ePortfolios for professional practice

Gwyn Owen (oweng@csp.org.uk)Professional Adviser

CSP Practice & Development Function

Context• CSP: educational, professional & trade union

body for 50 000 physiotherapy students, support workers & chartered physiotherapists

• HPC & CSP expectations - outcomes-based approach to CPD

• Members’ access to/confidence in using ICT?• Pebble ePortfolio piloted with a group of

members during 2007 & launched as a member benefit in 2008

• Bespoke version of Pebble

• Access via CSP website with separate log-on

• 50Mb of online space/member

• Tools to plan, record & evaluate learning, & information about CPD

Promoting members’ engagement with ePortfolio • Articles & a supplement in Frontline• Physical demonstrations & advice via CSP Congress• Work-based seminars/workshops• Online support & advice (technical & practical)• Personalised support & advice via telephone/email

Getting to know my ePortfolio (2008)• Loved the strong visual interface (that I could

personalise), intuitive navigation & freedom to ‘do whatever’

• Frustrated by step-wise presentation of the ‘forms’ & limited reflective models available

• Alienated by ‘tags’ & examples that CSP had embedded into the ePortfolio

• Wary of visiting – separate URL, but could CSP track my usage?

• Alignment with expectations? (employers & registration body’s processes were paper-based)

Personal outcome: no change...

ePORTFOLIO – MEMBER USE & FEEDBACK

ePortfolio uptake & use• 17293 users registered (April 2011)

[34.5% of all CSP members]• ULF-funded member CPD survey (2010)Response rate: 4658 [4287 qualified; 371 associate]

How do you currently record non-mandatory CPD?Qualified Associates

paper 85% 80%CSP ePortfolio 16% 0%other ePortfolio 9% 12%

ePortfolio short-life working group (Snook, 2010)

Reflection: ePortfolio in practice• Constructive alignment with requirements of

professional practice/CSP’s approach to CPD• Provision of information & support – informed

choices & personalisation of CPD• Staged support:

- technical elements of ePortfolio use- application of ePortfolio to CPD

• Integration with other resources (CSP & beyond) • Content management

ePORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT: ACTION RESEARCH & ONLINE LEARNING

action research (Tripp, 2003)

Reconnaissance (First Cycle)

First Plan

Action

Then Plan Research

First Produce

Data

Then Analyse

Data

and

Implement Action

MonitorAction

and

(separately and together)

(together)

Reflect (on Action)

Review(Research)Process

Plan action

Research action

Evaluate action

Act thoughtfully

Process• map current CPD information/resources – removal of

duplicate/out-dated information • establish a virtual group (Pebble gateway) to inform

development of CPD resources• create a one-stop e-shop [webfolio] of information,

tools & resources that supports members’ CPD (regularly maintained & updated – informed by user feedback & developments in practice)

• develop ePortfolio content (e.g. forms, profiles, & learning activities, links to other CSP CPD resources) to create a personalised learning space that supports members’ CPD

Issues• Addressing emotions associated with CPD• Critical engagement with pedagogy & software to

design resources that are meaningful & accessible to members

• Creating resources to address diversity of members’ learning needs that can be presented/used on a variety of devices (e.g. paper, DVD/CD-ROM, PC/laptop, mobile)

• Ensuring that resources support the development of a learner who’s fit for practice (current & future)