Handbook E-portfolio as the Transversal Element in the Triangle Handbuch E-Portfolio als transversales Element im Dreieck
Manuel E-portfolio un élément transversal du Triangle
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Learning, lIving, wOrking for Neet-group 527488-LLP-1-2012-1-UK-GRUNDTVIG-GMP
With the support of the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.
Table of Contents
Introduction 3
The LION project 3
E-portfolio for the NEET-group 4
The four participating schools 5
Research 6
What is an E-portfolio? 6
“MOSEP; Grab your future with an E-portfolio” 8 Implementation of E-portfolio for the NEET-group 12 Preconditions for starting the process of E-portfolio 12
Different ways to work with E-portfolio 14
Description of the experiment with E-portfolio
in the four schools 15
The CYCLISE tool 31
Management summary 33
Recommendations for Users of E-portfolio 35
Conclusions 36
Emodo/ Google Drive / Google Agenda / E-portfolio 32
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“Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one’s self-esteem.
That is why young children,
before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily.”
Thomas Szasz Handbook
E-portfolio
As the Transversal Element in the Triangle
Learning
Living
Working
E-portfolio
Exploring GoodPractice
5. 4.
The LION Project
LION is a Grundtvig Multilateral Project, funded by the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission and targets the so-called NEET-group (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), who face challenges bigger than a simple lack of vocational skills. The project aims to promote social and economic inclusion of the NEET-target group by empowering them and offering tailor made practices and excellent support by teachers/trainers and mentors in the triangle of learning, living, and working.
The NEET-group is characterised by a high dropout rate and young people who have faced social exclusion; therefore there is a need for a holistic approach (target-group centred) in which E-portfolio plays an important role.
E-portfolio for the NEET-group
LION stresses the need of a multi-angled integrated focus on the disadvantaged young person at risk of early-school leaving and social exclusion. This holistic approach means:
Learning
Making the educational environment (school) much more attractive, through personalised and individualised learning plans, interactivity, and a focus on the ‘learning by doing’
approach to education.
Living
Taking care of basic living conditions, such as having a roof over one’s head and making young people aware of their rights as citizens.
Working
Focus on competence-based learning in which employability actions are promoted and will lead to apprenticeship in enterprises.
As a result of this holistic approach, the partner consortium has created this handbook on the utility of an E-portfolio for the NEET-group and connects the three fields of learning, living and working. An E-portfolio is generally considered to be a product purchased through a supplier (usually through a contract for a set number of learners) which is web-based with access through user names and passwords from the vendor’s website.
An E-portfolio can be seen as a system of methods that allow a young person to work towards several objectives regarding
the learning, living and working angles of the LION triangle, and En additionally offer easy-to-use monitoring tools for teachers and trainers.
By using the various functions of an E-portfolio, students can upload documents and pictures, record and plan their learning and training, validate what they have achieved and present what they have learned or accomplished. They can also share informa- tion and ideas with those in the same educational or training environment. Teachers and tutors can provide immediate feed- back on the uploaded material and they can assess the students’
work. When an E-portfolio is used in this way, it becomes an important tool for the students, as it provides a way to compile and overview of their life experiences in terms of learning, living and working.
Within the LION project 4 partners - E2C73 in France, Doncaster College in the UK, Weiterbildungskolleg Mönchengladbach in Germany, and Hagagymnasiet in Sweden - have organised an experiment to test an E-portfolio for six months with ten young beneficiaries from each school. The piloting results have been gathered and evaluated in this handbook, along with recommen- dations and suggestions for schools and training institutions on how to set up an integrated E-portfolio on learning, living, and working with NEET groups.
The Four Participating Schools
Weiterbildungskolleg Mönchengladbach in Germany:
Weiterbildungskolleg (WBK) Mönchengladbach is a public school whose target groups are teenagers and young adults who are unemployed and have no, or poor, academic qualifications.
There are also an increasing number of young people who cannot ob-tain even a trainee position, despite holding a good basic school qualification; such young people come to WBK in order to reach a higher qualification that will help them succeed in the job market.
Weiterbildungskolleg is visited by approximately 500 teenagers and young adults, 95 % of whom are unemployed, about 20 % have a migrant background, 30 % have no educational qualifica- tions and 50 % have a degree with low marks.
E2C Norrköping in Sweden:
E2C Norrköping - Second Chance School, Hagagymnasiet in Norrköping – caters to students between the ages of 17 - 24, who have failed in mainstream education and have left school without a leaving certificate, but who have shown an intention and an ambition to gain employment. The main aim is to increase the students’ employability and help the learners to achieve their goal: to get a job and be able to live independently.
The Second Chance School offers vocational training through local work placements and provides additional training through different courses and coaching within school. The school works with 70 students per year.
Introduction
7. 6.
Doncaster College in the United Kingdom:
Doncaster College is one of the largest providers of further edu- cation in South Yorkshire. It is also one of the largest providers of higher education in the region.
During the last academic year, more than 20,000 people enrolled on more than 500 part and full-time courses. Across its two main campuses, the College employs approximately 1,000 staff and ac- commodates students aged 16+. Of this 3,138 students between the ages of 16-18 are enrolled on to a further education course.
E2C73 Chambery in France:
E2C73 – Second Chance School of Savoie in Chambery – was founded in 2011. It is a socio-professional rehabilitation system for young adults. The primary focus is to work with young people between 18 and 25 years old, who are excluded from employ- ment, have met social difficulties or/and judicial problems and have been excluded from mainstream education system for at least 12 months.
Studies at E2c73 include courses and internships in companies.
The training is organised in alternating periods of 2-3 weeks in school and 2-3 weeks in a company. During one period, each trainee works in school in a group with subjects related to labour market requirements and he/she also receives individual teach- ing in French and mathematics. In the next period he/she works in a company to discover a professional sector. At every work experience period the trainee changes companies to see differ- ent vocational sectors in order to find his/her own professional interest, corresponding to his/her own competencies and to the employers’ expectations.
Research
What is an E-portfolio?
Common definitions of E-portfolio
An E-portfolio can be described as a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the web.
The electronic evidence may include text, electronic files, images, multimedia, blog entries, and hyperlinks.
In an E-portfolio the owner can record and present his/her skills and competences and it can become a platform for expressing the owner’s feelings, thoughts, and ideas. Some E-portfolio ap- plications allow varying degrees of audience access. In this way the owner has the possibility to meet several objectives with his/
her E-portfolio. It can be used as an individually owned piece of work, or the whole or a part of it can be shared very rapidly with one or a group of internet users, depending on the decision of the E-portfolio owner.
