The eLP Portfolio 2006 - Mentor Guide
What is the eLP Portfolio?
The ‘Enhancing Learner Progression’ Project aims to introduce students the concept of e-portfolio’s and how this can help them in applying for courses in medicine and healthcare. They will work through a series of exercises aimed at increasing their knowledge of this area and they will receive feedback from an on-line mentor who will answer any questions they may have and make comments on their entries.
They will also have access to a message board where they can ask each other questions and share experiences.
What happened to the students who did it last year?
All of those who completed the e-portfolio last year have received offers or interviews for courses in Healthcare or Medicine.
What’s in the e-portfolio 2006?
The portfolio is divided into 9 sections:
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The Reflective Exercise
Introducing students to the idea of reflective learning and how this relates to medical and healthcare careers.
Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
An exercise designed to encourage students to think of the pros and cons of a university education and how it applies to them and their ambitions.
Do I Have The X-Factor?
This exercise enables them to self assess their skills in relation to the personal skills needed to be successful in their chosen careers. They will identify the relevant skills they possess and build a check-list of skills they will need to evidence before they apply to university.
Money, Money, Money!
Information about the financial aspects of studying in Higher Education. Details of sources of finance and how these should be applied for. There is a quiz to test their understanding.
Making Your Mind Up!
The differences between various qualifications. . The differences between nursing diplomas and degrees. Intercalation and what it means. There is also a quiz to test students’ understanding.
Work It!
This section outlines the need to gain work experience and how to record this purposely.
Applying
The application process. How to apply to medical school and healthcare courses, The UCAS and NMAS process. UCAS extra and clearing. Putting together a plan B, Alternatives to Medicine and Healthcare. Entrance tests B-Mat and UKCAT. What they are and where to sit them.
From this ‘generic’ section students will then move onto their particular area of interest:
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Discipline skills
Prospective medical students need to:
- Complete a short reflective piece on what they have learned from a medical seminar they will be invited to attend in the summer.
- Put together an argument from prepared pieces outlining a case for and against euthanasia.
Healthcare students will have to list and compare different types of jobs in healthcare.
(In development: There may be different sections for Dentistry and Optometry students to complete in this section)
Personal Statement
The final section involves putting together a UCAS Personal Statement incorporating all the students have learnt within the portfolio.
What Do I Need to Do as a Mentor?
As a mentor you will need to answer any questions your mentee may ask and give them informal feedback on the exercises:
- Should I Stay or Should I Go?
- Do I Have the X Factor?
- Making Your Mind Up
- Discipline Skills
- Personal Statement
The students are more likely to listen to any advice you may give them than their teachers in school. You have been through it all before and they will look at you as experts.
How Often Will They Use It?
Once the e-portfolio has been launched it should take student’s 10 weeks to work through! This is of course assuming they carry out an exercise a week!
In reality it may take them slightly longer to get through; holidays, exams and life might get in the way, but they should have completed their entries by the end of August.
The e-Portfolio
Using the e-portfolio
- To log onto the e-portfolio go to http://vle.leeds.ac.uk/site/.
- Enter your username and password to enter the bodington area.
- The portfolio is contained in the ‘Enhancing Learner Progression’ section.
- Choose the e-portfolio section of the college/school your mentee is attending.
- Enter the FE Portfolio’s section and this should take you to the first introductory page outlining the contents of the e-portfolio.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page and enter the e-portfolio.
- To navigate the e-portfolio choose the appropriate section on the left-hand side. This brings up the contents of the section on the right.
If you have not been issued with a username and password or cannot gain access to the e-potfolio contact Christopher Murray at C.Murray@leeds.ac.uk or on 0113 3437990.
Making Entries
Students will make both ‘log entries’ and ‘upload files’ into the e-portfolio.
A log entry will be visible within the e-portfolio and a file will only be visible as a link. The work sheets which they are required to complete will be uploaded as files.
Once into the relevant e-portfolio, click on ‘access other’ logs at the top of the page and everyone who has given you access to view their portfolio will be visible.
Their will be a notification under the name of your mentee stating if they have made any new entries since your last visit.
If they have made new entries, click on ‘Access Log’ under their name and their log pages will appear.
If you click on ‘Summary’ you will be able to find out in which section they have posted work to recently.
If you have any questions about using the e-portfolio don’t hesitate to get in touch with through e-mail C.Murray@leeds.ac.uk, 0113 3437990 or call into room 7.11 in the Medical Education Unit.