From Paper To Pixels
ISIS Training are a Lincolnshire work based learning provider with centres in Lincoln and Boston. We deliver Apprenticeships and NVQs in Business and Administration, Customer Service, Information Technology, Hospitality & Catering, Management, Team Leading and Accounting. We currently provide training for approximately 450 learners, based with a range of employers across the whole county of Lincolnshire.
ISIS Training introduced an electronic portfolio system approximately 3 years ago and have complimented this will a full range of electronic learning and assessment resources. We have provided all our Learning Advisors with an ‘Assessor Toolkit’, which consists of a range of small portable devices for producing, recording and processing electronic assessments. The system is now fully embedded into our organisations strategy and we use it with over 90% of our learners, with a very small proportion using paper portfolios due to limitations in accessing IT facilities.
We introduced the e-portfolios for reasons of efficiency and cost savings, due to our geographical area and to meet the needs and expectations of our learners and employers. The use of IT and technologies in the workplace today is absolutely essential and learners are very used to using technology in all aspects of their lives. This includes both in their learning, the workplace and their social lives. Our systems address these needs and provide a rewarding and enjoyable learning experience.
The system has dramatically cut down on the amount of travelling our assessors have to do, maximising the time available for working with the learners and employers. This has lead to learners gaining their qualifications in a timely manner, meeting the target dates agreed, whilst providing considerable cost savings and efficiencies have been made throughout the organisation.
The introduction of e-portfolios has been an outstanding success leading to ISIS Training gaining Becta Technology Exemplar Status, the only work based learning provider to hold this status and we are acknowledged as the leading provider in the use of e-portfolios throughout the East Midlands. Our staff have quickly adapted and become proficient at using the systems and resources, some of whom had very limited IT knowledge and experience.
The staff have had to radically change the way they work and this was one of the major challenges we had to overcome. This was achieved by implementing a comprehensive staff training and development programme and ensuring they had all the help and support they needed.
The levels of success, retention and achievement have increased dramatically with all of the staff exceeding their targets, with two members of staff in particular who had little or no previous experience of technology, almost doubling their success rates. Both learners and employers love using the technology, the flexibility the system offers and the wide range of electronic evidence they can submit and the e-assessment methods we use.
Mick Gilroy
E-Learning Manager
ISIS Training