There are three main types of E-portfolios:
ó Developmental (e.g. training, working)
ó Reflective (e.g. thinking, talking)
ó Representational (e.g. presenting, showing)
— A developmental E-portfolio
is a documentation of progress, skills and achievements the owner has accomplished over a period of time.
— A reflective E-portfolio
includes the owner’s reflection on the contents and what it might mean and lead to for the owner’s growth and improve- ment.
— A representational E-portfolio
presents the owner’s achievements in relation to educational, vocational, work-related, or developing goals. It is sometimes called a career portfolio and may be valuable to use when apply- ing for jobs.
The owner of the E-portfolio may mix and combine these various types of E-portfolios, depending on what outcomes, effects, and products he/she wants to emphasise or demonstrate.
(Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia)
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/jobs/an-onlinE-portfolio- can-showcase-your-work-career-couch.html?_r=0
An electronic portfolio, an E-portfolio, is a collection of student or teacher work over time that uses digital technologies. A stand- ard-based E-portfolio uses a database or hyperlinks.
With the help of E-portfolios, the owners can collect and organise their experiences, observations and products. Through electronic media such as video, images etc. the owners can illustrate and explain the attempts, developments, thoughts, and achieve- ments that they choose to show. When students reflect on the produced articles and other products in their E-portfolio, these can be seen as evidence that the objectives pursued have been reached.
“An electronic portfolio is a reflective tool that demonstrates growth over time.”
(Helen Barrett , 2004; 2005).
E-portfolio in LION as a holistic approach in the centre of learning, living, and working
An E-portfolio can be a useful tool to help young people in the NEET-group to cope with some of the requirements that society and the adult world imposes on its citizens regarding learning, living and working. The use of an E-portfolio can make school and training more attractive as the students have the possibility to influence their education and training. They can choose various ways to perform their tasks and receive individualised assign- ments, which helps them to progress in their learning. E-portfo- lios give a multitude of alternatives for students to present their achievements and share them with their teachers, tutors, trainers and counsellors, all of whom can be regarded as “support people”
in relation to the NEET- group.
In working closely on an E-portfolio with these “support people”, young people will receive quick feedback, encouragement and guidance on how to move forward on their learning path.
They will also receive assistance with ways to increase their social inclusion, for example having contact with housing companies to get accommodation for independent living.
When key representatives from the three fields of learning, living and working are involved in a student’s E-portfolio, it means that they can maintain a holistic approach to the student’s entire life situation.
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The use of E-portfolio in NEET-group/
Second Chance School situations:
When using E-portfolio functions in schoolwork, young people in the NEET-group can create their own tasks and/or receive invidual assignments from the teachers, who can give them immediate feedback on their work and help guide them to implement their newly acquired skills and learning. In this way the usage of an E-portfolio may help the students to strengthen their belief in their own ability to learn.
The young people can document their training in work place- ments and internships by presenting pictures, movies and text.
They can use parts of their E-portfolio when describing what they have achieved and it can be a basis when applying for jobs.
In an E-portfolio all the important educational and work related documents can be collected as well as applications for employ- ment, housing, etc. An E-portfolio can make it easier for young people to manage, when they have everything gathered in one place to which they have direct access.
Specific requirements for use/
implementation in NEET-group:
In succeeding to teach young people in the NEET group, the requirements are that the teachers are interested in the target group, committed and competent and have enough time to introduce, teach and follow up on the task. The teacher must ensure that the students have sufficient computer skills, before they start working on an E-portfolio. The e-platform must be stable and reliable and the instructions easy to understand, oth- erwise there is a risk that the participants will lose interest in the task.
“MOSEP; Grab your future with an E-portfolio”
In his publication “Grab your future with an E-portfolio”
the author Mosep explains how the confusion with E-portfolios derives from different definitions and purposes.
Reasons for introducing E-portfolios:
The reasons for introducing E-portfolios are numerous and varied. In some cases, E-portfolios have been introduced due to government or examination board pressures. In others it has been a result of funding being made available for innovation and development. Sometimes it is as an attempt to improve the motivation of learners, and in other cases to encourage learners to explore their own competencies and achievement.
In many cases it is because of the desire of teachers and edu- cators to provide a more fulfilling learning experience.
Supporting lifelong learning:
One of the major pressures behind the development of E-port- folios is facilitating lifelong learning. Lifelong learning is hardly a new idea. The concept of the E-portfolio recognises that learn- ing is continuous throughout one’s life and seeks to provide tools to support such continued learning. It also recognises the role of the individual in organising his or her own learning.
Recognising learning:
The first main purpose of an E-portfolio is recognising learning, which is not as simple a task as might first be assumed due to the varied nature of learners’ needs. Within the formal education system, learning has been associated and intertwined with achievement.
Although it could be said that all learning is an achievement, it does not follow that the formal education system has recognised it as such. Furthermore, the formal school curriculum has tended to focus on summative assessment in the form of examinations.
All too often learners are unclear what it is they ‘should’ be trying to do and to learn. Yet, this is critical to their ability to recognise that they have learned something. Learners frequently lack the skills to recognise their own learning; especially on-going learning that does not necessarily lead to formal outcomes.
Recording learning:
The second key function of an E-portfolio is recording learning, and therefore begs the question ‘What should be recorded in a portfolio?’ An E-portfolio may contain records of formal achievements however, and perhaps most importantly, it should record on-going learning from home and work as well as formal education and training. Peer group interaction may be the most powerful means of recording non-formal learning. E-portfolios should allow individuals to build and present a profile or picture of themselves and should allow people to record their learning and achievement from the home, from school or college and from work. In terms of recording learning, be it formal or infor- mal, the portfolio audience is vital. As Elizabeth Hebert (1998) says, “Defining an audience is crucial”.
The notion of gathering work to ‘tell your story’ is far too abstract for young students unless they know who is listening to their story. The question of the content of an E-portfolio becomes much clearer once an audience is defined.
Time is also important. Learners need to know when and how often they should update the E-portfolio. Knowing who the portfolio is for and when it should be updated are precursors for learners planning and taking responsibility for the other processes and in particular for deciding what should be recorded in a portfolio.
