Distributed eLearning regional pilots The story so far...
8 May 2006
In partership with the JISC RSC East Midlands, NITLA and the CETIS Lifelong Learning SIG, the project held a one-day event at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. This aimed to raise awareness of the issues surrounding ePortfolio for staff from FE, and empower them to go back to their institutions with an improved sense of the questions they and their colleagues need to be asking in this area. Almost 60 people attended. For further information see 8 May event page and BlogApril 2006
JISC have granted extension funding to continue project work until December 2006. A detailed plan for the work is in preparation and will be published here shortly.March 2006
The project submitted a draft report to JISC marking the end of what we hope will be Phase 1 of the work. A proposal has been submitted for extension funding to continue work until December 2006.March 2006
The Advisory Board for the University of Nottingham Centre for International ePortfolio Development, which also acts as the steering group for this project, met in Nottingham on 23 March. Sandra Kingston gave a short
presentation on the findings of the project so far.
March 2006
The RIPPLL team showcased the project work to a joint JISC-SURF seminar held at the University of Nottingham.February 2006
The RIPPLL project team are combining with the JISC East Midlands RSC, NILTA and the CETIS Lifelong Learning SIG to hold an event at East Midlands Conference Centre for FE staff on 8 May 2006. This will showcase ePortfolio work from the Nottingham projects and brief senior staff and team leaders in FE on the current issues concerning ePortfolio. For further details contact Sandra Kingston.February 2006
Carl Ebrey made a presentation to the BSI IST/43 group on the University of Nottingham experience using the UK LeaP interoperability standard. [Download the slides from his presentation.] This included description of interoperability work undertaken as part of the RIPPLL project. The IST/43 group has agreed to publish UK LeaP as a draft standard for further discussion and development, partly as a result of work carried out at Nottingham.
February 2006
Carl Ebrey held a technical workshop for FE staff to introduce the principles of transferring data via web services from the City of Nottingham Passport FE application form to FE college MIS systems. Early pilots of this service are delivering applications as pdf files via email: the goal is for the entire application process to be automated so that candidates are able to use an application form which will be automatically populated with data drawn from their personal Nottingham Passport ePortfolio and sent to selected FE colleges using web services. This data will then be used to populate college MIS systems. [See the slides from Carl's presentation.]
January 2006
The final meeting of the full technical team for this phase of the project was held at the University of Nottingham. A minimum dataset for interoperability pilot transfers was agreed and the project is now set to demonstrate an example learner journey from KS4 through FE and HE to employment.January 2006
Project staff have held a workshop with pedagogic staff at West Notts College and begun to draft a resulting use case on supporting learners for the transition from FE to employment. The draft will be published on this site for consultation.December 2005
Project staff at NTU have held a workshop on HE to employment with a task group including careers and Student Union staff. This will inform the next use case for the project.December 2005
As part of the project's commitment to support the City of Nottingham Passport's work on electronic admissions to FE in the Greater Nottingham area, meetings were held with local FE pedagogic and technical staff to discuss use of an electronic application form for FE to be housed within the City of Nottingham Passport. Project staff have agreed to support local FE colleges in setting up systems to receive data from the Passport directly via this channel, and promote the use of UKLeaP.November 2005
Project work was represented in ePortfolio discussions at the JISC-CETIS conference in Edinburgh.November 2005
External Evaluator Clive Church gave a presentation on the project to the AOC/NILTA East Midlands meeting.November 2005
Project staff have been in discussion with the Toyota/Lexus Academy, based on the NTU Clifton Campus in Nottingham. The Academy recruits apprentices from all over the UK; a use case workshop with recruitment staff is under discussion and project development staff have met with the Toyota developer to discuss an interoperability pilot between Toyota and FE or HE systems.October 2005
The project was represented at the EPICC Plugfest in Cambridge, UK on 26 October 2005. Project technical developer Carl Ebrey worked with US ePortfolio providers NuVentive to demonstrate use of a web service to transfer learner identification and competency data between University of Nottingham and Nuventive systems. This work will underpin and reinforce further data mapping and transfer work in the project. [Download a zip file of the Flash demonstration.]Project Director Angela Smallwood and Phil Harley of the City of Nottingham Passport also presented a 
joint paper to the conference.
October 2005
Following the
September report to JISC, project external evaluator Clive Church was invited to expand on issues the project had identified which would
provide valuable information for national UK ePortfolio initiatives.
September 2005
First UKLeaP data transfer between Nottingham Passport and NTU systems complete. The next targeted data transfer is between University of Nottingham and NTU HE systems. Preparatory work has also begun with West Notts College and NCN; UK LeaP data transfers between FE and HE systems are scheduled for the end of 2005.August 2005
Project staff from the Nottingham Passport held a workshop with East Midlands training providers to begin work on a use case looking at transitions from Key Stage 4 to work or training. See Key Documents page for the current draft of this: email feedback to Sandra KingstonJuly 2005
Work has begun on a transfer document for admissions from the Nottingham Passport to NTU, guided by staff from the University of Nottingham with experience in mapping and data transfer gained from the earlier Specifying an ePortfolio project. Data will be transferred from the Passport to populate the Skills Record and CV builder sections of the NTU electronic PDP system.July 2005
Work has also begun on data transfer: workshops on UK LeaP mapping have been held with technical staff from NTU and partner FE colleges. Carl Ebrey from Information Services at the University of Nottingham held a briefing session on use of the UK LeaP standard on 15 July 2005: view his presentation and
sample code.