Scaffolding work-integrated learning through personalised portfolio pathways

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Macdonald, Fraser and English, Rosanne; (2025) Scaffolding work-integrated learning through personalised portfolio pathways. In: INTED2026 Proceedings. INTED Proceedings . International Academy of Technology, Education and Development (IATED), ESP. ISBN 9788409823857 (In Press)

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Abstract

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) constitutes a fundamental component of university apprenticeship degree programmes, supporting the integration of academic knowledge with workplace practice and evidencing professional competence. Effective implementation of WIL is essential for the successful delivery of apprenticeship degree programmes. Whilst there are a variety of assessment approaches for WIL, the portfolio approach is commonly used. Portfolio assessment provides a flexible approach to documenting experience but requires suitable scaffolding to support apprentices throughout their learning journey. Apprentices can be employed in a wide range of contexts, and scaffolding must account for diverse workplace experiences, both in scale and domain of organisations, as well as varied roles and career trajectories. This paper presents a framework for personalised portfolio development that aims to address these challenges. The framework was iteratively designed and validated over five years through implementation in a software development apprenticeship degree programme. The framework comprises of three components: personal development planning, one-to-one support through a learning adviser, and formative assessments. The framework has been successfully used to support personalised learning pathways to over 100 graduates who have developed comprehensive portfolios which have supported not only their assessment, but also their career management and progression.

ORCID iDs

Macdonald, Fraser ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9736-6487 and English, Rosanne ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6475-2899;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)