I before E: identity management, e-portfolios and personalised learning

Thursday 18th May 2006
RSA, John Adam Street, London WC2

Seminar summaries

• A. Architectural/technical/business model issues around e-portfolios
  Simon Grant; John Harrison, Edentity Ltd
  
  Aim: to discuss the architectural issues around e-portfolios and make recommendations in terms of standards/pilot projects/national deployment options. Should e-portfolios be held by individuals, institutions or third parties? How do we ensure that information in e-portfolios can be trusted? How can individuals ensure that information in e-portfolios is only made available to the right parties? What business models are needed to support e-portfolio services? How do we ensure long term maintenance of e-portfolios?
  
• B. Using e-portfolios to support movement between institutions
  Peter Rees Jones, CETIS e-Portfolio Feasibility Study; Philip Harley, Nottingham City Council
  
  Aim: to consider case study(ies) of e-portfolio use to support mobility of learners across institutions and to consider functional requirements in this area. What information is required to support learner movement? How are e-portfolios shared between institutions?
  
• C. Data protection, privacy and other legal issues around e-portfolios
  Andrew Charlesworth, Anna Home, University of Bristol
  
  Aim: to discuss the legal aspects of e-portfolio provision - particularly focussing on data protection and privacy issues. How do we ensure the security of information held in e-portfolios and the integrity of identity management systems? To what extent do e-portfolios require the use of national identifiers for learners (e.g. the National Learner Number proposed in MIAP or a National Identity Card)?
  
• D. Ensuring cross-sectoral collaboration and ownership of outcomes
  Shane Sutherland, University of Wolverhampton
  
  Aim: to consider mechanisms for ensuring a cross-sectoral approach to the development of e-portfolio and access management standards and service delivery. How do we ensure collaboration across sectors (primary, secondary, further, higher, other public sector bodies, commercial players, regions, etc.)? Do we need a national solution? How do we ensure ongoing maintenance of UK specific e-portfolio and identity management standards? What kinds of identity management "federations" are required across our sectors? Are the policy drivers towards use of e-portfolios the same across sectors?
  
• E. Managing information about people - issues and challenges
  Nick Johnson, Project SWISh, University of Exeter
  
  Aim: to allow participants to share practical experiences of managing information about people and to make suggestions for best practices. How reliable is institutional data about people? How easy is it to combine information from different sources within the institution? Can we push (some) data management issues down to the individual? If so, how?
  
• F. Shibboleth
  Richard Dunning, Karin Maslen, MATU; Graham Mason, Kidderminster College
  
  Aim: to share experiences of deploying Shibboleth and to understand its relationship to e-portfolio provision. What is the relationship between Shibboleth and e-portfolios? How can institutions be supported in moving to Shibboleth? What (if any) technical or other developments around Shibboleth are still required? Production applications of Shibboleth SSO will be demonstrated.
  
• G. Using e-portfolios to support personal development planning
  Helen Richardson, CETIS PortfolioSIG joint co-ordinator
  
  Aim: to consider case study(ies) of e-portfolio use to support personal planning by learners and staff in institutions and to consider functional requirements in this area. What information is required to support personal development planning? What role does assessment (formative and summative) play in the planning process?
  
• H. Managing cultural change
  George Roberts, Oxford Brookes University
  
  Aim: to consider the impact of e-portfolios and identity management developments on the culture of and working practices in institutions and to make recommendations for studies or other work that should be funded. What changes to working practices do e-portfolios require? What staff development needs are likely to need to be addressed? How do we ensure buy in by staff to the delivery of e-portfolios? How do we ensure buy in by learners to the use of e-portfolios? What impact does the use of e-portfolios have on our use of formative and summative assessment? What cultural change (if any) does a move to Shibboleth bring with it?