Reflecting on learning:
The third key function is reflecting on learning, which is per- haps the most important part of the learning process. However, in terms of E-portfolios, it is probably the least developed.
Reflection has generally been seen as a process of commentary by the subject on any aspect of him/ herself (Wilson, 2005). The commentary may be private, shared or public. Examples include journals and, more recently, weblogs.
Validating learning:
The fourth key function is validating learning; validating is the process of proving – to oneself and to others – that learning has taken place, including the abilities and competencies identified and recorded (Wilson, 2005).
Validation takes place through evidencing and verification.
Evidence is provided by the learner to attest to their own achieve- ment and may be in different forms and media – for instance, a picture of a chair they have made or the address of a website they have designed. Verification is externally sourced evidence of claimed achievement – for example, a letter from a team leader verifying performance during a work placement. Validation is not the same as assessing and accrediting, but rather is referenced
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against the abilities and competencies identified by the learner and not those of an external occupational profile or qualification.
Presenting learning:
The fifth function is presenting learning; presenting offers an opportunity to select artefacts from the portfolio to tell a story or make a point. Presentation involves the processes of struc- turing, visualising, narrating and re-purposing (Wilson, 2005).
Presenting is the bridge between validation and assessment but it is only one of the possible purposes of presentation.
E-portfolios should allow individuals to present their learning for different purposes and should be owned by the learner and independent of institutions.
Planning learning:
The sixth function is planning learning; planning is a structured form of reflection, which requires one to look back and look to the future. A good question to help facilitate this is: ‘What have I achieved and what do I want to achieve?’
Assessing learning:
The seventh process is assessing learning. Assessing is an exter- nal process, not within the control of the learner. Assessing is an external judgment of the value of a set of artefacts presented by the learner.
‘New’ for educationalists nowadays is the use of technology and digital media, web-publishing tools and/or LMS/CMS systems for introducing the E-portfolio concept institution-wide or in class.
Barrett (2005) highlights the fact that new technology differs from paper-based portfolio work especially as it allows new ways of archiving, linking/thinking, storytelling, collaborating and publishing. An electronic/digital portfolio system offers the advantage of archiving different E-portfolio artefacts (e.g.
assignments, courses, certificates, grades, project results, research papers etc.), publishing them using web technologies and sharing them with others by means of collaboration tools or other social software, e.g. wikis/weblogs.
MOSEP; Grab your future with an ePortfolio.
http://www.jcpaiva.net/getfile.php?cwd=rosto/utilidades/
Portfolios&f=34ec2
http://electronicportfolios.org/mosep/MOSEP-Mod3-1adds.html Other useful international initiatives
www.E-portfolioforall.nl/kennisbank/internationaal
“Building my ePortfolio. PORTOLAND ePORTFOLIO USER Guide Kompetensportfölj – under studietiden. Umeå universitet (E)portfolio- en handbok för användare.
Implementation of E-portfolio for the NEET-group
Preconditions for starting the process of E-portfolio:
Extent and Duration of the E-portfolio Experiment In the LION project four partners have organised an experiment with 10 beneficiaries out of the NEET–group per partner.
The partners are Doncaster College in the UK, Weiterbildungs- kolleg Mönchengladbach in Germany, E2C73 in Chambery in France, and E2C Norrköping in Sweden.
For six months the schools worked on the E-portfolios with their groups. A summary and examples of Good Practice from that experiment are presented in this document.
— Electronic platform:
One of the big problems at the start of the E-portfolio experi- ment was to find an electronic platform that would suit the students and teachers and would be a useful tool.
After extensive research on different digital E-portfolio platforms, the four partners decided to use ‘Edmodo’ as a joint platform.
E2C73 also chose to test Google Application to be able to compare the two platforms.
Edmodo is a “social learning platform” website for teachers, students, and parents. It is free of charge, easy to use, and very
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similar to Facebook. The users of Edmodo can post assignments, create polls for student responses, insert video clips, create learning groups, post quizzes for students to take, and create a calendar for events and assignments. Students can also turn in assignments or upload assignments for their teachers to view and grade. Teachers can comment on the assignments directly in Edmodo to provide instant feedback.
http://www.edmodo.com
— Various definitions of an E-portfolio:
Another problem at the start of the experiment was to find a common definition among all partners of what an E-portfolio for the NEET-group is and what it should contain. After discuss- ing the issues from various perspectives, the partners agreed that the participating schools should have a free hand to design their E-portfolio based on their different conditions, curriculums, target groups and specific needs. The following section provides different definitions of an E-portfolio from the partners in this project. These definitions were provided at the start of the E-portfolio experiment.
WBK
— Reflection portfolio
The reflection portfolio includes two types: the learning portfolio and the portfolio assessment.
In the learning portfolio the producer is taken into consideration.
For this purpose, two main characteristics are crucial. The owner and the creator of the portfolio is the same person, and he/she
makes the E-portfolio of his/her own motivation. Key character- istics of learning portfolios are tasks and exercises that can be generated by it. The creator reflects on his self-created tasks.
The second type of reflection portfolio is the E-portfolio assess- ment. It differs in two respects from the learning portfolio: first, it is used to assess and on the other hand, the learning tasks and the assessment criteria are set externally.
— Development portfolio
In this E-portfolio type the person’s individual development is the centre of reflection. It relates to the development of his /her career.
— Presentation portfolio
This type is used, as the name suggests, to present information.
This involves the individual representation of a student to an external audience and may be associated with the orientation of a product.
Weiterbildungskolleg Mönchengladbach decided to use
“Presentation portfolio”. This type appeared as the most com- fortable way to create first experiences with E-portfolios, as the work could be based on simple questions, given by the teacher.
The connection to the extracurricular field of experiences in the internships also gave a useful implementation context.
E2C Norrköping
An E-portfolio is web based documentation about a person’s individual development. It is a tool for the student to be able
to recognise his/her own learning, progress and development.
There is also an opportunity for the student to present and validate his/her own learning.
In the experiment the school decided to focus on how the stu- dents were able to learn to reflect on, document, and present their acquired knowledge, skills and experience from their work placements with help of the E-portfolio.
Doncaster College
A product purchased through a supplier (usually through a contract for a set number of learners) which is web based with access through user names and passwords from the vendor’s website. It enables the tutor and learner to upload documents and evidence which demonstrate competence for a learner’s qualification. When the qualification is completed, the learner receives their certificate, but there is no continued access to the E-portfolio by the learners.
