Enhancing Learner Progression Project (ELP) - Student Guide

Contents:

What's in the e-portfolio?
What is all this e-portfolio stuff?
How often do I need to use it?
The e-portfolio tool
Using the e-portfolio
Changing your password
Granting access to view
Making entries
Uploading files
Log entries
Forgotten password

What's in the e-portfolio?

The portfolio is divided into 11 sections:-

  1. The Reflective Exercise

    2. Introducing you to the idea of reflective learning and how this relates to medical and healthcare careers.

  2. Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

    An exercise designed to encourage you to think of the pros and cons of a university education and how it applies to you and your ambitions.

  3. Do I Have The X-Factor?

    This exercise enables you to self assess your skills in relation to the personal skills needed to be successful in your chosen careers. You will identify the relevant skills you possess and build a check-list of skills you will need to evidence before you apply to university.

  4. Money, Money, Money!

    Information about the financial aspects of studying in Higher Education. Details of sources of finance and how these should be applied for. There is a quiz to test your understanding.

  5. Making Your Mind Up!

    The differences between various qualifications. The differences between nursing diplomas and degrees.  Intercalation and what it means. There is also a quiz to test your understanding.

  6. Work It!

    This section outlines the need to gain work experience and how to record this purposely.

  7. Applying

    The application process. How to apply to medical school and healthcare courses, The UCAS and NMAS process. UCAS extra and clearing. Putting together a plan B, Alternatives to Medicine and Healthcare. Entrance tests B-Mat and UKCAT. What they are and where to sit them.

From this "generic" section you will then move onto your particular area of interest:

  1. Discipline Skills

    Prospective medical students need to:

    • Complete a short reflective piece on what they have learned from a medical seminar they will be invited to attend in the summer.
    • Put together an argument from prepared pieces outlining a case for and against euthanasia.

    Healthcare students will have to list and compare different types of jobs in healthcare.

    (In development: There may be different sections for Dentistry and Optometry students to complete in this section)

  2. Personal Statement

    The final section involves putting together a UCAS Personal Statement incorporating all you have learnt within the portfolio.

You will receive feedback from an assigned mentor throughout the e-portfolio.

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What is all this e-portfolio stuff?

E-portfolios are quite common at the moment and their use is growing in a lot of professional areas.

When you are at university you will need to complete a ‘Personal Development Module’ (PDP) this is increasingly being completed on-line.  At Leeds a few subject areas, including Medicine, Nursing and Geography have their PDP sections on-line.

When you complete your medical degree and train in your first job as a doctor you will need to complete a two year programme called ‘The Foundation Years Programme’.  This will all be completed on-line.  When you have completed your training and you are working for the NHS you will prove your competence by putting together a portfolio and this will also be available on-line.

As you can see getting used to putting an e-portfolio together can only be a good thing! 

The European Union wants everyone in Europe to have access to an e-portfolio by 2010!!!

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How Often Do I Need to Use It?

If you completed one section a week it would take 11 weeks to complete the portfolio but the last section is best completed in the summer term and over the summer holidays. If you did an exercise a week, the first section can be completed in seven weeks!  It’s up to you!  Aim to have the first section completed by the end of June!  However, if your own institution sets a deadline then you must complete by that date.

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The e-Portfolio

Your e-portfolio is situated in a ‘virtual learning environment’ or VLE.  All universities use a VLE.  The VLE Leeds uses, at the moment, is called Bodington.  There are other common ones called WebCT and Blackboard, it depends which university you go to.

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Using the e-portfolio

  1. To log onto the e-portfolio go to http://vle.leeds.ac.uk/site/.
  2. Enter your username and password to enter the bodington area.
  3. The portfolio is contained in the ‘Enhancing Learner Progression’ section.
  4. Enter the FE Portfolio’s section and this should take you to the first introductory page outlining the contents of the e-portfolio. 
  5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter the e-portfolio.
  6. To navigate the e-portfolio choose the appropriate section on the left-hand side.  This brings up the contents of the section on the right.

If you have not been issued with a username and password contact Christopher Murray at C.Murray@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 3437990.

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Changing your Password

If you wish to change the password you have been given to something that will be easier to remember follow these instructions:

  1. Once in Bodington click on the section titled ‘Bodington Common Gatehouse’
  2. On the next page you will see a list of areas.
  3. In the second area entitled ‘Information Floor’ you will see an underlined link ‘changing your password’.
  4. Click on this and follow the instructions. You will then need to log back in again with your new password.

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Granting Access to View

You have the option of deciding who you wish to be able to see your work.

  1. You can do this by clicking on ‘share your log’ at the top of the e-portfolio page.
  2. You will then be presented with a list of names on the left hand side. To grant access to others you should highlight the name and click on ‘Add Visitors’.
  3. The selected names will appear on the right-hand side.
  4. You can add or delete access as you wish.
  5. You will need to grant access to your mentor when they have been assigned to you!!

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Making Entries

You will make both ‘log entries’ and ‘upload files’ into the e-portfolio.
A log entry will be visible within the e-portfolio and a file will only be visible as a link.  The work sheets which you are required to complete will be uploaded as files.
This will be all covered in the training session but if your need some help have a look below!

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Upload Files

If you wish to upload some work as a document such as a worksheet, you firstly have to add it to the e-portfolio.  To do this you need to:

  1. Open the worksheet you wish to work on.  Do not press ‘Open’ when given the option.  Press ‘save’ and give the document a name and save it to your own relevant drive.
  2. Open the document from your own drive and complete the exercise.  Save the completed exercise  and
  3. Click on ‘files’ at the top of the e-portfolio page.
  4. Then ‘upload new file’ in the top left-hand corner
  5. On the next page click on ‘browse’ and this will open the file window.
  6. You will then need to select the document you wish to upload and once this is in the box next to ‘browse’ click on ‘send now’.

This places the selected document into the e-portfolio.

To share this with others you will need to:

  1. Click on ‘make new entry’ at the bottom of the e-portfolio page
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page where you will see an empty box for text and another box underneath this containing all the files uploaded by you into the e-portfolio
  3. You make a free text entry in the box (i.e. Here is the first version of the euthanasia exercise) and then click on the file which you wish to upload.
  4. You can decide if you wish to publish, publish as draft or keep private
  5. Clicking on ‘Post Now’ will place the file and text into the e-portfolio. 

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Log Entries

When making log entries you will:

  1. Click on ‘make new entry’ at the bottom of the e-portfolio page,
  2. Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see an empty box.
  3. Enter free text into the box and decided whether to publish, publish as draft or to keep the entry private.
  4. Click on ‘post now’ to add the entry to the e-portfolio
  5. If a file is attached to the log you may comment on the work, ask any questions or simply state that your work is attached.

Forgotten Password

If you forget your username / password details then contact the person in your school / college who is in charge of the e-portfolio and they will call the university to reset your password.

If you have any problems, questions or comments please contact Christopher Murray on 0113 3437990 or via C.Murray@leeds.ac.uk

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