to LMI
– Help standardize the language of competencies
– Transparent tool for diversity and equity
– Ease/improve recruitment, reduce wrong hires
– Early adopters could have hiring advantage
2006

14. Human Capital Management
A competitive marketplace

15. Human Capital Technology
• eSourcing/eRecruitment tools
– Résumé Importing/Exporting/Searching
– Assessments & Applicant Screening
– Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
• Onboarding (orientation) tools
• Performance/Talent Management Systems
• Human Resource Management Systems
(HRMS/HRIS)
Adapted from http://www.recruitersnetwork.com/software/index.htm

16. An Essential Skills
ePortfolio

17. Workplace Education Manitoba
& WPLAR
• Nonprofit partnerships of Government,
Business and Labour
• WEM: workplace education in Essential
Skills
• WPLAR: workplace Recognition of Prior
Learning
wem.mb.ca
wplar.ca

18. Essential Skills ePortfolio
Program overview
• For Adults in Transition
• Leverage the “e” factor
• Accessible and authentic ICT
– Free software
– Accessible multimedia hardware
• Provide ongoing learning support
– Gap training / PD for SMART goals using Moodle

19. Adults in Transition
Diverse situations
• Immigrants
• 20-somethings
– School to Work
– Dropouts re-engaging
• Return to workers
• Displaced workers
• Career shifters
• Mature workers

20. Different learning needs of
adults?
• Relevance
• Assessment, accreditation
• Intervention window
• Urgency
• Vulnerability

21. Vision for Career Portfolio Manitoba
Lifelong career development
• All Manitobans
• Learner owned
• Personal and public purposes
• Lifewide: home, community, school, work...
• Based on (not restricted to) Essential Skills
• Built through partnerships of stakeholders, with
WEM and WPLAR as “anchor tenants”
• Globally aware, locally relevant

22. Regional solutions
Inspiration for Manitoba

23. Career Portfolio Manitoba
today

24. Mahara ePortfolio
Overview
• From NZ to the world
• Free Open Source Software (FOSS)
– Free (like a puppy)
– Controllable, predictable
– Extendable, “clusterable” (Moodle, Google Apps…)
• Flexible
– Digital storytelling machine, not a “tick box”

25. Mahara ePortfolio
Under the hood
• Content Archive
– Profile, Resume, Files, Notes, Journals (blogs), Plans
• Pages, Collections
– Different content for different audiences
• Embed external content (Web 2.0)
– LinkedIn, Slideshare, YouTube, Google Apps, etc.
• Groups and collaboration
– Shared files, pages, collections
• Multi-layered sharing/privacy

26. Career Portfolio Manitoba
Featured elements
• Portfolio building course
– Video tutorials, support
• Templates
– Pages (soon collections)
• Job Match Summary
• Extensive use of Web 2.0
– YouTube, Screenr, LinkedIn…
– Embed.ly as the glue
• Fictional exemplar
• Growing gallery of real examples

27. Demonstration

28. Next Steps
• Self-directed online course
• Google Apps
• Mobile
– MaharaDroid, PortfolioUp
• Learning journals

29. On the horizon
• Self assessment tools
• Open Badges
• Mahoodle
– Learning loops
• Skills marketplace

30. Skills marketplace
“Finnishing School”

31. The Open Badges Initiative
Accessibility and transparency
Richard Wyles, Totara LMS at MaharaUK12
http://maharauk.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=117

32. Success Strategies for Adults
• More than an online résumé
– Take it to the next level: video, slideshow, LInkedIn, etc.
– Personal web site; private, shared and public space
• Take small steps with lots of scaffolding
– Simple tasks to begin, provide examples, templates, tutoirals
– Provide technical and content support and feedback
• Emphasize content over technology
– Telling your career story – past, present, future
– Essential Skills as the glue
• Socialize the process and the product
– Group discussion, peer/coach review, portfolio buddies,
presenting portfolios, etc.

33. careerportfolio.mb.ca
don@learningagents.ca
Twitter: @donpresant
PRESENTATION SUPPORT PAGE
bit.ly/ep4work