Implications of using an E-portfolio are the licence cost (if not a free platform such as Edmodo), network requirements and certain administrative activities. However, the benefits outweigh all of this in terms of time-saving for students and teachers.
In addition, the quality of information and pictures, and cross referencing is outstanding as all the information is located in one place and is accessible from anywhere.
E2C73 Chambery
In E2C73 the E-portfolio is a pedagogical tool linked to the school’s methodology, in order to support the student to become inde-
pendent, self-confident and an actor in his/her own living and working path.
The E-portfolio is a way for a student to regularly follow his/her progression, to become organised, and achieve a goal through seeing the process from beginning to end. It is also a great way to store resources and to avoid loss of documents. It makes documents easily accessible for both to trainers and trainees and in this way can be compared with an intranet in a company.
E2C73 decided to compare two e-platforms, Edmodo and Google applications, to find out which one was the best to use for young people in the NEET-group.
Different ways to work with E-portfolio
WBKWBK uses the E-portfolio to introduce an internship company and presents the task of interviewing an employee. With the use of the E-portfolio, the work experience is documented and reflected in the internship.
E2C Norrköping
Through logbooks, movies and photos students document their work placements. Based on the documentation they are able to recognise, reflect, validate, plan and assess their learning process.
Doncaster College
Doncaster College’s focus is on using Edmodo as a platform for sharing course information and ideas for on-going projects.
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In addition, it is used to share Good Practices with each other, thus enabling the students to engage as a team within a safe environment. Lastly, the E-portfolio is used hold virtual meetings instead of face to face contact that is difficult to arrange due to timetables.
E2C73
In E2C73, a portfolio is a compulsory document for each student, and the teacher must check the contents regularly. Therefore, it is important to find the most efficient, clearest, and most useful tool. Currently, the E2C73 portfolio is a binder with paper documents (e.g. certificates, and training agreements)
In order to uncover the best tool to update the paper-based port- folio, the experimentation of an E-portfolio is a useful activity.
The main aim of the E-portfolio is to have better communication between students and teachers and to share important informa- tion; it must become the link between teacher and student.
Description of the experiment with E-portfolio in the four in the four schools:
WBK
The Participants
— The Testing Group
The testing group was made up of 10 students, two young women and eight young men. They all had a minimum of 10 years education at school and received a secondary school diploma with low marks. They did not succeed after the school education and were not successful in vocational training or work.
— Participant Competencies
All participants had the social ability to work in a learning group.
Two of them were able to work independently. Three participants succeeded, if they received immediate feedback from the teacher.
The others required intensive guidance and support to cope with the task.
— Digital Competencies
All participants were very familiar with the “new” technologies.
They had internet access and used a smartphone and were active in social networks.
The teacher (62 years old) used the internet for research and the Office programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint as tools. He has a Facebook account and used e-mails frequently. He has a smart-
phone for phone calls, text messages, research, emailing, GPS, and had a timetable app of a German Railway Company.
— Earlier Experience of an E-portfolio
Neither the participants nor the teacher had earlier experiences with an E-portfolio. However the teacher was familiar with the literature on E-portfolios.
Aim and Creation
With the use of an E-portfolio, the work experience should be documented and reflected in the internship. In these courses it was previously done with written documentation.
By using the E-portfolio WBK will test whether:
ó The reflection on, and analysis of, the internship experience can be increased
ó The presentations of the internship company can be differentiated
ó Vivid presentation through the use of different forms of representation (not just text) can be made more attractive for the participants
ó Communication via the internship with the teacher can be intensified.
In the introduction the teacher described to the participants that the use of the E-portfolio was to be tested in a European context and the Edmodo platform was presented. It was explained to the testing group that all four participant partners in the LION project would experiment with this E-portfolio work and test on this platform.
When the students had the functionality of the platform they opened it quickly and tried it out in individual ways.
The Learning Process
The documentation of the internship with the tasks was set by the teacher:
ó Introducing the internship company
ó Description of the tasks
ó Interview with an employee of his/her choice of profession
ó Reflection on the dream job
The tasks were meaningful and stimulating for the students.
Quote from a participant: “This is something interesting. Now I can finally show a teacher that I can do things”.
In comparison to previous work with a paper portfolio, the paper form had the advantage that a final product was made. It was a tangible product that a student could hold in his/her hands, as opposed to the virtual shape of the results on the Edmodo platform. During the time spent working on the E-portfolio, they could also use worksheets and discussions as a complement.
Quote from the teacher: “I have the impression that work on the E-portfolio was interesting for the participants. They could bring in their experience and skills. This contributed to a good working atmosphere in the group and in the relationship with the teacher.
For the students it seemed at the end that the inputs in the E- portfolio had no more importance than a contribution in a chat, written and forgotten. When they created a traditional paper
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based portfolio, I as a teacher, could always see their pride and satisfaction with the final product. Towards the end of the work on E-portfolio the participants were interested in the teacher’s evaluation of their work”.
All the students had experiences with portfolios in the field of vocational preparation from schools previously attended.
However, their experience was that portfolios had no significance in work-based application situations. The portfolio was requested at application or interview stage and they themselves had found no opportunity to bring them productively into the application situation. This previous experience negatively affected the moti- vation to work on an E-portfolio.
Quote from a participant: “When I have had a job interview, they haven’t asked for a portfolio. I don’t bring my portfolio to a job interview, because I don’t know how to use it in the interview.”
The teacher needs a basic competence in dealing with the platform to follow the advice and suggestions of the students appropriately. If this is not the case, it will become a stumbling block in working with students.
The computer equipment and the internet access in the school also need a standard that satisfies the expectations of the stu- dents. This was not the case in the experiment with the E-port- folio on the Edmodo platform. For example, long reaction times made the task unattractive.
Quotes from participants:
Review/reflection
Based on the experience gained in this project, Weiterbildung- skolleg Mönchengladbach had to develop an e-curriculum approach. Working with computers and the internet must be structurally integrated into the work at the Weiterbildungskolleg.
When school work with computers and internet resources is not embedded in the curriculum, the use of these tools in isolated cases is understood as a teaching ‘fashion accessory’ by the par- ticipants. In this case, they tend to focus more on the equipment and the quality of the equipment, rather than on their primary learning tasks. Thus far, computers and the internet will only be used to supplement the instructional materials in order to search, illustrate and present information. Currently, WBK does not have a curriculum that integrates e-learning.
