An analysis of students capacity or Learning power using ELLI Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory

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An analysis of students capacity or Learning
power using ELLI (Effective Lifelong Learning
Inventory)

• Preparing students for the changing landscape of
  professional social work practice
• Pamela Trevithick, Madeleine Howe, Alan Howe,
  Andrea Collins

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Aims of the project

• to identify whether students can enhance their
  capacity for learning or learning power in
  academic and practice contexts in ways that
  prepare them for the changing landscape of
  professional social work practice
• to identify the implications of our findings for
  other professional training programmes at the
  University of Gloucestershire and elsewhere

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What is ELLI?

• ELLI is a tool that provides a profile of
  students learning capacities or learning power
  across seven dimensions of learning-
• changing and learning
• critical analysis
• meaning making
• creativity
• resilience
• strategic awareness
• learning relationships
• These dimensions provide the opportunity for
  students to consolidate strengths and address
  areas of weakness.

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An example of an ELLI profile
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ELLIs 7 dimensions describe

• changing and learning a sense of oneself as
  someone who learns and changes over time the
  opposite is being stuck and static
• critical analysis an orientation to want to
  get beneath the surface the opposite is being
  passive
• meaning making making connections and seeing
  that learning matters to me the opposite is
  simply accumulating data
• creativity risk-taking, playfulness,
  imagination and intuition the opposite is being
  rule-bound
• resilience the orientation to persevere in the
  development of ones own learning power and
  relish challenge the opposite is being fragile
  and dependent
• strategic awareness being aware of ones
  thoughts, feelings and actions as a learner and
  able to use that awareness to plan and manage
  learning processes the opposite is being
  robotic
• learning relationships interdependence
  learning with and from others yet also able to
  learn alone the opposite is either being
  isolated or over-dependent

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Research timetable (1)

• 14 final year students on a professionally
  qualifying social work programme at University
  of Gloucestershire initially volunteered to
  participate
• Of these,13 students completed the research
• Data was collected at several points
• January 2009 - participants completed a first
  ELLI profile and provided a written reflection on
  this profile before begin their final 100 days
  full-time fieldwork placement (having spent two
  semesters in classroom based learning)
• February 2009 a tutorial with mentor was set up
  to discuss students profile and how their
  learning power could be extended

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Research timetable (2)

• March 2009 - the first focus group met to discuss
  students progress and experience of ELLI and its
  impact, if any, on their professional development
• April 2009 a second focus group met, again to
  discuss students progress and any changes
  identified
• May 2009 students completed a second ELLI
  profile and completed a written reflection on the
  difference between this first and second profile
• A third focus group was held to elicit students
  comments on the research project and whether the
  research enhanced their learning power and in
  what ways

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Research methodology

• The research methodology consists of both
  quantitative and qualitative methods and
  includes
• quantitative data drawn from the findings of two
  completed ELLI profiles. This data will be
  analysed in relation to the 7 dimensions of
  learning
• qualitative data drawn from students written
  comments on their two profiles
• qualitative data drawn from students verbal
  comments recorded during the two mentoring
  sessions and three focus groups

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Initial findings

• An analysis of the data suggests
• Students who participated enjoyed being involved
  in the project and appear to have enhanced their
  self-awareness as learners
• Participants reported areas of conscious and
  active development and were able to identify
  examples of application of their learning in
  practice setting
• Most students described their ELLI profiles as
  accurate on some dimensions but not others.
• many students scored highly on changing and
  learning
• many students initially scored low on resilience
  and creativity

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Final Word

• Anyway I think Elli obviously has had an impact
  on each of us but we only notice it when we talk
  about it - what works for effective learning is
  not only reading, its talking, piecing things
  together, the most effective method of learning
  for me comes from  the reflection itself!! Alex 

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Contacts

• ptrevithick_at_glos.ac.uk
• acollins_at_glos.ac.uk
• mhowe_at_glos.ac.uk
• ahowe_at_glos.ac.uk