A Portfolio of Evidence or POE is a vital part of an accredited course. Whether your course is online, blended, or in a classroom, a learner may have to submit a POE as proof that they have completed and demonstrated the minimum requirements set out by the respective SETA or QCTO before receiving credits.
This segment is going to touch on a few basic elements of how to create a POE online.
Let’s take a look!
1. Does your SETA accept electronic submissions?
Each SETA has submission requirements and policies for the acceptance of POE’s. A good place to begin is by contacting the SETA or QCTO where your courses are accredited and find out what these requirements and policies are. If your SETA’s requirement is to submit a hardcopy of the evidence, the information can still be stored online and then printed out for submission. Where your SETA allows for electronic submission, make sure that all the relevant requirements are met, and that the information is collated in the correct format.
2. Allow for the upload of Candidate information
Candidate information is required as part of a POE. This can be done online by providing a template with all the necessary fields for the candidate to either complete online or to download – complete, and then upload to the online platform for storage. Once again it is important to provide the relevant fields that the SETA requires as per their policy.
3. Provide access to supporting documentation
POE’s usually have a checklist of documentation that needs to be submitted. Assignments, knowledge questions, witness testimony, supervisor feedback, logbooks and reflections all form part of this documentation. A good idea here is to provide clear instructions of what needs to be done for each document as well as the document checklist. For example: how to access the document, who is required to complete it, what information or evidence needs to be provided, when is it due and how to upload the document again.
4. Create activities that form part of the required evidence
For some of us, putting a POE together can be a complicated and tedious process. Making it available online, and designing your course in a way that makes most of the evidence requirements part of the course, will eliminate some of the complication. This can be done by creating activities in your course that asks the candidate the questions required for evidence in the form of activities and/or assessments.
5. Have a system that allows for the collation of information
The key here is to have a system, perhaps an LMS, that has capabilities to store and collate documentation. It should be able to collate the course outputs that form part of the required evidence. The system should be user friendly with clear instructions and allow for downloading and printing or electronic access.
In conclusion, having a POE online is very doable. It does, however, take some planning and the proper tools, in this case the correct online system, to get the job done.