The following approaches have been developed in the LION project as recommendations on e-learning for disadvantaged young people:
ó Working with an E-portfolio can be embedded in an e-curriculum. In preparation for application situations the active and productive use of an E-portfolio can then be included. Participants must be trained on how to use the E-portfolio in job interviews
ó The preparation of teachers to work with these forms of media as part of an e-learning approach must be a part of the preparation
ó The technical equipment of the school must make t he work possible
E2C Norrköping The Participants
— The Testing Group
The testing group included two different groups of students.
In one group there were 7 students 17-20 years of age and in the other group there were 7 students 20-24 years of age. Both groups were mixed and are in need of a variety of teaching meth- odologies in order to achieve their personal goals. Some of the students had reading and writing difficulties and/or other types of learning difficulties. They had all experienced failure in their previous education and left school without a leaving certificate.
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“Can I do this at home instead with my computer?
It is more convenient.”
“Can I download another browser?
The installed one does not work well. “
“Do we have to do in on Edmodo?
We can do the same at Facebook. It’s easier to use.”
Interview with an employee at the internship about the career choice motives and his experience in the profession (WBK).
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— Participant Competencies
The students’ intellectual competencies varied in terms of think- ing, understanding, perceiving, reading, writing, calculating, and the ability to draw conclusions. Some had fairly good cognitive abilities, while others had to struggle hard to be able to meet their tasks and everything they were required to do.
— Digital Competencies
All students had earlier experience in using computers as a tool to search the internet, to look at Facebook, and to write short texts in Word. Some were able to do this on their own, while oth- ers needed more or less help from their teachers. A few students had good digital competencies and could work almost indepen- dently, but wanted an explanation on the E-portfolio instructions from the teacher and immediate feedback on the work they had done.
— Earlier Experience of an E-portfolio
None of the students had experience at all with using and creat- ing an E-portfolio.
Aim and Creation
The main aim with the E-portfolio was to document the progress of the individual and to find a tool for the student to see his/her own progress in the vocational training and reflect about his/her own learning and development. Additionally, the aim and func- tion was to document the process in the work placement and to collect all documents to form an individual study plan, curriculum for E2C, CV etc. in the platform.
The Learning Process Introduction
The E-portfolio was introduced to two groups of students, each with 7 students with varied backgrounds, aged 17 - 24. The choice of students was done independent of vocational subject, gender, or ethnicity. After having described the purpose and goals of the project for the students, they were presented with all of the tech- nical preparations necessary for a smooth implementation.
Although the students had some computer experience, certain special efforts on Macbook, iPad and GoPro were required to ensure proper handling of the equipment and applications.
Recording learning
All documents belonging to the students’ education were col- lected on the platform as: curriculum, study plan, action plan, CV, cover letter, qualifications and other course certificates. In this way it was easy for both students and teachers easily access these documents and they formed the basis of the E-portfolio for all students.
The involved teachers decided to make the E-portfolio very indi- vidual. It was up to each student as to how he/she wanted to use the different tools. Some expressed themselves through writing a blog and others chose to use pictures and/or videos to show what they had done. The students’ decisions were based on their own needs and interests. The result is that each E-portfolio be- came entirely individualised. It showed and illustrated the learn- ing styles of each student who created their own E-portfolio.
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Reflecting on learning
By talking and showing the E-portfolio to teachers and other stu- dents, as well as through teachers’ dialogue and other students’
comments on the logbook, the students reflected on their own learning.
Based on the E-portfolio material collected in the work place- ments each student reported and explained to the group in school about their vocational experience. The learning process was made clear to the students when they described and showed the group what they had done. At the same time they were given the opportunity to reflect on and see their own development and share it with others.
Every lesson learned from the practice with the E-portfolio was explored during the discussions and reflections in the classroom.
Everyone had the chance to be listened to when presenting their experience. A good example of this was the pride that the Barista student Jennifer showed, when she let the group know about her successful first self-made cappuccino.
Abbe, who is a welder, is another example of the development students undergo over time. First, Abbe just showed pictures of himself wearing his welding equipment. Later, when he developed further in his vocational training he was able to show pictures of actual customer orders, which he had completed on his own.
Validating, Planning and Assessing learning
Based on the curriculum the students are assessed with forma- tive methods. The assessment is done jointly by the employers, the employment advisors, and the teachers. Their discussions, considerations and conclusions are documented and form the basis for the students’ future development and progress. The work to continually encourage the students and talk about the next step in their development is based on the E-portfolio and the documents placed therein.
Review/Reflection Comments from teachers
The project period was a little too short to see any long-lasting effects. Our implementation was time consuming in order to reach some of the desired impacts on the students. We recom- mend a coherent and comprehensive preparation before starting the work on E-portfolio.
Our experience is that it is necessary to clearly introduce and control the start of work on an E-portfolio to create motivation and interest among the participants. The Edmodo platform is user-friendly, has great potential and can facilitate and assist the students in their efforts. The E-portfolio is effective and useful for students to present and display their work and for teachers to give feedback to the students and monitor their assignments.
During the process the teacher teams learned a lot and had many thoughts and ideas about how the E-portfolio could be devel-
oped further and become a useful part of the education in the future. The next step in the development would be to involve the trainers in the work placements, so they would the opportunity to follow their vocational students’ progress. Further develop- ment of the E-portfolio can for, instance, involve foreign partner schools, given that they have computers and internet access.
As aforementioned, we believe that the time for implementation was too short, but nevertheless during the time we worked on the platform we saw the benefits of an E-portfolio in the conver- sation with the students, employers, and others (e.g. parents). To be able to see the “real” development requires a longer period of work with an E-portfolio.
Disadvantages
Regardless of a lot of motivational work, it was from time to time difficult to keep up the interest in working with the E-portfolio.
All participants do not have access to the internet outside school.
Advantages
Evidence of the positive effects of an E-portfolio was the joy and the pride that students showed when they had the chance to show pictures from their work placements and describe their work/training for their classmates. When motivation decreased, the E-portfolio was a great tool to remind students of the pro- gress they had actually accomplished.
The split into two teams of teachers and two E-portfolio groups was good. Each team of teachers reflected on the challenges of working with the E-portfolio and the development of their teach-
ing, when using this tool. The two teams then compared their ideas and conclusions in order to identify good methods.
Doncaster
The Participants
— The Target Group
The participants were students aged 19 to 23 years currently enrolled on a volunteering course named Vinspired. It offers placement opportunities through a range of volunteering opportunities, all of which will support learners and aim to enhance their study experience.
