This document discusses higher education apprenticeships in Europe and the use of ePortfolios to support collaboration between universities and enterprises. It advocates for an approach that blends formal learning at universities with informal, on-the-job training at enterprises. ePortfolios and mentorship are presented as tools to document students' competency development throughout their learning process by continuously capturing practice experiences and receiving feedback. The ePortfolio approach is said to increase students' transversal skills like information literacy, collaboration, creativity, autonomous learning and digital literacy.

1. ApprEnt: Refining Higher
Education Apprenticeships with
Enterprises in Europe
Supporting Collaboration and Learning through using
the ePortfolio Approach
Isabell Grundschober, Danube University Krems for VPET18

2. Danube-University Krems, Austria
www.donau-uni.ac.at
Department of Interactive Media and
Educational Technologies
www.donau-
uni.ac.at/en/department/imb

4. ApprEnt: Building Bridges
https://pixabay.com/de/manhattan-bridge-new-york-br%C3%BCcke-3341613/, 23.4.2018

5. University is like teaching a
child how to swim, but never
put it in the water. The
teacher assesses the
movements, the breathing,...
At the end they finally let
them into the water and are
surprised they cannot swim.
(André Zeitler 2018 )
Pixabay CC0, https://pixabay.com/de/sonnenbrillen-menschen-wasser-blau-1284419/

6. Common misunderstanding: Theory can be
directly applied to practice.

7. Formal Learning
https://pixabay.com/de/mixer-ger%C3%A4t-k%C3%BCche-ausr%C3%BCstung-576331/ 23.4.2018
Higher
Apprenticeship:
Blending learning
types
• communication skills
• problem-solving skills
• critical analysis
• reflection
• time management
• Teamwork
(Fleming and Eames 2005, S. 28)

8. ...feels natural.

9. ...chances for reflection and development
...constructive, formative and soon feedback
...constructive alignment
It needs...

10. https://pixabay.com/de/office-business-unternehmen-2360063/ https://pixabay.com/de/universit%C3%A4t-vortrag-campus-bildung-105709/
ePortfolio
&
Mentorship

11. An ePortfolio is a digital collection of
learning artefacts, showing....
• learning process (learning pathway)
• learning product (outcome)
...and therefore documenting
competence development.
(Hilzensauer&Hornung-Prähauser, 2006, S.4)
Bildquelle: CCO Creative Commons, https://pixabay.com/de/sand-die-sandd%C3%BCnen-fu%C3%9Fspuren-im-sand-1491573/
What is an ePortfolio?

12. 3 Phases of ePortfolio
Implementation
(Barrett 2011)

13. Phase 1: The Box
CCO Creative Commons, https://pixabay.com/de/verpackung-box-lagerung-offen-voll-24472/

14. Phase 2: Working
Space/Learning
Diary
CCO Creative Commons, https://pixabay.com/de/gesch%C3%A4ft-arbeitsbereich-schreibtisch-1209705/

15. Phase 3:
Showcase
CCO Creative Commons, https://pixabay.com/de/bake-shop-cupcakes-anzeige-617693/

16. Practical Implications
General learning outcomes + negotiation of
individual learning outcomes
Learning Diary:
Continuously
capturing
practice,
processes,
values,
attitudes
Presenting learning process
and outcomes
Collecting feedback
Reflecting process, outcomes, feedback
Alternating
phases of
practice
and theory
1
2
3
4
56
Mentors
Source: http://www.ats2020.eu/classroom-pilot

17. Role of the Mentor
Grundschober et al (2016), S. 3 u. S. 7
• Dialog-based approach to
identify/evaluate actually
achieved learning outcomes
(both intended and non-
intended)
• Considering context and learner-
identity

18. The ePortfolio
approach
increases
transversal skills
Information
literacy
Collaboration
and
communication
Creativity and
innovation
Autonomous
learning
Digital
Literacy
Source: http://www.ats2020.eu/classroom-pilot

19. Practical Implications
• ePortfolio platforms: Mahara, Wordpress, Blogger
• Combined with Learning Management Systems (Moodle)
• Introduction to ePortfolio approach to students and mentors
• Fixed dates for presentations and submissions & feedback
• Feedback via skype, web-conferencing tools
• Peer-feedback activities
• Field visit: Academic mentors visit workplace of their student once per
academic year
• Curriculum review: Each year a conference between academic directors
and representatives of companies to revise the curriculum, training content
& methods
• Mentor Training: Training content in blended learning format

20. Thank you!
Isabell Grundschober
Department for Interactive Media and Educational Technologies
Danube-University Krems (Austria)
@isabellgru
Isabell Gru
Isabellgru.eu

21. Literature
• ApprEnt (2018): Higher Apprenticeship Definition. Retrieved from https://apprent.eucen.eu/definition/, 23.4.2018
• ATS2020 (2016): The ATS2020 Classrom Pilot. Retrieved from http://ats2020.eu/classroom-pilot, 23.4.2018
• Barrett, H. C. (2011). Balancing the Two Faces of ePortfolios. In S. Hirtz & K. Kelly (Eds.), Education for a Digital World 2.0 (pp. 291–310). Victoria, BC: Open School BC. Retrieved from
http://openschool.bc.ca/info/edu/7540006133_2.pdf
• Ferns, S., Campbell, M., & Zegwaard, K. (2014). Work Integrated Learning. In S. Ferns (Ed.), HERDSA Guide: Work integrated learning in the curriculum (pp. 1–6). Australia: Higher Education Research and
Development Society of Australasia.
• Fleming, J., & Eames, C. (2005). Student Learning in Relation to the Structure of the Cooperative Experience. Asia- Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 6(2), 26–31.
• Grundschober, I., Baumgartner, P., Gruber-Mücke, T., & Sickinger, R. (2016). A Pattern Language for Tacit Knowledge. PUARL Conference 2016, retrieved November 3, 2016,
from https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B4I8ECUAe5tNRkhJVm11NUJtWGc
• Hilzensauer, W., & Hornung-Prähauser, V. (2006). ePortfolio. Methode und Werkzeug für kompetenzbasiertes Lernen. Salzburg: Salzburg Research.
• Kaider, F., Hains-Wesson, R., & Young, K. (2017). Practical typology of authentic work-integrated learning activities and assessments. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 18(2), 153–165
• Polanyi, M. (2009). The Tacit Dimension. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
• Polanyi, M. (2013). Personal Knowledge. Towards a Post-Critical Philosophy. Mansfield Centre, CT: Martino Publishing.
• Quillien, J. (2008). Delight’s Muse. On Christopher Alexander’s The Nature of Order. Iowa: Culicidae Architectural Press.
• Schmidt-Hertha, B. (2011). Formales, non-formales und informelles Lernen. In S. Bohlinger & G. Münchhausen (Eds.), Validierung von Lernergebnissen - Recognition and Validation of Prior Learning (pp.
233–251). Bielefeld: Bertelsmann.
• Slepcevic-Zach, P., & Tafner, G. (2012). Input-Output-Outcome: Alle reden von Kompetenzorientierung, aber meinen alle dasselbe? Versuch einer Kategorisierung. In M. Paechter, M. Stock, S. Schmölzer-
Eibinger, P. Slepcevic-Zach, & W. Weirer (Hrsg.), Handbuch Kompetenzorientierter Unterricht (S. 27–41). Weinheim und Basel: Beltz Verlag.
All Pictures Pixabay CC0