E-portfolio launched!

We are pleased to announce the launch of the AAT's new e-portfolio system.

The new e-portfolio enables students to create and store their portfolio online and for tutors and assessors to verify their evidence online. To find out more about this invaluable new system click here

The AAT's e-portfolio is a logging and recording system for students to show the evidence they need to meet the criteria of the AAT's NVQ accounting qualification. Using the e-portfolio system, a student will submit evidence to their tutor or assessor, so that the tutor may assess competence in that particular area.

The e-portfolio system will not replace the face to face interaction between student and tutor, because this is still encouraged. It is simply a system to record, assess and verify evidence, with no paper!

The e-portfolio is ready to use immediately. Centres and students are encouraged to use the system, however because the system is new, centres will need to confirm to their students that they are willing to accept evidence via the system.


How will it help me?

The AAT's e-portfolio system makes building portfolios much simpler and more flexible.

As well as providing a system for submitting evidence, other information will be automatically updated or completed by the AAT's database - for instance exam results will also be automatically updated and skills tests completed. This will greatly reduce administration for you and the students and means that the e-portfolio is immediately up-to-date.

The web based system makes it accessible from anywhere, the only access requirement being that you need to have a PC with an internet connection and your access code.

There will be no need to keep a folder full of paper because evidence is stored electronically, safely and securely.


How do I get started?

Centres will need to contact the AAT in order for assessors and IVs to be given access to the system. Once you have been given access, you will be able to view the e-portfolio of your students. You will need to provide the name of the assessor and internal verifier at the centre. The Quality Assurance section will then arrange for access to be given to the system. All requests should be sent eportfolioassessor@aat.org.uk


I'd like to know more....what will it do?

If you are new to e-portfolios, they are a form of e-assessment for NVQs, allowing students to submit evidence electronically to a tutor for assessment. The evidence is mapped against the relevant criteria and authorised by the tutor as acceptable.

The AAT's e-portfolio system has a couple of bonus features that make it unique and reduces administrative tasks for students and centres. AAT simulations are listed within the relevant parts of the system and the student can select them once they have completed the simulation. The relevant performance criteria (and range) are automatically completed by the system, ready for the tutor to confirm that the student did complete that simulation competently. To complement this, exam results are also automatically uploaded to the e-portfolio system once completed.

Our e-portfolio system replaces the paper based student record where students are required to gather paper evidence to show to their tutor for assessment. The principle of gathering evidence is the same but the way in which the evidence is gathered, recorded and assessed is different. It is not compulsory to use the e-portfolio and you can choose whether you use the new system or continue to use the current paper based system.


How does it work?

There are three layers of user in the AAT's e-portfolio system: students, tutors and internal verifiers. Each user will login via the AAT's website to their secure area and then link to the e-portfolio system.

Students will need to attach evidence and select the criteria they think that evidence meets for their tutor to assess. Once assessed, the student's portfolio pages will show any comments the assessor has made and whether the evidence has lead to the assessor making a decision that the student is competent or not yet competent, or that the evidence is incomplete.

The assessor pages allow tutors to view the evidence for their students and make comments on what has been produced. The assessors can confirm that the evidence is acceptable, before being passed to the internal verifier.

The internal verifier pages allow IVs to view the evidence and give the final authorisation that the evidence presented is acceptable and that a decision that the student is competent can be made and reported.

User guides for centres and students are available to help with navigation and familiarisation with the system. Full instructions on how to use the features are contained within the system, on the relevant pages.


Feedback

The system that is ready and available to use now and we welcome your feedback. We will start planning improvements for the next phase at the end of 2007 and your feedback will be valuable to this process so please pass on your your comments to us here eportfoliofeedback@aat.org.uk