— Participant Competencies
The students were Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) with no previous employment experiences. Students came from a quite disruptive social background, struggled with their reading and writing, and were studying at level one.
— Digital Competencies
One of the students had prior academic learning of digital media and was very comfortable using technology. The other students had little experience in using computer programs and felt very uncomfortable using media programs.
— Earlier Experience of E-portfolio
The students had no earlier experience of working with E-port- folio. Students struggled to engage well with Edmodo and found
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the site difficult to understand. At the start one of the students was able to upload an image but found this difficult to rearrange once uploaded.
Aim and Creation
The aim for the students was to use Edmodo as a platform for sharing course information and ideas for on-going projects.
This enabled the students to engage as a team within a safe environment and also to share good practices with each other and to hold virtual meetings instead of face to face contact as due to timetables it was difficult to arrange.
The Learning Process
Due to the nature of the students the teacher had been develop- ing the E-portfolio training through one to one work as some struggled to engage with Edmodo. Therefore, at first this helped them gain an understanding of the system in a safe environment.
The students learnt how to share experience and documents on Edmodo and to upload pictures onto the website. They found Edmodo difficult to use and needed a lot of support to manage the system with uploading information and pictures.
Quote from a participant: “I need a lot of support using Edmodo as I find it’s difficult to use. I haven’t found any instructions on how to use Edmodo which would be a great help so that not just me but other students could use Edmodo a lot easier and they would access it a lot more if it was explained in a way that every- one could understand.”
Review/Reflection
Due to the types of students that were involved in the testing of this e-platform, it was more useful to do this on a one-to-one basis. However, upon reflection, it may have had a different outcome if the students had worked together in small groups, in order to assist each other with the e-platform. This could not have been foreseen at the beginning of the testing.
The teacher’s first thoughts were that the Edmodo platform was difficult to understand as it is not self-explanatory or immediate- ly easy to use. However if a step by step or online video guide was available on the platform the system could be one for staff and students to engage with each other in order to discuss projects, ideas etc. for their course work.
However, the teacher expressed that the college wishes to use E-portfolios as they meet learners technical knowledge, they are cleaner, faster and easier to use with on and off line access, great for assessment and visual recording, and saves the environment.
However, it is important to choose the right e-platform to suit the needs of the students.
E2C73 Chambery
The Participants— The Target Group
E2C73 selected two test groups. The first (group A) tested the functionality of an E-portfolio via Google + Applications, and the second (group B) tested the E-portfolio via Edmodo and Google drive.
Group A consisted of five men and three women aged between 18-25years. 75% had no diploma (one man had a diploma and one woman had a foreign diploma, AFS). One man was a disabled worker and had a hearing impairment. One young woman had a child but who doesn’t live with her. Two other young women had only been in the country for a few months. None of the participants had previous work experience.
Group B consisted of four women and six men, aged between 19 - 25 years. 20% had no diploma (7 had the first diploma of schooling and one young man had a sewing diploma). One young man had a judicial follow-up and was imprisoned several times.
Three young men were disabled workers, with cognitive difficul- ties. One young man had Tourette’s syndrome and needed to work without being subjected to pressure. One young woman was a single mother and lived in a mother-child home with her son. A final young woman was married, had a young daughter and was pregnant with her second child at the time of this experiment.
— Participants Competences
The groups are very mixed in terms of autonomy. In Group A , 50% of the group was able to work autonomously, while others required a continuous amount of help from the teachers.
In Group B, two students had difficulty understanding and pay- ing attention. They were not able to work independently. A young man was repeatedly incarcerated for violence against teachers, but he is able now to control his reactions. Two young women had a higher grade than the rest of the group and regularly
provided assistance to other students in difficulty. Some of them had specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia and had special educational needs.
— Digital Competencies
Of the students in Group A, 90% were active on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Six out of eight had a smartphone, although one of them almost never used his mobile phone.
They had a good command of the overall functionality of Word and Excel.
Group B required specific support and information to gain a basic understanding of “informatique tool”.
— Earlier Experience of E-portfolio
No one involved in this experiment, neither teachers nor students, had previous experience with an E-portfolio, as they normal worked with paper-based files.
Aim and Creation
— Curriculum Timetable
Students alternate school periods (3 weeks) and internship peri- ods (2/3 weeks) and they must find their internship placements.
They can try different professional sectors. After the end of an internship, students must complete their portfolio (internship appraisal). An interview is also done with the teacher in order to build the professional project. The portfolio should reflect the evolution of a professional project.
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— Why E-portfolio?
A portfolio is a compulsory document in E2C73. Each student has a portfolio, and the teacher must check the contents regularly.
Currently all E2C73 portfolios are paper based.
The experiment of the E-portfolio was a useful experience to test alternative to paper-based portfolios and to ensure good com- munication between students and teachers.
— E-portfolio Creation
The creation of an E-portfolio was done between 4-6 hours per week. This time was necessary for the work of building the E- portfolio and completing the documents.
The Learning Process
Group A: Test with Google Applications
The teacher presented the E-portfolio project and explained that Group A would be working with Google Applications to create an E-portfolio. They were told that it was a European project and within it students from four schools in different EU countries would be testing E-portfolio.
Step 1: Gmail/Google Drive/Google Agenda At first the teacher gave the students the instruction sheet to create a Gmail address. This was not difficult for the students, as Gmail addresses are already used at the school.
Then, the students received the other instructions sheets to create a Google Drive and a Google Agenda. Students worked
independently. The instruction sheet was clear and gave differ- ent steps. Each instruction sheet contained explanations and exercises. At the end, an evaluation of each sheet (Google Drive, Google Calendar .etc.) was provided.
Step 2: E-portfolio creation
Gmail, Google Drive and Google Agenda were created and stu- dents knew how it works. After that they had to create folders and subfolders in their Google Drive.
Step 3: Folders were defined
Official pieces (planning, training certificates, etc.) Professional projects (internship agreement, internship evaluation, professional interviews, etc.)
Pedagogical documents (evaluations, school progress, exercises, etc.)
Next, the students scanned all pieces of their original paper- based portfolio and put these documents into their E-portfolio.
It required a lot of time, as they had many documents.
At the end the teacher explained the interest and the necessity of sharing files between teacher and students.
