the National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Programme<\/a>. The programme is designed to offer them deeper insights and to help them to decide on their future career paths. Alternating between various placements (such as a surgical department, a psychiatric post or general practice) not only implies a change of locations, but also meeting and working with new colleagues and educational supervisors. This constant rotation, however, makes it difficult to monitor the trainees\u2019 personal achievements. A secure and robust record of each trainee\u2019s performance and assessments was required.<\/p>\nThe Solution \u2013 NES ePortfolio<\/h3>\n
In 2005, NES created a customised, online electronic data-storage system to support trainees\u2019 progress \u2013 the NES ePortfolio. It serves as evidence of each student\u2019s achievements, storing all the activities and performance, including placements completed, medical procedures observed and performed, lectures and tutorials attended, as well as their respective clinical and non-clinical assessments.<\/p>\n
For trainees, their ePortfolios serve as a repository of all mandatory tasks completed pursuant to the Foundation\u2019s curriculum, as well as voluntary steps taken to further educate themselves, such as additional reading or reflection on learning. The platform not only stores the trainees\u2019 educational histories, but also allows them to plan their future learning. Used from the trainee level on towards professional practice, an ePortfolio account can become a documentation of one\u2019s career. The platform has an integrated messaging and alerting service that facilitates communication between trainees and supervisors.<\/p>\n
For supervisors, who generally monitor and assess more than one trainee at a time, the ePortfolio is a key timesaving tool that keeps an overview of their charges\u2019 activities, always holding up-to-date records. Supervisors and other health professionals add their assessments of the students\u2019 performance to their respective account \u2013 crucial information for future performance reviews, the final evaluation, and quality assurance.<\/p>\n
A System that serves 35,000 Healthcare Trainees<\/h3>\n
Over the last four years, ePortfolio has expanded dramatically. It now comprises 25 versions and supports over 35,000 healthcare trainees in dentistry, nursing, and pharmacy in both Scotland and medicine across the UK.<\/p>\n
As the system tracks and records all activity, vast amounts of anonymous data are collated, and its research potential is also beginning to be utilised. The data will be of enormous value in evaluating how learners use the ePortfolio itself, but more importantly in determining the reliability and validity of assessment methods for quality assurance. The plans include expanding the current network and linking the platform to human resources, other ePortfolio, and e-learning platforms. Whilst some e-learning is already delivered through NES ePortfolio, it still remains primarily a record of an individual trainee\u2019s learning, reflection, and achievement \u2013 a fact that puts it under growing pressure to exchange data with other systems.<\/p>\n
For more information on the NES ePortfolio, please watch the following video: https:\/\/www.nhseportfolios.org\/Information\/Video\/eportfolioVideo.html<\/a><\/p>\nAt OEB 2009, Alex Haig will present \u201cAn ePortfolio for All Health Professions? \u2013 Lessons from a Scottish Medical Pilot\u201d as part of the session \u201cePortfolio: From Individual Documentation to Extended Learning Platform\u201d which will take place on Thursday, December 3 from 16:30 \u2013 17:30.<\/em><\/p>\nIn his presentation, Haig will illustrate how the move from an individual record of learning to a powerful, comprehensive training and tracking platform, a metamorphosis that included intense interaction with external organisations, managing competing priorities, issues of commercialisation, the intricacies of data governance, and daunting technological change, was successfully implemented.<\/em><\/p>\nSeptember 22, 2009<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In 2005, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) piloted a bespoke ePortfolio to support the training of 410 of the country\u2019s junior doctors. Following its successful introduction, the system has rapidly grown and now supports over 35,000 trainees in medicine and the health professions across the UK. Since its inception, the ePortfolio has helped assure and […]<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/oeb.global\/oeb-insights\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/09\/stethoskop.jpg\" "\\"ePortfolios\\"")
<\/a>