Understanding Learner Profiles

We need a more balanced, holistic and “multi modal” approach to assessment which supports ongoing learning and enables young people to demonstrate what they know and can do.

In order to broaden and modernise assessment, and to move towards an education system which recognises the full breadth of a young person’s strengths and achievements, we think that digital learner profiles are a promising step towards this goal.

Already being trialled around the world, we have set out our own vision for what a national learner profile could include, and what areas of learning and competencies and capabilities could be recognised. In July 2022 we lanched the framework below. 

Learner profiles are being developed in different countries and contexts around the world, often with different purposes and meanings dependent on national or state policy, cultures, and the education environment. 

Here we offer our EMERGING DEFINITION for what Rethinking Assessment thinks a learner profile is and isn't, and share definitions from elsewhere in the world. 

OUR DEFINITION

A learner profile is a student owned digital record of their learning, their strengths and achievements, inside and outside of formal education and into adulthood.

Its PURPOSE is to:

• provide a much broader and richer view of student capability and achievement

• enable learners to understand themselves and their strengths, and tell the story of who they are and what they can do, at different points in their lives

• rebalance and broaden what is asssesed (and therefore valued) in formal education, to reshape student learning outcomes and metrics of success. 

It CONTAINS multi modal evidence of learning, assessed in different ways, across a number of core components. 

This could include:

• Building blocks - moving beyond maths and English to numeracy and literacy and include digital skills 

• Evidencing the  3Cs - collaboration, communication/oracy and creative thinking

• Me as a Learner - reflection on learning which draws on research on the importance of metacognition 

• Courses - an explicit shift towards to different types of courses, bridging academic and vocational 

• Personal project - potentially the Extended Project Qualification, or Higher Project Qualification 

• Curated Portfolio of best work, interests and wider achievements inside and outside of school

• Testimonials - as supporting evidence, from peers, teachers, other adults, mentors  

1. Strengths based

2. Captures and evidences breadth - head, heart, hand

3. Captures development over time

4. Learner led and owned - inclusive 

5. Accessible from tech perspective 

6. Portable

LEARNER PROFILES MUST

• Evidence knowledge, skills and learning dispositions - assessed in multi modal ways

• Include a number of core components which show breadth

• Be grounded in a holistic teaching and learning experience

Evidence of learning within the learner profile may be accredited through formal qualifications or awards, or verified by trusted organisations such as employers, higher education institutions, professional bodies. You can read more on the recognition of learning here. 

• A digital list of qualifications

• A digital scrapbook of unorganised ideas and artefacts

• A coaching tool linked to one competency framework or psychometric test 

• A digital profile that has limited scope and purpose around one area of learning, with one mode of evidencing learning

• A qualification, or an alternative to qualifications

Learner profiles can be used for a variety of purposes in different phases of education/lifelong learning for example:

* In primary schools for capturing holistic student development, interests and achievement and to enhance parent reporting and communication

* In secondary schools for student conferencing/formal presentations of learning, for CIAG (Careers Information and Guidance) planning and documentation, reflection and meta-learning

* In colleges for capturing industry experience, task management and goal setting, creating a showcase of work for employers or admissions

* In Higher Education for demonstrating practical application of theoretic concepts, to provide a rich and dynamic record of learning and experience, and to prepare for candidate interviews and employment 

* In work based and adult learning to provide ongoing evidence of experience, training and development, career achievements and examples of professional headlines and highlights