Group B: Test with Edmodo Website
The teacher presented the testing of Edmodo in four successive stages:
ó What is Edmodo? It is a “social learning platform” website for teachers and students, with an interface that resembles social networks like Facebook.
ó Stage 1: How to create a Gmail mailbox?
ó Stage 2: Get familiar with Edmodo
ó Rules for the use: utility within E2C73
ó Portfolio
ó Know my work/study schedule
ó Communication between student and trainers
Review/Reflection
During the test the trainees had four hours a week over two weeks allocated to this project. This was enough even for weak students because they had a dedicated trainer. Unfortunately, some students were reluctant to understand the point of the exercise, while more motivated students quickly became com- petent with the Google applications. The majority of the trainees had basic knowledge of computers, while 10% had virtually no IT skills. This type of problem is typical of immigrants from Africa who have never previously used computers.
— Student Feedback
Group A: Test with Google Applications 50% of students had some difficulties at the beginning, as Google Applications gives many possibilities and the users must understand how the platform works.
Students are intensely involved with their E-portfolio, and reac- tions are positive because they are actors in their E-portfolio creation.
They also noted some benefits of an E-portfolio:
ó Documents available anywhere, anytime (even outside the school)
ó Easier to arrange and fill in an E-portfolio than an original portfolio (paper files)
ó Easy to consult everywhere
ó Useful when you need a CV or any document, when you are not at school
ó E-portfolio has a large storage capacity
ó You can’t lose your documents
ó Possibility to access documents on smartphones They noted some disadvantages:
ó You need an internet connection
ó It requires computer skills
Group B: Test with Edmodo Website
It was complicated at the beginning for the trainees with learn- ing difficulties/disabilities. Some of the students were comfort- able with “informatique tool”, so they always worked in pairs to help the weakest students.
Students are more involved with their E-portfolio than with a printout format.
They also noted some benefits of Edmodo:
ó Easy to use, because it looks like Facebook and other social networks
ó The ability to create a profile with a photo
ó Possibility to access documents with smartphones
ó Easy to follow the schedule
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They noted some disadvantages:
ó Difficulties to remember passwords
— Teacher Feedback
Many are interested to continue using the E-portfolio and Edmodo website:
ó Impossible to lose some documents
ó Documents are available for students and teachers (important if a teacher needs a student CV for example, planning, etc.)
ó It allows better communication between students and teachers, especially during the internship periods
ó Archiving is easier
ó It introduces students to computers, which is an essential tool nowadays in the world of work
ó Enforces online etiquette guidelines for students when using ó Edmodo to help them build digital citizenship skills
ó Availability to use Edmodo to communicate with students when they are out of the classroom
Conclusion after Comparing the Two E-platforms E2C73 chooses Google applications rather than Edmodo for the following reasons:
ó The application is complete whereas Edmodo requires using Google applications
ó It is more professional whereas Edmodo resembles Facebook.
Google applications are therefore closer to the professional image we are leading trainees to build. Although Google applications require better IT skills, this is in fact an advan-
tage for the trainees going forward into the world of work.
It is worth taking the extra time to learn how to use it
ó Cost! Google applications are free. Nonetheless, trainers need to be aware of the storage limits of the free application
ó It is worth pointing out the importance of keeping the tool updated on a weekly basis which is time consuming for the trainers
Recommendations for Users
Here are some recommendations to help future users of the E-portfolio:
ó Be careful about trainee’s IT skills
ó Provide a lot of time for the E-portfolio beginning and creation
ó Make backup files when a trainee is leaving
ó Make a weekly update
ó Ensure data sharing between teacher and students
The CYCLISE Tool
CYCLISE is an internet-based software, which makes it possible to closely follow the monitoring of the teaching and training processes of students and it is a useful tool in the relation between schools and companies. Within the LION experiment with the E-portfolio, Cyclise may be seen as a complement to the student-centred individual E-portfolio.
CYCLISE software has resulted from 8 years of experience within the network of Second Chance School Champagne Ardenne in France, accompanying young people in their re-integration process.
The internet software provides traceability of all students in each of the participating E2C Schools in the region. Each E2C School can be integrated with its own database and its own functional architecture.
CYCLISE Software is the daily tool of reference for teachers and trainers, coaching and evaluating of the youngsters in their learning route in E2C.
The application creates a clear and historical view on the inte- gration and learning process of students in order to measure changes in job situations (employment, training), professional acts (internships and acquisitions of professional skills), inter- views, assessment of basic knowledge of French, mathematics and computer skills, drawing up training plans, and the delivery of diplomas.
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Target Group used for Piloting/Testing
Trainers and responsible teachers of E2C are the main target group of CYCLISE Software. CYCLISE is the daily tool of reference for teachers and trainers, coaching and evaluating the student in their learning route in E2C.
Competence that can be Developed
CYCLISE allows for the centralisation of monitoring of teaching processes and the alternation of students (i.e.being students in second chance schools and “workers” in enterprises).
Based on the technology exclusively dedicated to the internet platform, CYCLISE is continuously available online through a platform authentication SSL Login pass.
Designed to track the pedagogical path, it promotes the entry of user data by providing a working interface sequenced in which
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the data are processed, generated and stored in a database.
Its unique increment process allows the generation of certificates of competence.
Quote from a trainer
“With CYCLISE I can issue certificates of competence”
CYCLISE can offer a library of educational resources continuously available, allowing users to disseminate and create learning sequences.
Contact for further information
E2C Chalons-en-Champagne: contact@e2c-alfor.fr http://www.ilabs.fr/images/DOSSIERPRESSE.pdf
Management Summary
The Experiment with E-portfolio
The experiment with the E-portfolio, within the LION project in the four partner schools in Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom and France, provides some answers on how an E-portfolio could be used as the transversal element in the triangle of learning, living, working.
The aim of the experiment was to find a suitable tool to connect learning, living and working. It is always a challenge for educators to find new approaches and methods to motivate and meet the needs of the NEET-group. During their previous schooling, most young people in the NEET group have experienced many failures, as they have not been able to live up to expectations to show good results at school. After leaving mainstream education it is valuable for them to know that they can get access to alternative ways to show what they have learnt and achieved.
The use of an E-portfolio provides various ways to evidence ac- quired knowledge and skills. An E-portfolio has several methods to recognise, record, reflect, validate, present, plan and assess learning. The technique can be used in many ways, and meet the individual needs of the users. The variety of opportunities to show their learning and training has appealed to the young participants and they have expressed and shown that they have found it interesting.
