Online Self-Assessment: the Dutch Digital VOLL Language Portfolio

Marianne Driessen


   

Case type

Teacher training: implementation of the European Language Portfolio

This case typically deals with the development and implementation of the digital version of the Dutch VOLL version of the Language Portfolio.

   

Target group

Dutch teachers and learners in VOLL

   

Rationale & Purpose

The development and implementation of  a digital version of the (VOLL) Language Portfolio.    

Pedagogic/didactic approach

The European Language Portfolio is a document in which those who are learning or have learned a language - whether at school or outside school - can record and reflect on their language learning and cultural experiences.

The portfolio consists of three main parts:

The learner is always the owner of his/her portfolio. For that reason we started with a small and simple digital version on a floppy disk, so the learner can take it with him/her.

   

Description of case

A nationwide development and implementation project for the innovation of the learning and teaching of modern languages with the use of the Dutch VOLL version of the European Framework (Raamwerk Moderne Vreemde Talen) and the Dutch VOLL version of the Language Portfolio (Taalportfolio bve) .

General information about these products and other innovations in VOLL in the Netherlands can be found on the webportal ´TrefpuntTalen’ that has been set up for Dutch teachers of VOLL. On this website you can download all the related documents.

The English versions of the Dutch VOLL Language Portfolio can be directly downloaded from here: Download document  ‘Dutch ELP English.doc’, 430 Kb

General information about the European Language Portfolio can be found on the site of the Council of Europe.  

 

ICT used

The Dutch version of the Language Portfolio has been transformed into an interactive digital application. It is a pilot version that is being tested in three schools for vocational training during the first semester of 2002/2003. In the second semester of 2003 we will evaluate it and will implement changes and improvements. 
You can see and use it as a demo version here:
start Dutch Digital VOLL Language Portfolio.

In this demo version your data will be stored while you use it but will be overwritten by the next user.

 

Analysis

·        Possibilities and constraints

More ease of use compared to the paper version. Schools and teachers can either make use of copies of the floppy disk or put the application on their network/intranet. In that case  a constraint could be the safe storage of the personal data of each student. Each school or teacher should find a suitable solution for this problem.

 

·        Subject matter encountered

The language portfolio can be used independently of any subject matter.

 

·       Learner and teacher roles

The learner has to take the responsibility for his/her own learning process. The teacher must take up the role as a guide in this learning process.

 

·        Further possibilities

The aim is to make the digital language portfolio accessible via the internet. We must still find a way to safely store the personal data of each student when we put everything on a web server.

   

Conclusion

This digital product is seen by many teachers as a great step forward in the process of implementation of the language portfolio. We must, however, be ever aware of many other problems of implementing a new way of language teaching (more learner-centred) that are not solved by using a digital portfolio instead of a paper version.