The experiment shows that E-portfolio can be used in many dif- ferent ways. It has proved to be a method that attracts the young participants.
Advantages of Using E-portfolio
— The Need for Electronic Competence
Most students nowadays use electronic devices and find them interesting. Many are familiar with Facebook and because Edmodo is similar in many ways, they found the electronic plat- form easy to use. They could for instance create a profile with a photo. For those who did not have IT related skills at the start of the experiment, the work with E-portfolio introduced them to computers, which are essential tools in the world of work and a necessary knowledge to cope with daily life.
— Informal Methods
During the experiment the teachers have seen that students seemed more involved in their E-portfolio than with the print- out format. With the E-portfolio they had the opportunity to recognise, record, reflect, validate, present, plan and assess their learning process in a more informal way than what the school generally requires. Many preferred to use film and photos instead of writing texts, especially if they had reading and writing difficulties. They could also blog in a more informal way than in ordinary school work.
— Good Communication and Easy Accessibility
The E-portfolio enabled better communication between students and teachers, especially during the internship periods, due to the easily accessible platform. All necessary documents were avail- able for students and teachers and it made it easier to stick to the agreed schedule. There was additionally the possibility to access documents with smartphones. It was very good for all involved
En that it was almost impossible to lose documents and a further
advantage was easier archiving.
Examples of E-portfolio Implementation
Educational Perspective
Previous knowledge regarding the use of computers varied considerably among the participants, as did the ability to learn new skills. The use of an E-portfolio seemed complicated for many students at the beginning. When they had learned how an e-platform works and its various functions, most of them were interested in working with an E-portfolio. They thought it was an engaging way to communicate within the learning environment, to exchange information and get feedback.
The teachers experienced that the young people soon realised the benefits of being able to upload documents and pictures and to store them and have them available whenever they needed them, for instance, as evidence of required achievements, as presentations of themselves and what they had accomplished, and as job applications.
— WBK
WBK has used the E-portfolio for the introduction of the intern- ship company and the task of carrying out an interview with an employee. With the use of E-portfolio the students have docu- mented and reflected on their experience of their internship.
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— E2C Norrköping
Through logbook work, movies and photos, the students have documented their work placements. Based on the documenta- tion they have been able to recognise, reflect, validate, plan and assess their learning process.
— Doncaster College
The students have learned how to share experience and docu- ments on Edmodo and to upload pictures onto the website.
They found Edmodo difficult to use and needed a lot of support to manage the system with uploading information and pictures.
— E2C73
E2C73 already had a paper based portfolio as a compulsory document. However, during the experiment they developed E-portfolios based on two different electronic platforms.
The main aim of a portfolio is to get a better communication and to be the link between student and teacher and to give and receive important information.
Recommendations for users of E-portfolio
The Schools’ IT PolicyIt is essential that the teachers have sufficient IT skills on the electronic platform before they start using and teaching with an E-portfolio. The school’s computer equipment and internet connections must have good quality, so the E-portfolio work can run smoothly without technical difficulties and disturbances.
To secure the students’ work it is recommended to make continuous back up files.
The Students’ IT Skills
A key issue for this group of students was their IT skills and abilities, relative to the difficulty of the proposed e-platform.
The teachers must make sure that the students have the com- puter skills needed when the work with E-portfolio starts.
The Start
It is necessary to manage the start of the E-portfolio process and to create motivation and interest for it among the students.
Much time should be spent at the beginning of the work on E-portfolio, to ensure that students really understand and can use the platform correctly.
Individualised Learning
Each student has the opportunity to decide how he/she wants to use the different tools and due to this, the E-portfolio will be very individualised and show and illustrate the learning styles of the student.
To strengthen the students’ self-esteem it is good to encourage the joy they show, when they get the chance to explain their work/training in words and pictures for their classmates and have the E-portfolio as evidence. Their own learning process is made clear to them with the help of their E-portfolio, when they describe and show the class what they had done and at the same time, they get the possibility to reflect on and see their own de- velopment and share it with others. Based on the curriculum the student can be assessed with formative methods.
E-portfolio is a great tool to remind students of the progress they actually have done when their motivation temporarily dips. The achieved experience and the learning shown in the E-portfolio are the basis for the next step in students’ personal, vocational and educational development.
Access and Archiving
To record learning, all documents belonging to the students’ edu- cation can be collected on the platform for example; curriculum, study plan, action plan, CV, cover letter, qualification, and course certificates. All of these documents are easy to access for both students and teachers.
E-platform Instructions and Design
It is preferable if step by step instructions on how to use the electronic platform are easily available for students. .
During the experiment we have not found any e-platform espe- cially designed to meet the needs of the students in the NEET
group. They often have minimal IT skills and many other barriers to learning. It would be useful that any e-platform designed for or used by this group of young people, would take into considera- tion these difficulties, and would have a more user-friendly and easy to understand design.
Conclusions
The conclusion of the four partner schools is that an E-portfolio can be developed to become a useful tool and method to record, follow and influence the learning paths of young people in the NEET group. The prerequisites for this is that the school has good IT policy and well educated teachers in computer science, who have great interest in and knowledge of education of the target group.
In addition to this, the teachers must have enough time to pre- pare, introduce and train these students in the use of E-portfolio.
If these conditions are met, an E-portfolio may well turn out to be a very useful tool for young people, teachers and trainers to recognise, record, reflect, validate, present, plan and assess learning. Based on the needs of the education/training and the learning styles of a young person, this method can develop to become a comprehensive and informative documentation of his/
her learning process, progress and achievements.
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Educational software EDMODO
What is Edmodo?
A “social learning platform“ website for teachers and students, with an interface that resembles social networks like Facebook.
Stage 1: How to create a Gmail mailbox Stage 2: Get familiar with Edmodo
Stage 1: How to create a Gmail mailbox
Create your email inbox
Gmail inbox has several key qualities, such as an accessible page through the Google browser and a reliable spam filter. There are certain other mailboxes to choose from, but this provided the greatest flexibility and ease of use.
1. Type www.gmail.com in the URL bar.
Be careful, choose a professional username!
Sexy guy73 or Prize73 are unsuitable for your personal privacy.
Choose your name. surname@gmail.com instead.
If you add a phone number as a recovery option, Google can send you a text message with a code to help you reset your password should you ever forget your password.
2. Please click on “Create an account” at the top right corner.
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your account.
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